The 39 Steps (1935) 

Told with flair and an infectious sense of fun, prototype chase thriller with enough sly wit and narrative twists to propel innocent Robert Donat and irritable Madeleine Carroll from London to Scotland and back. Unflagging pace combines with striking visuals.

The 39 Steps (1959) 

Polished, anonymous retread makes minor variations to original adaptation and relies on easy appeal of Kenneth More, accentuating lighthearted tone that stifles suspense. Attractive location photography, without visual identity. Taina Elg is a reluctant accomplice.

Aces High (1976) 

Seven days in life of WW1 British aerial squadron based in France features a strong cast, robust visuals and impressively designed fight sequences. Seen through eyes of innocent Peter Firth, leader Malcolm McDowell deals with blistering losses, yet the personal and emotional never quite carry story dynamics. 

An Alligator Named Daisy (1955) 

After carefree budding composer Donald Sinden is left with the title character, romantic diversions with Jean Carson disrupt proposed marriage to wealthy Diana Dors. Uneven musical interludes collide with strained farce. Supporting cast and chaotic ending enliven interest.

As Long As They're Happy (1955) 

Fitfully amusing, game cast make most of thin material as staid Jack Buchanan finds family life turned upside down by arrival of popular US crooner. A few bright musical numbers and roster of Rank stars sees traditional values restored.

Bachelor Of Hearts (1958) 

Minor, unassuming romantic comedy throws German scholarship student Hardy Krüger into eccentric traditions of Cambridge University with mildly diverting results. Sylvia Syms is endearing and locations provide attractive visuals though dramatic stakes remain low.

The Battle Of The River Plate (1956) 

Rigorous, controlled visuals accentuate tension of naval battle and subsequent waiting game between British and German forces in South American port. Sympathetic character detail enriches the personal, while local colour underlines shifting politics and humour.

The Battle Of The Sexes (1959) 

Gently ironic clash of modern business strategies and obstinate tradition as mild accountant Peter Sellers clashes with assertive Constance Cummings when she advises Robert Morley on his inherited Scottish textiles company. Adroit mix of verbal and physical comedy.

The Belstone Fox (1973) 

Strikingly realized, with visuals that conjure a stark sense of nature, as the enduring closeness between fox and hound plays out with unsentimental clarity. Animal and hunt sequences well-orchestrated. Human narrative less convincing, despite assured cast.

Black Narcissus (1947) 

Ravishing photography and design create a sultry, intoxicating atmosphere, as a group of nuns become unhinged in remote Himalayan mountains. Rich and sensual, past ghosts and future desires build a feverish intensity, in a glorious dream-like melodrama.

Blanche Fury (1948) 

Driven by Valerie Hobson's eponymous heroine, who evolves from steely and calculating to passionate and caring, an evocatively framed and designed melodrama. Builds a heady, noirish atmosphere as murder is planned before resolving with brute tragedy.

Blithe Spirit (1945) 

Frothy collaboration of Noel Coward's perennial wit and David Lean's elegant visuals, a delightfully batty medium Margaret Rutherford upends cynical Rex Harrison and Constance Cummings' life by calling up dead wife, Kay Hammond. A sprightly score adds energy.

The Blue Lagoon (1949) 

Ravishing photography and design create a sultry, intoxicating atmosphere, as a group of nuns become unhinged in remote Himalayan mountains. Rich and sensual, past ghosts and future desires build a feverish intensity, in a glorious dream-like melodrama.

The Boys From Brazil (1978) 

Smartly produced and visualized, with intelligent and atmospheric production design, even as the plot to clone Hitler veers from drama to parody. Over-stuffed with stars and lost for a clear tone, though Jerry Goldsmith's thrilling score is a classic, embodying all the film reaches for.

Brief Encounter (1945) 

Noel Coward and David Lean's aching love story combines literate writing, strong performances and mesmerizing style. Despite the sense of inherent parody, the 'flames of passion' embodied by Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard maintain a perennial truth.

Campbell's Kingdom (1957) 

Rugged locations and robust staging send resolute Dirk Bogarde to fulfill family oil inheritance in Canada and face Stanley Baker led local resistance. Dependable British cast cope with blunt melodrama, while story builds tension with series of action set pieces to fitting climax.

A Canterbury Tale (1944) 

Visualized with a mesmerizing blend of expressionism and naturalism, three strangers investigate the 'glueman' in a traditional Kent village and receive blessings on an inadvertent pilgrimage. Languid, singular, unusual and unexpectedly moving.

Caravan (1946) 

Existing in a fevered, dream state, any sense of reality quickly discarded as Stewart Granger is torn between wild Jean Kent and demure Anne Crawford. Occasionally slipping into self-parody, more a series of increasingly frenzied sequences than cohesive narrative.

The Card (1952) 

William Alwyn's playful, cunning score is a delicious accompaniment Alec Guinness' often devious, sometimes poignant chancer whose rise up social and financial ladders is complicated by wily Glynis Johns. Lightly satiric and visually rich, as enticing as its lead.

Carnival (1946) 

Richly textured visuals and distinct sense of place stands out against an episodic tale of Sally Gray's dancer seeking to escape from Edwardian poverty and conformity only to find a loveless, religiously suffocating marriage. Murky melodrama never quite transcends to tragedy.

Carry On Loving (1970) 

Unsurprisingly, the community of Much-Snogging-In-The-Green is infected by an obsession with sex. As comic innuendo turns to more explicit bawdiness, marriage experts Sid James, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams provide the only genuine laughs.

Carry On Up The Khyber (1968)

With its mix of slick, puerile wordplay, gleeful cross-dressing and equal opportunity offensiveness, a definitive Carry On. Joke focuses on British imperial stereotypes, political and sexual, and a plot that revolves around Devils In Skirts. Very funny. 

Carve Her Name With Pride (1958) 

Sober true-life telling of British agents' bravery in German-occupied France as Virginia McKenna refuses to buckle even when captured. Solid technique allied to literate structure leads to understated inspiration as light emotion turns to final sacrifice.

The Cassandra Crossing (1976) 

Unknowingly infected with a lab-created virus, a terrorist escapes on a train packed with uneasy stars spinning a confusion of subplots. Thriller proves a convoluted mess, though technical skill sees isolated thrills and Jerry Goldsmith conjures up a fine score.

The Chiltern Hundreds (1949) 

Breezy, amusing swipe at the tradition and prejudice of British politics and class that meanders through David Tomlinson's accidental attempt to become MP in opposition to butler Cecil Parker. A.E. Matthews' blustering, rabbit-shooting earl steals every scene.

Chu Chin Chow (1934) 

Admirably produced with sure sense of visual melodrama and playful design, as well as tuneful music and bouts of violence, arch performances and songs are test of more personal tastes. Extravagant sequences if not quite Arabian Nights magic.

The Company Of Wolves (1984) 

Striking, seductive visuals tell dreams within dreams, story fragments that never quite resolve or cohere yet linger menacingly. Blunt granny Angela Lansbury recounts horrific fairy tales to Sarah Patterson, bursting with symbolism and bold Gothic design.