Fox and MGM Unveil New 'Literary Classics'

Some of the greatest works of literature come alive in the new Literary Classics DVD collection, arriving on September 7, 2010 from Twentieth Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment. The Literary Classics collection includes the following 15 films from the Fox and MGM libraries: Much Ado About Nothing, Moby Dick, Of Mice and Men, Jane Eyre, Lord of the Flies, The Lion In Winter, Inherit the Wind, Les Miserables, Anna Karenina, How Green Was My Valley, Journey To the Center of the Earth, Henry V, The Grapes of Wrath, Richard III and The Children's Hour. Each DVD in the collection includes a removable bookmark that incorporates artwork and a quote from the respective film.

Ranging from classic love stories to epic dramas, the films in the collection feature legendary actors and actresses such as Henry Fonda (Grapes of Wrath), Gregory Peck (Moby Dick), Orson Welles (Jane Eyre), Peter O'Toole (The Lion In Winter), Spencer Tracy (Inherit The Wind), Anthony Hopkins (The Lion in Winter), Audrey Hepburn (The Children's Hour), Joan Fontaine (Jane Eyre) and Shirley MacLaine (The Children's Hour). The collection also includes Oscar&reg winning performances from Katharine Hepburn (The Lion In Winter; Best Actress) and Jane Darwell (The Grapes of Wrath; Best Supporting Actress). Each film in the Literary Classics collection will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $14.98 to $19.98 U.S./ $15.98 Canada.

Literary Classics Title Synopses:

Much Ado About Nothing (1993) (Catalog # M121798)
A military war has just ended, but the "merry war" between Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) rages on! Can their friends trick them into making love instead? For that matter, can another couple's devotion survive the evil Don John's (Keanu Reeves) vicious lies? It's up to the blundering constable Dogberry (Michael Keaton) to save the day so that the course of true love may yet run smooth!

Moby Dick (1956) (Catalog # M121796)
Consumed by an insane rage, Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) has but one purpose in life-revenge on Moby Dick, the great white whale who maimed and disfigured him. Ahab uses his command as an excuse to sail the seven seas in an unrelenting search of his prey. Battling a mutinous crew, tropical heat and violent storms, Ahab finally catches up to his quarry and begins a confrontation that culminates in an epic struggle of non-stop fury...and inevitable doom.

Of Mice and Men (1992) (Catalog # M121790)
John Steinbeck's classic comes magnificently to life when best friends Lennie (John Malkovich) and George (Gary Sinise) find themselves unemployed in Depression-era California, unable to keep jobs because of Lennie's childlike mentality. But once they get hired at the Tyler Ranch, they enjoy a brief period of stability- until their supervisor's wife (Sherilyn Fenn) becomes the victim of Lennie's compassion, forcing George to make a compassionate decision of his own.

Jane Eyre (1943) (Catalog # 2269582)
Jane Eyre (Joan Fontaine) secures a job as governess to the child (Margaret O'Brien) of the troubled Edward Rochester (Orson Welles), sire of Thornfield, a mysterious English manor. When she hears strange cries and noises from a distant wing, her inquiries are rebuffed. As time goes on, Jane and her master fall in love and decide to marry. But their plans are halted when a visitor suddenly reveals the shocking secret that Rochester has kept for years.

Lord of the Flies (1990) (Catalog # M121788)
After a harrowing plane crash into the sea, a group of American military cadets finds itself marooned on a deserted island. Competition and power struggles split them into two packs. Ralph (Balthazar Getty) leads one group and preaches civilized ingenuity and togetherness, but Jack (Chris Furrh) builds a faction of barbaric hunters who ultimately go to war with Ralph. Ordinary kids transform into primal killers, setting off a devastating battle of good versus evil.

The Lion In Winter (1968) (Catalog # M121784)
Henry II (Peter O'Toole) summons his sons Richard (Anthony Hopkins), John (Nigel Terry) and Geoffery (John Castle) to join him and his prison-bound wife Eleanor (Katharine Hepburn) for a family Christmas, along with King Philip II of France (Timothy Dalton) and his sister Alais (Jane Merrow), Henry's mistress. Everyone present is a master of double-dealing and deceit, so it could be a lively Yuletide.

Inherit the Wind (1960) (Catalog # M121792)
The controversial subject of evolution versus creation causes two polar opposites to engage in one explosive battle of beliefs. Attorney Clarence Darrow (Spencer Tracy) faces off against fundamentalist leader William Jennings Bryan (Fredric March) in a small Tennessee town where a teacher has been brought to trial for teaching Darwinism.

Les Miserables (1952) (Catalog # 2269581)
The Victor Hugo classic tells the inspiring story of Jean Valjean - an ex-convict who rises from gallery slave to mayor - and Javert, the police inspector bent on recapturing Valjean.

Anna Karenina (1948) (Catalog # 2269580)
Oscar Winner Vivien Leigh is haunting in the title role of the spellbinding film version of Leo Tolstoy's tragedy. When the young wife of a statesman runs off with a young officer, she is outcast and forbidden to see her son. Desperate, the woman comes to believe that life is no longer worth living.

How Green Was My Valley (1941) (Catalog # 2269585)
Sixty-year-old Huw Morgan looks back on his life as a boy (Roddy McDowall) in a small Welsh mining town. His reminiscences reveal the disintegration of the closely knit Morgans, and his devoted parents (Donald Crisp, Sara Allgood), while capturing the sentiments and issues of their time. Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon co-star in this acclaimed screen classic, the story of one family's dreams, struggles and triumphs.

Journey To the Center of the Earth (1959) (Catalog # 2269583)
The story centers on an expedition led by Professor Lindenbrook (James Mason) down into the earth's dark, threat-laden core. Members of the group include the professor's star student, Alec (Pat Boone), and the widow (Arlene Dahl) of a colleague. Along the way lurk dangers, but they also encounter such magnificent wonders as a glistening cavern of quartz crystals, luminescent algae, a forest of giant mushrooms, and the lost city of Atlantis.

Henry V (1989) (Catalog # M121782)
Having recently been crowned King of England, Henry (Kenneth Branagh) commands a massive invasion to assert what he believes is his legal right to the throne of France. But a mighty army stands in his way...and the young monarch must rely on untested reserves of courage and cunning as he personally leads his outnumbered forces into a desperate battle for the honor and glory of the British Empire.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) (Catalog # 2269584)
After serving four years in prison, hotheaded Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) heads back to the family farm in Oklahoma. On his way he meets Casy (John Carradine), a former preacher who has lost his faith. The pair find The Farm deserted; Tom's family was evicted. Tom is reunited with his family at his uncle's farm, only to discover the family must also leave that farm the next day. The family heads to California to look for work; however, their peregrination and experiences in California are not as promising as the Golden State originally seemed.

Richard III (1995) (Catalog # M121794)
As the newly installed King Edward (John Wood) takes the reins of power, his ruthless brother Richard (Ian McKellen) sets in motion a monstrous scheme to claim the crown for himself. Richard embarks on a merciless, single-minded campaign of betrayal, seduction and cold-blooded murder to achieve the goal that has obsessed him all of his tortured life: to be king...at any price.

The Children's Hour (1961) (Catalog # M121786)
Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine) are headmistresses at a private school in New England. Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin), a spiteful, angry child, tells her grandmother that Martha was jealous of Karen's relationship with Dr. Joe Cardin (James Garner), and that her feelings for the woman seem "unnatural." Word quickly spreads and the teachers face empty classrooms because of the false rumor. Karen and Martha then sue for slander in a case that makes national headlines.

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