The Musicals Collection (West Side Story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Fiddler On The Roof, Man Of La Mancha, Guys & Dolls) DVD – John Castle , Harry Andrews

West Side Story: Garnering a total of ten Academy Awards – including Best Picture of 1961 – West Side Story set a brilliant standard for movie musicals that remains unsurpassed to this day. Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins from Ernest Lehman’s spectacular screenplay the film combines the unforgettable score of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim with Robbins’ exuberant choreography to create a transcendent fusion of realism and fantasy that will forever be a feast for the eye the ear and ultimately the heart. A triumph on every level this electrifying musical sets the ageless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of gang warfare in the slums of 1950’s New York. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: From the book by Bond creator Ian Fleming and adapted for the screen by Roald Dahl Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the wonderful family film starring Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts an eccentric inventor who designs an extraordinary car that not only drives but flies and floats. Along with his two children Jemima (Heather Ripley) and Jeremy (Adrian Hall) and the beautiful Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes) Caractacus and Chitty lead everyone into a magical world of pirates castles and endless adventure. Fiddler On The Roof: An outstanding accomplishment in every way this lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol) a poor milkman whose love pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the-century Tsarist Russia. Nominated eight Academy Awards (1971) including Best Picture and Best Director and featuring such classic songs as “”If I were a rich man”” “”Matchmaker”” and “”Sunrise Sunset”” Fiddler On The Roof is a universal story of hope love and acceptance: a musical masterpiece! Man Of La Mancha: The hit stage musical given the movie treatment. A skinny old gentleman with wispy white hair dreams the impossible dream… He is Don Quixote de La Mancha the knight errant. Don Quixote is the mad aging nobleman who embarrasses his respectable family by his adventures. Backed by his faithful sidekick Sancho Panza he duels windmills and defends his perfect lady Dulcinea (who is actually a downtrodden whore named Aldonza)… Guys And Dolls: Hollywood legends Marlon Brando Frank Sinatra Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine (from the original Broadway cast) are dazzling in this masterpiece unleashing a spectacular song-and-dance show that’s loaded with entertainment. The slickest big-time New York City gamblers Sky Masterson (Brando) and Nathan Detroit (Sinatra) can’t resist making or taking a bet on anything. So when a pretty missionary (Simmons) sets up shop in the neighbourhood Nathan stakes a grand that Sky can’t seduce her. But all bets are off when Sky falls madly in love in this romantic musical spectacular that sets the Big Apple afire with excitement.