STUDIOCANAL has announced a brand-new 2-disc Collector’s Edition of one of Ealing Studios’ beloved classic comedies, THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT (1953). Meticulously restored in 4K for the forthcoming 15 June release, the new UHD joins part of the ever expanding Vintage Classics collection dedicated to the preservation of classic film. Directed by Charles Chrichton (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE DIVIDED HEART), THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT catches the spirit of post-war Britain through the delightfully eccentric story of a rural village determined to save its beloved railway from closure - by taking it over and running it themselves. Produced by Ealing Studios’ head Michael Balcon (THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, THE LADYKILLERS) and based on the original screenplay by Oscar®-winner T.E.B. Clarke (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, PASSPORT TO PIMLICO), the film features a distinguished ensemble cast including George Relph (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, BEN-HUR) as the determined village vicar leading the campaign to save the railway, Stanley Holloway (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, PASSPORT TO PIMLICO) as the charming local drunk and Sid James (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE LADYKILLERS) as the scheming replacement bus company operator. Supporting cast includes John Gregson (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, GENEVIEVE), Naunton Wayne (DEAD OF NIGHT, PASSPORT TO PIMLICO), Godfrey Tearle (THE LADY VANISHES, THE STARS LOOK DOWN), Hugh Griffith (THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, BEN-HUR) and Gabrielle Brune (WENT THE DAY WELL, THE CAPTIVE HEART). Packed with community-spirited wit, authentic steam locomotives and quaint countryside settings, complemented by the stunning cinematography of Douglas Slocombe (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB), THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT is a quintessential British comedy for classic comedy lovers and train enthusiasts alike.
Extras on the Collector’s Edition include a new segment on the railway that sparked The Titfield Thunderbolt with Tim Dunn, The Titfield Thunderbolt Pathé short, the Making Of, Douglas Slocombe on Charles Chrichton interviewed by Matthew Sweet, Douglas Slocombe 16mm footage & more. A 64-page booklet and poster of the original artwork are also included.
ABOUT THE RESTORATION:
The restoration of THE TITFILED THUNDERBOLT began with the 4K pin-registered scanning of the original three-strip camera negative. The three strips had to have their colour separations combined to produce the final colour image. One of the biggest issues to overcome was aligning the colour separations together, initially an automated process, but also requiring a huge amount of manual tweaking and tracking.
Film scanning, colour grading and restoration were completed by Silver Salt Restoration, who dedicated over 500 hours to manually clean and carefully remove sparkle, dirt and scratches, repair of missing frames, tears and correction of density fluctuation.
SYNOPSIS:
THE TITFIELD THUNDERBOLT is a comical and delightful tale of community spirit, written by celebrated Ealing regular and Academy Award Winner T.E.B. Clarke (The Lavender Hill Mob, Barnacle Bill), directed by Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda, The Lavender Hill Mob). When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line, a group of local village residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately, this puts them into direct competition with the local bus company.
EXTRAS:
New Tim Dunn on the Railway That Sparked The Titfield Thunderbolt
"The Titfield Thunderbolt" (1952): British Pathé short
Making of The Titfield Thunderbolt
Douglas Slocombe's Titfield Thunderbolt 16mm Footage
Lion locomotive Featurette *
Then & Now Locations Featurette
Douglas Slocombe on Charles Crichton: Interview by Matthew Sweet
Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery
Trailer