Review for Trevor Howard Boxset (5 Discs)

So yet another classic ‘star’ compilation. Actually, I’m surprised this hasn’t been done before – or maybe it has and this is a case of re-licencing. Whatever the case, it’s easy to see the attraction of acquiring the set. There are a couple of truly great films here (‘Brief Encounter’ and ‘The Third Man’) and three perfectly reasonable ones, all of which combine to show what a brilliant actor Trevor Howard was.

In fact, a starring role in Brief Encounter allowed Howard to excel whilst ‘The Third Man’ shows just how great he could be as a jobbing support actor too.

As a much celebrated actor (nominated for countless gongs and winning two), Howard was born 100 years ago this year. Hence the excuse to re-package a handful of his films into this so-called centennial tribute.

You can tell it’s a bit of a cobbled together job as the quality of the transfers varies considerably and ‘Brief Encounter’ has a ‘The David Lean Collection’ main menu. Not that this will necessarily spoil your enjoyment of what is otherwise a very fine set of films.

 The individual discs are as follows:

Brief Encounter (1945)

I have a confession. I have never taken the time to watch this film properly end-to-end. As a ‘romantic melodrama’ I always felt that it probably wasn’t my thing. How wrong I was. This should be everybody’s thing. It’s a sublime piece of cinematic brilliance with David Lean at the helm, beautifully shot and wonderfully edited – full of amazingly imaginative film techniques. Of course, Lean cut his teeth as a jobbing editor at London Films and that editor’s eyes served him brilliantly here.


Based on a very sensitive (though arguably slight) narrative from Noël Coward’s pen, it tells the tale of two people thrown together by a chance meeting, who fall helplessly in love despite their marital status and the inevitable crash as a result. However, this is no Hardy-like tragedy with moral finger wagging. To the contrary, the ending is uplifting – though I won’t spoil that here.

The film catapulted Howard from support actor to star and deservedly so as his performance is bewitchingly brilliant, as is his co-star Celia Johnson’s. Neither are classically ‘beautiful’ though each certainly oozes charisma, aided and abetted through some exceptional cinematography from Robert Kesker. 

Light relief is provided by Stanley Holloway as a love-struck station master keeping everything at the station flowing, including his blossoming relationship with the café manager.
This film deserves so much more than this slight review but the real trick here is to watch it. If you already have then you’ll need no persuading to ensure that it’s in your collection. This set is one way to make that happen!

I loved the film and this smart transfer, along with fascinating extras, deserve a full ten out of ten. If you don’t go for the whole set, then search this one out. Or even better perhaps, get the David Lean collection from which it came.

The Third Man Special Edition (1949)


Well, another classic that deserves a place in any collection of course. Unlike ‘Brief Encounter’ (which I watched for the first time in full for this review), I have seen ‘The Third Man’ maybe half-a-dozen times and it’s another film that just keeps on giving!

This time Trevor Howard plays a less significant role but nonetheless, an important one and he does it with great aplomb. As you watch all the films in this set it becomes increasingly apparent that Howard was an actor with great depth and versality. He really ‘becomes’ the characters he plays. His natural, effortless style is ideal for films and he rarely plays to the back of the room (a tiresome feature of many pre-1940 movies and beyond).

Carol Reed’s The Third Man was recently voted the greatest British film of all time and whilst that may be a bit extreme, it is easy to see its endless appeal. Oddly, it takes much of its style from hard-boiled US film-noir and features US actors. However, it is also somehow European – bizarre, surreal and reflecting the post-war political divide between Eastern-Europe and the USA.


Set in post-war Vienna, The Third Man stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, who arrives penniless as guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to find him dead. Martins develops the ultimate conspiracy theory after learning of a “third man” present at the time of Harry’s death.

