The Elia Kazan Collection
Lovers of classic cinema should be delighted to learn about the recent release of The Elia Kazan Collection box set. That’s because the late director was responsible for a string of iconic hits over his 39-year career, and he discovered then-unknowns such as Marlon Brandon, Julie Harris, Eva Marie Saint, James Dean, Karl Malden, and Warren Beatty. A 1999 recipient of the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement, Kazan also won two Oscars for Best Director and three Tony Awards in the same category. Actors working under his direction received 21 Oscar nominations with nine wins, forever marking him as an “actor’s director.”
The Elia Kazan Collection is an 18-disc set featuring some of his greatest contributions to filmmaking history. While 10 of these films have been previously released in other collections, the other five are making their debut on DVD. The box set also includes a collector’s booklet and A Letter to Elia, a moving documentary tribute co-directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese.
While The Elia Kazan Collection can be purchased at a number of locations, you won’t find a lower price than with Amazon. In fact, you’ll save over $60 by ordering with Amazon. I guess it won’t matter if you’re a billionaire, but the rest of us could always afford to save a little cash. Amazon ships right to your door, and they have an impressive track record when it comes to customer service. We do get a small commission if you make the purchase via our links, but that money goes right back into this website.
Besides, if Elia Kazan hadn’t created The Actor’s Studio (yes, he did), we might have been deprived of the majesty of James Lipton.
The Elia Kazan Collection
Here’s what you’ll get in this wonderful collection:
- A Letter to Elia (2010) – Martin Scorsese co-directed and produced this moving tribute to a director who greatly touched his life. Kazan’s great film works are examined, as is his controversial HUAC testimony during the McCarthy era. From respected filmmaker to polarizing witness, Kazan is examined in all his complex glory.
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) – James Dunn picked up an Oscar for his role as a hard-drinking father whose dependence on the bottle creates difficulties for his family. But despite the hardships, his young daughter struggles to rise above and make a better life for herself. Based on the novel by Betty Smith.
- Boomerang! (1947) – Based on a true story, this Oscar-nominated film details the efforts of a courageous prosecutor (Dana Andrews) to exonerate a drifter accused of murdering a priest.
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- Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) – Hoping to experience anti-Semitism, a journalist (Gregory Peck) poses as a Jew in New York City and Connecticut. Kazan won the Oscar for Best Director, and it would also pick up the award for Best Picture. Highly controversial for its time.
- Pinky (1949) – Nominated for three Academy Awards, Pinky tells the story of a light-skinned black woman (Jeanne Crain) who passes for white to blend into society. When she returns to the South to care for a sickly white woman, she experience racism from the locals and love from a doctor who’s unaware of her heritage.
- Panic in the Streets (1950) – Winner of the Best Screenplay Oscar, the film revolves around a police captain (Paul Douglas) and a public health worker (Richard Widmark) as they race to stop a pneumonic plague from spreading throughout the city of New Orleans. Co-starring Jack Palance, Zero Mostel, and Barbara Bel Geddes.
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) – Two discs are dedicated to this film that rocketed Marlon Brando to stardom. Based on the play by Tennessee Williams (a close personal friend of Kazan), the film stars Vivien Leigh as a woman with many secrets. When she travels to New Orleans to stay with her sister (Kim Hunter), she becomes the latest target for the primitive urges of brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando). Kim Hunter, Vivien Leigh, and Karl Malden all won Oscars for their work, making A Streetcar Named Desire the first film to win in three of the four acting categories.
- Viva Zapata! (1952) – Emiliano Zapata (Marlon Brando) is a Mexican revolutionary who seeks to topple the nation’s corrupt president. But when he’s successful, he comes to realize that his own brother–the new president played by Anthony Quinn–isn’t any better. Quinn won an Oscar for his performance, and the screenplay was written by the legendary John Steinbeck (The Grapes of Wrath).
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- Man on a Tightrope (1953) – After being drafted into the military, a troupe of circus performers from Czechoslovakia decide to escape to the West. Starring Fredric March.
- On the Waterfront (1954) – Considered one of the greatest films ever made, On the Waterfront stars Marlon Brando as a washed-up boxer who takes on a corrupt union boss in a desperate struggle. The winner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
- East of Eden (1955) – Two discs are devoted to this adaptation of the John Steinbeck novel loosely based on the story of Cain and Abel. In this modern retelling, Richard Davalos and James Dean are the brothers competing for the affections of their father (Raymond Massey).
- Baby Doll (1956) – Controversial among Catholics, this film based on a play by Tennessee Williams details the struggles of a young virgin (Carroll Baker) who still sleeps in a crib and sucks her thumb. Karl Malden is her lusty, bigoted husband, and Eli Wallach is his business rival out for revenge. Sexually charged from start to finish, the film marked the debut of both Wallach and Rip Torn. Nominated for four Oscars.
- A Face in the Crowd (1957) – When a drunken drifter (Andy Griffith) gets a spot on a local radio show, he slowly begins his climb to success and ultimate fame on television. An early look at the role of the media in influencing politics and consumers. Co-starring Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick.
- Wild River (1960) – An administrator for the Tennessee Valley Authority (Montgomery Clift) deals with the politics of hiring black workers. He also falls for the daughter (Lee Remick) of an elderly woman he’s supposed to evict.
- Splendor in the Grass (1961) – After falling in love with a local boy, a girl (Natalie Wood) is driven to madness by the constant pressure put upon her by her parents. Warren Beatty made debut in this film that won an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
- America, America (1963) – Nominated for four Oscars, this deeply personal film was inspired by the real-life struggles of Kazan’s uncle, a Greek living in Turkey. As he travels to Constantinople to avoid racial and religious persecution, he dreams of escaping to America and starting a better life.
If you’re still interested in buying The Eliza Kazan Collection from Amazon, all you have to do is click on the provided link. Before you know it, a friendly UPS driver will be delivering it right to your front door. And while you’re waiting for it to arrive, why not pass the time by looking at these other amazing box sets offered by Amazon:
- 24: The Complete Series
- James Bond Ultimate Collector’s Set
- Ford at Fox
- Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films
- AK 100: 25 Films of Akira Kurosawa
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