4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on December 23, 2017

It’s no surprise that this adaptation begins with that oft-repeated bit of poetic parallelism. “It was the best of times it was the worst of times” etc. Of course, in its abridged format the opening suggests the universal quality of those iconic words. It was a period very much li   read more

4 Star Films Posted by 4 Star Film Fan on December 23, 2017

It’s no surprise that this adaptation begins with that oft-repeated bit of poetic parallelism. “It was the best of times it was the worst of times” etc. Of course, in its abridged format the opening suggests the universal quality of those iconic words. It was a period very much li   read more

The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog Posted by Dan Day Jr. on April 22, 2016

One would assume that after the huge success of STAR WARS, Peter Cushing might have gotten the opportunity to work on any number of enticing projects. But that simply wasn't so. Most of the films Cushing worked on after STAR WARS and before his mid-1980s retirement are either almost impossible...   read more

Flickers in Time Posted by Beatrice on May 4, 2013

A Tale of Two Cities Directed by Jack Conway 1935/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Repeat viewing This is a fairly faithful adaptation of the Dickens novel.  The evil Marquis St. Evremonde (Basil Rathbone) denounced Dr. Manette and had him imprisoned without trial in the Bastille for 18 years.  Manette i   read more

Movie Classics Posted by Judy on December 18, 2012

Dirk Bogarde as Sydney Carton In the UK, the 1958 Rank Organisation adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities, starring  Dirk Bogarde, is probably better-remembered than the 1935 MGM version. The 1950s film is the one that’s widely available here (there’s even a special edition DVD), whereas th   read more

Movie Classics Posted by Judy on December 14, 2012

“I’d wish you a Merry Christmas,” snaps Miss Pross (Edna May Oliver) as she walks past a drunken Sydney Carton (Ronald Colman), staggering through the falling snow. “But it’s plain to  see you’ve had it already.” However, Lucie Manette (Elizabeth Allan) has   read more

Movie Classics Posted by Judy on December 5, 2012

Maurice Costello as Sydney Carton More Dickens in December – and I’m back to silent cinema, though I do promise to include some later films in this series of postings too! Some Dickens works seem to be constantly adapted for the screen, notably Great Expectations, with two new versions i   read more

The Best Picture Project Posted by Alyson on April 29, 2010

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” These immortal words from Charles Dickens open the adaptation of his great novel, A Tale of Two Cities.  It’s a tale of rebellion, futile love and sacrifice that the film honors well. The story opens as the French...   read more

Classic Movies Posted by KC on November 30, -0001

The 1935 MGM production of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities was the fourth screen adaptation of the novel and the first to be made with sound. It followed the similarly grand David Copperfield, which had been released earlier in the year. While the film explores the drama of...   read more