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IMDbPro

A Tale of Two Cities

  • 19351935
  • PassedPassed
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
5.7K
YOUR RATING
Elizabeth Allan and Ronald Colman in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:24
1 Video
41 Photos
  • Drama
  • History
  • Romance
A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amongst the turmoil of the French Revolution.A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amongst the turmoil of the French Revolution.A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amongst the turmoil of the French Revolution.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
5.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Jack Conway
    • Robert Z. Leonard(fill-in director)
  • Writers
    • Charles Dickens(novel "A Tale of Two Cities")
    • W.P. Lipscomb(screen play)
    • S.N. Behrman(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Ronald Colman
    • Elizabeth Allan
    • Edna May Oliver
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Jack Conway
    • Robert Z. Leonard(fill-in director)
  • Writers
    • Charles Dickens(novel "A Tale of Two Cities")
    • W.P. Lipscomb(screen play)
    • S.N. Behrman(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Ronald Colman
    • Elizabeth Allan
    • Edna May Oliver
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 76User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
    • 87Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    A Tale of Two Cities
    Trailer 1:24
    A Tale of Two Cities

    Photos41

    Elizabeth Allan, Claude Gillingwater, and Edna May Oliver in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Basil Rathbone and Norman Ainsley in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Lucille La Verne and Blanche Yurka in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Ronald Colman, Claude Gillingwater, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Henry B. Walthall, and Donald Woods in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Ronald Colman "A Tale Of Two Cities" 1935  MGM
    Elizabeth Allan, Ronald Colman, Edna May Oliver, and Blanche Yurka in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Elizabeth Allan and Ronald Colman in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Elizabeth Allan, Ronald Colman, and Donald Woods in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Elizabeth Allan, Fay Chaldecott, and Henry B. Walthall in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Elizabeth Allan and Fay Chaldecott in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Claude Gillingwater and Buster Slaven in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
    Lucille La Verne in A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ronald Colman
    Ronald Colman
    • Sydney Cartonas Sydney Carton
    Elizabeth Allan
    Elizabeth Allan
    • Lucie Manetteas Lucie Manette
    Edna May Oliver
    Edna May Oliver
    • Miss Prossas Miss Pross
    Reginald Owen
    Reginald Owen
    • C.J. Stryveras C.J. Stryver
    Basil Rathbone
    Basil Rathbone
    • Marquis St. Evrémondeas Marquis St. Evrémonde
    Blanche Yurka
    Blanche Yurka
    • Madame Therese De Fargeas Madame Therese De Farge
    Henry B. Walthall
    Henry B. Walthall
    • Dr. Manetteas Dr. Manette
    Donald Woods
    Donald Woods
    • Charles Darnayas Charles Darnay
    Walter Catlett
    Walter Catlett
    • Barsadas Barsad
    Fritz Leiber
    Fritz Leiber
    • Gaspardas Gaspard
    H.B. Warner
    H.B. Warner
    • Gabelleas Gabelle
    Mitchell Lewis
    Mitchell Lewis
    • Ernest De Fargeas Ernest De Farge
    Claude Gillingwater
    Claude Gillingwater
    • Jarvis Lorry Jr.as Jarvis Lorry Jr.
    Billy Bevan
    Billy Bevan
    • Jerry Cruncheras Jerry Cruncher
    Isabel Jewell
    Isabel Jewell
    • Seamstressas Seamstress
    Lucille La Verne
    Lucille La Verne
    • The Vengeanceas The Vengeance
    • (as Lucille LaVerne)
    Tully Marshall
    Tully Marshall
    • Woodcutteras Woodcutter
    Fay Chaldecott
    • Lucie - the Childas Lucie - the Child
    • Directors
      • Jack Conway
      • Robert Z. Leonard(fill-in director) (uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Charles Dickens(novel "A Tale of Two Cities")
      • W.P. Lipscomb(screen play)
      • S.N. Behrman(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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. Colman had long wanted to play Sydney Carton, and was even willing to shave off his beloved mustache to play the part.
    • Goofs
      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."
    • Quotes

      Sydney Carton: It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It's a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known.

    • Crazy credits
      Adeste Fideles known in English as the holiday carol, O' Come All Ye Faithful plays as a The End title appears on screen. This, despite the fact that, the movie has nothing to do with Christmas!
    • Connections
      Edited into The Story That Couldn't Be Printed (1939)
    • Soundtracks
      La Marseillaise
      (1792) (uncredited)

      Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

      Played during the opening credits and often in the score

    User reviews76

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    The best Hollywood Dickens
    With the exception of David Copperfield this is probably Hollywood's most accomplished treatment of a Charles Dickens work. Sumptuously mounted and produced in grand MGM style it has the the perfect voice and charm of Ronald Colman as Sidney Carton, a stalwart supporting cast and magnificently choreographed large scale crowd scenes depicting the out of control energy and fury of the revolt and subsequent reign of terror.

    Colman's charming cynic wins us over early given he is surrounded by just cause with a Dicken's roster of pompous bores and hypocrites caught up in their own self importance. He drinks and offends but who can blame him. The sardonic wit of the film extends beyond Carton though by way of Dickens "cinematic" descriptive style that sharply conveys through both character and setting distracting dark humor over the grim proceedings by intermingling comic portraits with the sober cruel personages while making incisive social commentary. A laudable supporting cast consisting of Reginald Owen, Edna May Oliver, Billy Bevan, Blanche Yurka's Madame DeFarge and Basil Rathbone's venal Marquis de Evermonde truly do bring the pages to life, though I will admit an Oliver, Yurka death match near the end does take liberties with the tome.

    Oliver Marsh's photography is commendable throughout whether conveying panorama in the excellently edited storming of the Bastille and raucous courtroom scenes or the tight tension filled cramped ominously lit interiors of cells or the De Farge wine shop.

    With Colman in the lead and every MGM department clicking on all cylinders Tale of Two Cities remains fresh and vital 75 years later. It is one of those rear films that embraces rather than wrestle with a classic literary work which it does here with grandeur and confidence.
    helpful•9
    0
    • st-shot
    • Mar 26, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1935 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities'
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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