'Long Distance Runner' tracks working-class hero

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An earthy art-house classic that more than stands the test of time, Tony Richardson's 1962 British "angry young man" film The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner makes its digital debut via Warner Home Video ($19.97). It's our ...

DVD pick of the week

Tom Courtenay shines as Colin Smith, a wary working-class lad whose talent for marathon running isn't exploited until he lands in reform school following an ill-advised bakery break-in.

Once in stir (a "borstal" that seems a far kinder, gentler lockup than its hellhole counterparts in countless American movies old and new), Smith is discovered by the institute's governor (Michael Redgrave), who recruits him for the track team and a pivotal meet against a rival upper-class school.

Director Richardson and scenarist Alan Sillitoe (who also wrote the source story) intertwine Smith's past and present with unforced narrative ease. We view Smith's domestic life with his recently widowed mom (Avis Bunnage) and younger siblings; his romantic involvement with girlfriend Audrey (Topsy Jane); and his knockabout antics with best bud Mike (James Bolam).

Beyond that, "Loneliness" paints a vivid picture of British blue-collar life with its built-in dead ends, simmering resentments and creeping consumerism (represented by the family's new TV set).

The film skillfully builds to a suspenseful conclusion and a final iconic moment that presages the open youth rebellion of the late '60s. DVD extras are nonexistent beyond the original trailer, but "Loneliness" rates as essential viewing both as powerful drama and as an example of seamless cinematic storytelling.

Collectors' corner

Returning to a more distant past, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment celebrates two vintage screen icons. The four-disc Alice Faye Collection ($49.98) assembles a quartet of that singing star's musical showcases — Lillian Russell, On the Avenue, That Night in Rio and The Gang's All Here — while The Mr. Moto Collection Volume Two showcases Peter Lorre as the no-nonsense Japanese sleuth in Mr. Moto on Danger Island, Mr. Moto's Gamble, Mr. Moto's Last Warning and Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation. Both sets include new featurettes and other bonus material.

First Run Features debuts five previously unavailable films in its The Cuban Masterworks Collection (five-disc, $99.95): two 1960s titles, The Twelve Chairs and The Adventures of Juan Quin Quin; plus three 1980s films by Humberto Solas — Cecilia, Amada and A Successful Man.