Two Cities Films
Encyclopedia
Two Cities Films was a British
film production company. Formed in 1937, it was originally envisaged as a production company operating in the two cities of London
and Rome
which gave the company its name.
The driving force behind the company was the flamboyant, Italian-born Filippo Del Giudice
. Two Cities produced a number of 'quintessentially English' film classics including the most popular British film from the wartime period, In Which We Serve
(1942). Other Two Cities films such as This Happy Breed
(1944), The Way Ahead
(1944), Henry V
(1945), The Way to the Stars
(1945), and Blithe Spirit
(1945) contributed significantly to the high critical reputation acquired by the British cinema of the time.
In the mid 1940s Two Cities became part of the Rank Organisation
producing key films such as Odd Man Out
(1947), Hamlet
(1948), and Vice Versa (1948).
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film production company. Formed in 1937, it was originally envisaged as a production company operating in the two cities of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
which gave the company its name.
The driving force behind the company was the flamboyant, Italian-born Filippo Del Giudice
Filippo Del Giudice
Filippo Del Giudice, , born in Trani, Italy, was an Italian film producer.In 1933 he fled fascist Italy for England and entered films four years later when, with Mario Zampi, he founded Two Cities Films.-External links:...
. Two Cities produced a number of 'quintessentially English' film classics including the most popular British film from the wartime period, In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve
In Which We Serve is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by David Lean and Noël Coward. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information ....
(1942). Other Two Cities films such as This Happy Breed
This Happy Breed (film)
This Happy Breed is a 1944 British drama film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan and Ronald Neame is based on the 1939 play of the same title by Noël Coward...
(1944), The Way Ahead
The Way Ahead
The Way Ahead is a British Second World War drama released in 1944. It stars David Niven and Stanley Holloway and follows a group of civilians who are conscripted into the British Army to fight in North Africa. In the U.S., an edited version was released as The Immortal Battalion.The film was...
(1944), Henry V
Henry V (1944 film)
Henry V is a 1944 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The on-screen title is The Cronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France . It stars Laurence Olivier, who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas...
(1945), The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars
The Way to the Stars, also known as Johnny in the Clouds, is a 1945 British war drama film made by Two Cities Films and released by United Artists. It was produced by Anatole de Grunwald and directed by Anthony Asquith...
(1945), and Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit (film)
Blithe Spirit is a British fantasy comedy film directed by David Lean. The screenplay by Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan, Ronald Neame, and Noël Coward is based on Coward's 1941 play of the same name...
(1945) contributed significantly to the high critical reputation acquired by the British cinema of the time.
In the mid 1940s Two Cities became part of the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
producing key films such as Odd Man Out
Odd Man Out
Odd Man Out is a 1947 Anglo-Irish film noir directed by Carol Reed, starring James Mason, and is based on a novel of the same name by F. L. Green.-Plot:The film's opening intertitle reads:...
(1947), Hamlet
Hamlet (1948 film)
Hamlet is a 1948 British film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, adapted and directed by and starring Sir Laurence Olivier. Hamlet was Olivier's second film as director, and also the second of the three Shakespeare films that he directed...
(1948), and Vice Versa (1948).