The Holly and the Ivy (1952) a festive film came out on Blu-ray at the beginning of December released by Studiocanal. I was unable take a look at it upon release but did manage to watch it over Christmas. So this review may be a little late but is still worth doing. Let’s find out if this British festive drama is really worth a look. So without further ado here’s my The Holly and the Ivy blu-ray review.
- The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
- Genre: Drama
- Directed by George More O’Ferrall
- UK Rating U
- Discs: 1
- Released By Studiocanal
- Blu-ray Released: 2 December 2019
Plot
Margaret and Michael make their to way village of Wyndenham in Norfolk where they intend to spend Christmas with their father and clergyman Reverend Martin Gregory. He lives with their sister Jenny who looks after him. With all of the family together it’s clear the children all have secrets hidden from their father. Those secrets are bound to come out with the tension reaching boiling over during the festive period.
Style / Direction
The films directed by George More O’Ferrall whilst the cinematography is handled by Edward Scaife.
Music / Audio Effects
The music is provided by Malcolm Arnold.
Acting / Characters
The casting is good with Ralph Richardson playing a clergyman slightly out of touch with his own family’s problems. He plays it very well and its certainly a memorable performance.
I found Celia Johnson as Jenny and Denholm Elliott as Michael also to be extremely well acted. Overall I found the acting to be very good and believable.
Cast
- Ralph Richardson as Reverend Martin Gregory
- Celia Johnson as Jenny Gregory
- Margaret Leighton as Margaret Gregory
- Denholm Elliott as Michael Gregory
- Hugh Williams as Richard Wyndham
- John Gregson as David Paterson
- Margaret Halstan as Aunt Lydia
- Maureen Delany as Aunt Bridget
- William Hartnell as Company Sergeant Major
- Robert Flemyng as Major
- Roland Culver as Lord B.
Conclusion: The Holly and the Ivy (1952) Film Review
The Holly and the Ivy brings together family members for the festive period and in doing so reveals and brings to a head several family issues. It’s done very well and doesn’t ever get as depressing as a Christmas episode of EastEnders!
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Conclusion: The Holly and the Ivy Blu-ray Review
The black and white image is clean and sharp free from any annoying flickers and marks. In short it’s another excellent release from Studiocanal and a must have for fans of this festive classic.
If you want to more about the origins of the film and a detailed breakdown of the film and story then the extras are well worth a look.
Extras
- Melanie Williams (Specialist in British Cinema) Interview
- Professor Mark Connelly (Expert on social history of Christmas)
- Audio Commentary with Jeremy Arnold
- Stills Gallery
Popcorn Cinema Rating:
The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
MOVIE RATING: GOOD
BLU-RAY RATING: VERY GOOD
EXTRAS: VERY GOOD
POPCORN CINEMA: RECOMMENDED
The Holly and the Ivy (1952) Blu-ray is available now from Amazon.
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The Holly and the Ivy (1952) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster with a promo clip from the Talking Pictures TV channel. They have shown this a few times over Christmas in the last few years but I didn’t spot it on this Christmas.
Clip may not be representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my The Holly and the Ivy blu-ray review, I’m aiming to review more horror movies soon. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: The Holly and the Ivy (1952) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Holly and the Ivy (1952)
Movie description: Family members all return home for the festive period
Duration: 80 mins
Director(s): George More O'Ferrall
Actor(s): Ralph Richardson, Celia Johnson, Denholm Elliott, Margaret Leighton, John Gregson, Margaret Halstan
Genre: Drama
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
A British festive classic
