A Tale of Two Cities (1958)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Ralph Thomas

Writers:

T.E.B. Clarke (screenplay)
Charles Dickens (novel)

Release Date:

4 August 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

An immortal story... A brilliant cast... An unforgettable film of the French Revolution

Plot:

British barrister Sydney Carton lives an insubstantial and unhappy life. He falls under the spell of Lucie Manette...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | French Revolution | Guillotine | Political Unrest | Sacrifice

Cast

Dirk Bogarde	...	Sydney Carton
Dorothy Tutin	...	Lucie Manette
Paul Guers	...	Charles Darnay
Marie Versini	...	Marie Gabelle
Ian Bannen	...	Gabelle
Cecil Parker	...	Jarvis Lorry
Stephen Murray	...	Dr. Manette
Athene Seyler	...	Miss Pross
Alfie Bass	...	Jerry Cruncher
Ernest Clark	...	Stryver
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Madame Defarge
Freda Jackson	...	The Vengeance
Duncan Lamont	...	Ernest Defarge
Christopher Lee	...	Marquis St. Evremonde
Leo McKern	...	Attorney General-Old Bailey

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:U | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Trivia:

Paul Guers is dubbed.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the final scenes of the tumbrels rolling to the guillotine, Sydney Carton and the other characters in the tumbrel appear to switch sides. First, they are on the right, then on the left, then on the right again.

Movie Connections:

Version of "ABC Album: A Tale of Two Cities: Part 1 (#1.4)" (1953)

Ralph Thomas' direction makes this the best adaptation

Summary: Ralph Thomas' direction makes this the best adaptation

The English 1958 interpretation of Charles Dickens' great novel "A Tale of Two Cities", directed by Ralph Thomas, is a really terrific picture, capturing the essence of Dickens' tale deftly. Thomas' craftily directed black and white adaptation lends itself quite tangibly and nicely to the purposes of the story, I would say more succinctly than the 1935 interpretation directed by Jack Conway. The earlier adaptation featured as many fine performances (Ronald Coleman, Edna Mae Oliver, Basil Rathbone, Blanche Yurka, etc), and succeeded in special effects and cinematography a little better, perhaps, than THIS picture, but Thomas' directing emphasizes the key points of the original story, and this becomes the better picture as a result.

Dirk Bogarde playing Sydney Carton is quite perfect here, and a young Christopher Lee as the conceit driven supercilious Marquis St. Evremonde is fantastic, as is Rosalie Crutchley as the cruel hearted revenge laden Madame Defarge. Cast-wise, both pictures do a great job, and Edna Mae Oliver's performance in the earlier picture is missed here. But the director uses a lighter brush to get many of the complexities of the story in this English version. In one scene, during the climactic period of the story in the dungeon of the Bastille, Barsad (Donald Pleasence), a character of low repute working for whichever side will use him, finally catches onto the heroism of Mr Carton and holds his hand out for a respectful shake. . . with no reply for several seconds. Then, just as he turns to open the door to have the guard take out Mr Carton, who by then is really a passed out Charles Darnay made to look like the supposed drunken Carton . . .the real Mr Carton (Dirk Bogarde) touches his shoulder, just enough to convey that a good angel is bringing hope to the world, even to low characters like Basard. It is very touching. This scene is handled with master craftsmanship by the director. And this sort of directing pervades the film's entirety, which is the primary reason why this movie IS the better of the two, in my opinion.