Les Misérables (1935)

In early 19th Century France an ex-convict who failed to report to parole is relentlessly pursued over a 20 year period by an obsessive policeman.

Director:

Richard Boleslawski

Writers:

Victor Hugo (novel), W.P. Lipscomb

Stars:

Fredric March, Charles Laughton, Cedric Hardwicke

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fredric March	...	Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
Charles Laughton	...	Inspector Emile Javert
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Bishop Bienvenue (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Rochelle Hudson	...	Cosette
Frances Drake	...	Eponine
John Beal	...	Marius
Florence Eldridge	...	Fantine
Jessie Ralph	...	Madame Magloire
Mary Forbes	...	Mlle. Baptiseme
Florence Roberts	...	Toussaint
Jane Kerr	...	Madame Thenardier
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	Thenardier
Charles Haefeli	...	Brevet
Marilyn Knowlden	...	Little Cosette (as Marilynne Knowlden)
John Bleifer	...	Chenildieu

Storyline

This is by far the best version of Les Misérables ever made in my opinion and the critics. Charles Laughton makes this movie, but literally every scene and every character add to this amazing film. If you have never seen a Charles Laughton movie this one will get you hooked. His portrayal of Inspector Javert is 2nd to none. He tracks the wanted man Jean Valjean throughout the movie and the twists and turns are so well done even you movie buffs will not see what's coming. The movie takes you through Valjeans life and many crossroads that shape his life. My words don't do this movie justice. This is a must see Drama. The scene with the priest always gets to me, be sure to catch all the dialog. This movie will make you laugh though it is not a comedy. It will make you mad. It will move your heart in a good way. You will become many of the characters as you watch the film. The less you know about the film the better in my opinion which is why my summary is so vague on details. You can ...

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Plot Keywords:

france | ex convict | 19th century | dual role | shot in the chest | 

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Taglines:

The Immortal Classic That Shook A Nation . . . Is Now A Glorious Picture !

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Les Misérables

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are numerous changes to the novel, including: reducing Valjean's prison term to 10 years (1800-1810) instead of 19 (1796-1815), abridging the ordeals of Fantine (probably to conform to Hays Office Code), having Cosette learn Valjean's true identity at the start, changing the backstory of Eponine from street urchin to secretary, and stating the students' goal to be law reform rather than overthrow of the government. The streetwise little boy Gavroche, a popular character from the novel, is not shown at all.

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Goofs

Valjean's coat and cloak have dirt on them while at the White Sergeant, but is clean before and after that.

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Quotes

Jean Valjean: I'm ready. All I ask is a few minutes to say good-bye.
Inspector Javert: The law allows you nothing.

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Connections

Version of Les Misérables: Gods and Demons (1950)

User Reviews

Message to Javert-- "Get a Life".

So stealing a loaf of bread gets you years in a squalid prison, rowing a galley with a thousand other poor souls that never goes anywhere. Some justice. And if you miss a parole appearance, you get a monomaniacal cop named Javert who has no life other than chasing you down. So, if you're like Val Jean, wouldn't you get mean and anti-social too. And when invited out of a storm by a priest, no less, it's only natural that Val Jean looks to steal what he can. But then, a funny thing happens. When the cops bring him back with the stolen goods, the priest gets him off the hook by saying the stolen candlesticks were a gift. It's an act of mercy, something the law has never shown him. Now Val Jean sees that life might be lived in a kinder, gentler way. And when he leaves and comes to the literal and figurative fork-in-the-road, he remembers the words of humane wisdom given him by the priest. Traveling in a new direction, he becomes the good man he has always been, waiting to be brought out. Now, if only he could get that merciless cop off his trail, life would be good.

Fine dramatization of Hugo's great plea for social reform in 19th century France. I wonder what our own Depression era audiences saw in the story, given the oppressive conditions of the 1930's. March is compelling as the reborn Val Jean, while Laughton makes for an unforgettably quirky Javert. But I wonder too, what would change if the aristocratically handsome March played Javert, with the very unphotogenic Laughton as Val Jean. That would challenge our comfortable stereotypes and make for a more interesting and humane message. Then too it's unfortunate that someone in production felt the audience wouldn't get the spiritual message without being hit over the head with heavenly choirs and light beams from above. I guess that was done for box-office returns. But too often Hollywood has reduced the profound to the hokey, thereby corrupting the message and turning spirituality into a mere matter of stage craft. Nonetheless, the moral remains a telling one, as relevant now as it was 70 or even 170 years ago. Law exists only on paper, while justice—as they say—dwells in the human heart. It is not a truth Javert, the slavish servant of the state, can live with. Hugo was not only a great writer, but a very good man, as well.