They Came to a City

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They Came to a City (DVD + Blu-ray) Directed by Basil Dearden Nine disparate Britons are transported to a mysterious city where, according to their class and disposition, they find themselves either in an earthly paradise of peace and equality or a hell starved of ambition and riches. From the pen of J B Priestley, this fantastical allegory is a striking expression of post-war utopian impulses and among Ealing's most unusual features. Presented here in a new 2K transfer from the best surviving 35mm element, this rarely seen British classic is available for home viewing for the very first time. Directed by Basil Dearden (The Captive Heart, Victim) and starring John Clements, Googie Withers and Raymond Huntley. * Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition * Michael Balcon NFT Lecture (audio only, 59 mins): recorded in 1969, the producer discusses the different stages of his career * We Live in Two Worlds (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1937, 13 mins): a GPO film about communications technology, narrated by J B Priestley * Britain at Bay (Harry Watt, 1940, 7 mins): a wartime propaganda film intended to boost morale, narrated by J B Priestley * A City Reborn (1945, 21 mins): a propaganda film written by Dylan Thomas highlighting plans for post-war reconstruction * Charley in New Town (Halas & Batchelor, 1948, 8 mins): a short animation on post-war new towns built to address housing shortages * Your Very Good (Halas & Batchelor, 1948, 9 mins): a short animation on the new National Service * Illustrated booklet with essays by Dr Josephine Botting, Tim O'Sullivan, Katy McGahan, Jenny Stewart and Alan Burton, and full film credits UK | 1944 | B&W | 78 minutes | English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles | original aspect ratio 1.33:1 | Cert U (infrequent mild violence, very mild bad language) | BD50: 1080p, 24fps, PCM 2.0 stereo audio (48kHz/24-bit), Region B | DVD9: PAL, 25fps, PCM stereo audio (48kHz/16-bit), Region 2