Phyllis Calvert

This tale of treachery put both the Gainsborough melodrama and actor James Mason on the map. The star-to-be plays Lord Rohan, a cruel nobleman who marries the naive and sweet-natured Clarissa for the sole purpose of producing an heir; meanwhile, Clarissa's conniving best friend, Hesther, plots against her for her own nefarious ends. Set in England in the early 19th century.

A lurid tale of sex and psychosis is among the wildest of the Gainsborough melodramas. Set in Italy, it begins as a comparatively sedate tale about a respectable, convent-raised woman who is haunted by the memory of being raped as a teenager. But when her grown daughter returns from school, her life begins to unravel in monumentally surprising ways.

Postal Inspector Al Goddard is assigned to investigate the murder of a fellow officer. The only witness to the crime is Sister Augustine, who identifies the photograph of one of the assailants. This leads Goddard to a seedy hotel where he learns that the assailant is a member of a gang headed by Earl Boettiger, and he soon discovers that the gang is planning a million-dollar mail robbery.

This set, crackling with suspense and drama, includes ten of the most prominent examples of British filmmaking. Appointment with Venus: at the outbreak of WWII the British realize they can't prevent the invasion of the Channel Islands. However, someone realizes that a prize cow, Venus, is on the islands and the Nazis mustn't get hold of her. The wind cannot read: Love that was forbidden ... but could not be denied! Operation Amsterdam: during WWII,...