British War Collection (Above Us the Waves / The Malta Story / Sea of Sand / The Way to the Stars) (4-DVD)

In all of British cinema, arguably no one could produce war-themed dramas with the qualitative consistency of mogul J. Arthur Rank. Rank fared particularly well with World War II sagas that took place at home and abroad, four of which appear in this deluxe box set. Included are: ABOVE US THE WAVES (1955), directed by Ralph Thomas and starring John Mills - about a British submarine's attempts to destroy a Nazi warship; THE MALTA STORY (1953), directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Alec Guinness, about a reconnaissance photographer who attempts to stave off the Italian invasion of Malta; SEA OF SAND (1958), directed by Guy Green and starring Richard Attenborough, about a British patrol's efforts to blow up an Axis fuel dump; and THE WAY TO THE STARS (1945), a sprawling Anthony Asquith drama about the various men stationed on a British airfield.