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Drama

The denotative aspects of drama from Aristotle's "Poetics" include a story development with a beginning, middle and an end. In the more conventional sense, dramatic presentations include the portrayal of characters, settings, life situations and stories in the course of a theatrical performance. In theatre, drama usually takes on the scope of dealing with matters of a serious nature. Drama is Alice's largest section and a treasure trove of great drama catering for every taste. The bulk of the "Drama" section (generally made since 1965 and include psychological dramas) is listed below, however you may also choose from the "Classic Drama" sub-section (generally made before 1965), in blue on left. Also helpful may be "Alices Playhouse", "True Stories" and "Shakespeare" features. Right: Scene from Kubrick's beautifully mounted "Barry Lyndon"

Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939)

7.8/10
Director: Sam Wood
Starring: Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Paul Henreid

A moving and much-loved drama, Goodbye Mr Chips earned Robert Donat the 1940 Academy Award for Best Actor. Charles Chipping, a retired English schoolm... Read more

Jamaica Inn (1939)

6.3/10
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Leslie Banks

Hitchcock's last film in England before moving to Hollywood. With Charles Laughton in a story set in the eighteenth century about a young Irish girl w... Read more

Johnny Apollo (1939)

7/10
Director: Henry Hathaway
Starring: Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, Lloyd Nolan, Tyrone Power

When his banker father is jailed for embezzlement, an embittered Tyrone Power leaves his old life behind him to start a new one as gangster "Johnny Ap... Read more

Made For Each Other (1939)

6.5/10
Director: John Cromwell
Starring: Carole Lombard, James Stewart, Charles Coburn

Carole Lombard and James Stewart star in this classic comedy/drama about a young married couple who face a variety of problems ranging from financial... Read more

Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

7.7/10
Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Rita Hayworth

This quintessential Howard Hawks masterpiece examines the lives and loves of the pilots of a small commercial airline in Latin America. Exemplary acti... Read more

The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex (1939)

7.2/10
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Vincent...

A colourful and elaborate costume drama featuring fine performances from Bette Davis as an aging Queen Elizabeth I, and Errol Flynn as her flamboyant... Read more

The Spy in Black (1939)

7/10
Director: Michael Powell
Starring: Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson, Sebastian Shaw

Aka "U-Boat". An unusual espionage cum-romance story of German agent Conrad Veidt and his love affair with British agent Valerie Hobson. This was Emer... Read more

The Four Feathers (Blu-ray) (1939)

7.5/10
Director: Zoltan Korda
Starring: John Clements, Ralph Richardson, June Duprez

Four boyhood friends are about to leave their native England for war in Egypt. But one of them, deciding that love is more important than duty, stays... Read more

Three Comrades (1938)

7.2/10
Director: Frank Borzage
Starring: Robert Taylor, Margaret Sullavan, Franchot Tone, Robert Young, Guy Kibbee, Lione...

The close friendship of three German soldiers is strengthened by their shared love for the same woman, who is dying of tuberculosis. Read more

Bank Holiday ( Three on a Weekend ) (1938)

6.6/10
Director: Carol Reed
Starring: Margaret Lockwood, John Lodge, Hugh Williams

A 1930s British summer Bank Holiday starts at midday on Saturday with a rush for the trains to the sea-side. Doreen Richards under the name Miss Fulha... Read more