What plays out is a delicious cold-war thriller – all shadows and light – all set off to perfection with its memorable zither score.
Harry Lime was brilliantly played by Orson Welles, and he continued the ‘Harry Lime/ Third Man’ franchise into radio where he starred in a regular 30 minute series which proved incredibly popular too. One of the episodes is included on this disc and is a thoroughly enjoyable way of passing half an hour – though very much a poor cousin to the movie.

There is a nice featurette included too which gives some great historic context to the movie.

Again, a very impressive transfer that looks almost flawless and has deeply crushed blacks giving it a stylish and satisfying look.
Again, no self-respecting British movie lover would want to be without it.

Odette (1950)

A classic tale of bravery and courage during WWII, Odette tells the true story of female war hero Odette Hallowes. After volunteering her services to the Special Operations Executive, Odette (the incredibly popular box-office favourite Anna Neagle) is despatched into Nazi occupied France and thrown into an intense world of espionage to work alongside agent Captain Peter Churchill (Trevor Howard) and radio operator Alex Rabinovich (Peter Ustinov).

Whilst on a deadly mission working for the French Resistance her cover is blown and Odette is captured and interrogated by ruthless Gestapo officers. But even after being brutally tortured and sentenced to death in a concentration camp Odette still refuses to reveal any information concerning her original mission and her fellow spies.


Directed by Herbert Wilcox, it’s an entertaining biopic that shows the level of personal sacrifice that many of the resistance suffered at the hands of the Nazis. Howard turns in a solid performance as a leader who is both courageous and empathetic and his role somehow reflects that of Neagle’s in the title role. They are portrayed as two of a type who develop a huge amount of mutual respect.

Sadly the transfer here is far less impressive than the previous two discs, looking positively frazzled in places with high grain and noise.

Whilst not quite a classic, it’s certainly a fine example of good British movie making and more than pays dividends for an hour and a half of your time.

Outcast of the Islands (1951)

Adapted from the Joseph Conrad novel of the same name, Outcast of the Islands is directed by Oscar winning director Carol Reed (yes- he of ‘The Third Man’ fame) features Trevor Howard as Willems and Ralph Richardson as Lingard. Peter Willems, a disreputable, immoral man is on the run from a scandal in Makassar. He finds refuge in a hidden native village, only to betray his benefactors over his desire for the tribal chief’s daughter. Also in the cast are old favourites Robert Morley, Wendy Hiller and Wilfrid Hyde-White.

The film has a real British colonial flavour, illustrating the typical British gung-ho associated with its early days in far flung regions. Howard here plays a man who knows no loyalty and appears to have no sense of morality. Indeed, his love of money has driven him from one scandal to another. In the end, desire brings about the most scandalous demise of all.


The film is marginally better shape than Odette but in no way reflects the care taken with ‘Brief Encounter’ or ‘The Third Man’ in terms of picture quality.

It’s also a film that, whilst it sits well within the context of the set, is unlikely to be one you would seek out for its own sake.

Heart of the Matter (1953)

The final film in the set, whilst no ‘Third Man’, is well worth watching. In fact, it was nominated for 4 Baftas and the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes. The Heart of the Matter marked Trevor Howard’s second outing in a Graham Greene adaptation (the first being ‘The Third man’ of course).

Also starring Elizabeth Allan, Denholm Elliot and Maria Schell, the film tells the story of Scobie (Howard), a principled police officer tormented by his own guilt and the misery around him in colonial Africa at the outbreak of World War II.

It’s a brilliant if bleak portrayal by Howard who turns in a powerhouse performance, always understated and yet perfectly intense. Anyone who has read ‘Heart of the Matter’ will have some sense of the book and it’s quite an accomplishment to condense so much burning resentment and regret into a mere 90 minutes but it’s achieved with great aplomb.

Like ‘Outlaw of the Islands’ the film combines studio footage with actual footage featuring many native extras – none of whom spoil a take by looking to camera. How do they do that?!



All in all, a very worthwhile package with two of the films (Third Man / Brief Encounter) worth the price of the set on their own. If you don’t have them then now is your chance.