David Lean Directs Noel Coward [Criterion Collection] [4 Discs] [Blu-ray]

In the 1940s, the wit of playwright Noel Coward (DESIGN FOR LIVING) and the craft of filmmaker David Lean (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) melded harmoniously in one of cinemas greatest writer-director collaborations. With the wartime military drama sensation IN WHICH WE SERVE, Coward and Lean (along with producing partners Ronald Neame and Anthony Havelock-Allan) embarked on a series of literate, socially engaged, and enormously entertaining pictures that ranged from domestic epic (THIS HAPPY BREED) to whimsical comedy (BLITHE SPIRIT) to poignant romance (BRIEF ENCOUNTER). These films created a lasting testament to Cowards artistic legacy and introduced Leans visionary talents to the world.

British director David Lean often brought works based on the work of Noel Coward to the screen, and this box set compiles four of those movies including In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit, and the revered romantic melodrama Brief Encounter.