Carmen, a sultry woman, seduces a young soldier, Joe, in order to avoid imprisonment. However, when she leaves Joe for another man, he seeks revenge.

There’s no sexier pairing in the history of black cinema than Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte. She died tragically young but this performance sees her at her best – vivacious, talented, full of agency and power - Catharine Des Forges

Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen Jones stands right at the top of my list. No compet find out more...

This comedy drama from Jean Renoir chronicles the revival of Paris' most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge. Jean Renoir's Technicolour masterpiece is a wonderful homage to fin de siecle Paris, drawing from the contemporary cafe culture of 1950s Paris and featuring some of the luminaries from that time including Edith Piaf and Patachou. This remastered version is available on both DVD and Bluray. 

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Dean Martin pretty much plays himself as a boozing, womanising crooner in this rather saucy comedy farce. Famous singer ‘Dino' finds himself trapped in Nevada by two ambitious songwriters and at the mercy of his own insatiable appetites. Set to an Andre Previn score Kiss Me Stupid is an enjoyable and for its time, risqué romantic comedy. find out more...

The quintessential 1950s rock film; the story of a dumb blonde who rockets to stardom is a vehicle for a biting satire on the PR worlds of rock and advertising, as well as a showpiece for some excellent music (Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent etc). Well worth a watch! find out more...

This is it, the movie that kicked it all off, the first commercially released full length (with synchronized dialogue) talkie... although that's not the only reason to watch this musical story of a Jewish man breaking with his traditionalist father in order to pursue a career as a Jazz singer. 'The Jazz Singer' later became a template for other musical biopics and highly influenced the direction talkies would take. One of the most notable features of the film is the unusual use of 'blackface', find out more...

A young and beautiful concert pianist has lost her ability to perform, is emotionally fraught and close to collapse. A gifted young psychiatrist takes up her case and becomes determined to unravel the secrets that have brought her to this point, a task that will involve her brooding guardian, a man who treats the young woman with an aggressive contempt for which there seems no justification. The Seventh Veil is a deliciously dark tale of desire and repression, dripping in atmosphere and inten find out more...

Powell and Pressburger's follow-up to The Red Shoes is a trio of stories concerning the perils and heartbreak of unrequited love. Although at times uneven and perilously close to kitsch, Hoffman remains a lavish and sumptuous spectacle of dance, music and film. find out more...

Haughty conductor Sir Alfred De Carter (Harrison) is madly in love with his wife, Daphne, but is driven to a murderous fit of jealousy when he reads a private detective's report of her activities during his absence. Convinced she is having an affair with his handsome young secretary De Carter contemplates various methods of murdering them but when he attempts to execute his plans his efforts degenerate into farce! find out more...

A treat of a romance as a small town music teacher's four beautiful daughters try to sort out their romantic life. Into this suburban happy family breach steps, as if out of the wrong film, musically talented, but insecure, low-lifer Sinatra. An intelligent love story. find out more...