IMDb > A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
A Tale of Two Cities
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A Tale of Two Cities (1935) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   2,003 votes
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Director:
Writers:
Charles Dickens (novel)
W.P. Lipscomb (writer) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for A Tale of Two Cities on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 December 1935 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The most dramatic love story in the history of literature! more
Plot:
An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution. Dissipated lawyer Sydney... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. more
User Comments:
Faithful screen version of the classic Dickens tale... more (46 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
128 min | USA:121 min (video version)
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Actor Ronald Colman agreed to play the role of Sydney Carton with the sole condition that he not also be required to play the role of Charles Darnay, as was usually expected in adaptations of the Dickens novel. The plot of 'A Tale of Two Cities' turns on the physical resemblance between the two characters. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Sydney Carton attends Christmas Eve services ca. 1780 during which "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" is sung to music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), and John Francis Wade's Latin hymn, "Adeste fideles," is sung in Frederick Oakley's (1802-1880) translation as "O Come, All Ye Faithful." more
Quotes:
C.J. Stryver: [in court] Mr. Barsad, have you ever been kicked?
Barsad: Certainly not.
C.J. Stryver: Come, come, Mr. Barsad, weren't you one time kicked downstairs?
Barsad: Well, once I was kicked at the top of the stairs, but I fell down the stairs of my own will and wolition.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in A Tale of Two Mice (1945) more
Soundtrack:
Prelude No. 7 more

FAQ

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19 out of 19 people found the following comment useful.
Faithful screen version of the classic Dickens tale..., 16 October 2002
Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES contains enough material for a four hour movie but amazingly David O. Selznick's production has managed to tell the epic tale in just a little over two hours. While there are many memorable characters, the ones that stay in the memory longest are Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton and the little seamstress (Isabel Jewell) who gets her courage from him before they go off to the guillotine and he utters those immortal words, "It's a far, far better thing I do..."

Edna May Oliver is just one of the pleasures among the supporting players. Donald Woods makes a handsome, if somewhat subdued, Charles Darnay and Blanche Yurka does an outstanding job as the bitter Madame Defarge. Basil Rathbone is excellent as the aristocratic Marquis St. Evremonde who is annoyed when his horse-driven carriage runs amok and kills a child, setting in motion the bitter Evremonde legacy of hate and mistrust among the French peasants.

The storming of the Bastille is awesome in its detail, as is all of the set decoration for interiors and exteriors which really captures the atmosphere of this turbulent time in history.

Probably Ronald Colman's finest hour--his world weary Sydney Carton becomes a highly sympathetic character by the time he is ready to assume another man's place. A memorable film.

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