A Tale of Two Cities

Name: A Tale of Two Cities
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Released: 1917-03-11
Duration: 1 h 10 min
Rating: 6.1
Cast: William Farnum, Jewel Carmen, Charles Clary

1917
1h 10m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

169

YOUR RATING

William Farnum in A Tale of Two Cities (1917)

Drama History Romance War

Alcoholic lawyer Sydney Carton travels to Paris during the Reign of Terror to rescue French aristocrat Charles Darnay, husband of the woman he loves.Alcoholic lawyer Sydney Carton travels to Paris during the Reign of Terror to rescue French aristocrat Charles Darnay, husband of the woman he loves.Alcoholic lawyer Sydney Carton travels to Paris during the Reign of Terror to rescue French aristocrat Charles Darnay, husband of the woman he loves.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

169

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Trivia
According to director Frank Lloyd, "I met a neighbor of ours, a schoolteacher. I told him of my assignment to make the [Charles Dickens] picture. He was very much impressed. 'What a marvelous opportunity,' he said. 'I think it a privilege to bring the works of Dickens before 60 people, and here you have the chance to bring them before 60 million.' I thought of this latter phrase, I think, all during the making of the picture. I decided it would be more discreet to bring the works of Charles Dickens before--possibly--many million people than the work of Frank Lloyd. For that reason I followed as closely as possible the story of the book. Every historical detail was absolutely correct; all the settings were the result of careful, patient research; and the characterizations and theme of the story were transferred to the screen in such a manner as to accurately follow the author's ideas".

Connections
Featured in Chris & Don: A Love Story (2007)

User reviews7

Featured review

6/10

Frank Lloyd Raises the Dickens with William Farnum

Frank Lloyd's silent version of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" may make you wonder why D.W. Griffith didn't direct his own version of the classic (not that he didn't come close, on a few occasions). Mr. Lloyd's Griffith-like direction is a plus; though, it's somehow not as good as the original. William Farnum, who was one of the leading actors of the teens, does a fine job in the leading role; seeing Mr. Farnum play both as reluctant French nobleman "Charles Darnay" and English alcoholic lawyer "Sydney Carton" is, today, the main attraction. While filled with decent performances, the more famous sound re-makes lose something by casting different men in the lead roles. Beautiful Jewel Carmen has no trouble attracting both men, as "Lucie Manette". And, Florence Vidor (King's wife) sews up stardom on the way to the guillotine. "A Tale of Two Cities" was considered a top production in its time, but it doesn't possess the timeless quality you'll find in many other silent movies.

****** A Tale of Two Cities (3/11/17) Frank Lloyd ~ William Farnum, Jewel Carmen, Charles Clary, Josef Swickard