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IMDbPro

Great Expectations

  • 19461946
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
25K
YOUR RATING
Jean Simmons, Finlay Currie, Valerie Hobson, Martita Hunt, John Mills, and Tony Wager in Great Expectations (1946)
AdventureDramaMystery
A humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.A humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.A humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
25K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • David Lean
  • Writers
    • Charles Dickens(by)
    • David Lean(adapted for the screen by)
    • Ronald Neame(adapted for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • John Mills
    • Valerie Hobson
    • Tony Wager
  • Director
    • David Lean
  • Writers
    • Charles Dickens(by)
    • David Lean(adapted for the screen by)
    • Ronald Neame(adapted for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • John Mills
    • Valerie Hobson
    • Tony Wager
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 139User reviews
    • 51Critic reviews
    • 90Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos1

    Great Expectations (1947)
    Trailer 3:01
    Watch Great Expectations (1947)

    Photos37

    "Great Expectations" Jean Simmons, Martita Hunt 1946 Universal International **I.V.
    "Great Expectations" John Mills 1946 Universal International / **I.V.
    "Great Expectations" Alec Guinness 1946 Universal International **I.V.
    Tony Wager in Great Expectations (1946)
    Freda Jackson in Great Expectations (1946)
    Martita Hunt and John Mills in Great Expectations (1946)
    Alec Guinness and John Mills in Great Expectations (1946)
    Finlay Currie and Tony Wager in Great Expectations (1946)
    Tony Wager in Great Expectations (1946)
    Valerie Hobson and John Mills in Great Expectations (1946)
    Alec Guinness and John Mills in Great Expectations (1946)
    Jean Simmons in Great Expectations (1946)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Mills
    John Mills
    • Pip
    Valerie Hobson
    Valerie Hobson
    • Estella
    Tony Wager
    Tony Wager
    • Young Pip
    • (as Anthony Wager)
    Jean Simmons
    Jean Simmons
    • Young Estella
    Bernard Miles
    Bernard Miles
    • Joe Gargery
    Francis L. Sullivan
    Francis L. Sullivan
    • Mr. Jaggers
    Finlay Currie
    Finlay Currie
    • Magwitch
    Martita Hunt
    Martita Hunt
    • Miss Havisham
    Alec Guinness
    Alec Guinness
    • Herbert Pocket
    Ivor Barnard
    Ivor Barnard
    • Mr. Wemmick
    Freda Jackson
    Freda Jackson
    • Mrs.Joe
    Eileen Erskine
    Eileen Erskine
    • Biddy
    George Hayes
    George Hayes
    • Convict
    Hay Petrie
    Hay Petrie
    • Uncle Pumblechook
    John Forrest
    • The Pale Young Gentleman
    Torin Thatcher
    Torin Thatcher
    • Bentley Drummle
    O.B. Clarence
    O.B. Clarence
    • The Aged Parent
    • (as O. B. Clarence)
    John Burch
    • Mr. Wopsle
    • Director
      • David Lean
    • Writers
      • Charles Dickens(by)
      • David Lean(adapted for the screen by)
      • Ronald Neame(adapted for the screen by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Sir David Lean wanted his movie to have a feeling of heightened realism. Working closely in conjunction with art director John Bryan and cinematographer Guy Green, he employed several tricks, such as forced perspective, to achieve this effect. The famous opening shot in the graveyard, for instance, features a brooding church in the background, which, in reality, was only three meters (9'10") high.
    • Goofs
      At the end, when Pip is persuading Estella to leave Satis House with him, a 'Chad' is clearly visible drawn on the screen behind him (Chads were a popular form of graffiti in the 1940s - a character with a big nose looking over a wall). Chad is a British term; the American equivalent would be Kilroy, as in 'Kilroy was here'.
    • Quotes

      Pip: [narrating] In trying to become a gentleman, I had succeeded in becoming a snob.

    • Crazy credits
      Martita Hunt plays Miss Havisham, and receives screen credit for it, but she can also be heard as the voice of the cow who, in Pip's mind, disapproves of him stealing food to give to Magwitch ("Somebody else's pork pie!"). She receives no screen credit for playing the voice of the cow.
    • Alternate versions
      In some prints, after the fifteen minute "convict episode" at the beginning of the film ends, a voice-over by the adult Pip (John Mills) says, "it was a year later", as Mrs. Joe arrives home in the carriage. As now usually shown, there is no voice-over in this sequence.
    • Connections
      Featured in Moscow in Madrid (1965)

    User reviews139

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Great version of the Dickens novel...beautiful B&W photography...
    The Dickens novel is given classic treatment in David Lean's "Great Expectations". The opening scene is so atmospheric it sets the tone for the convoluted story to follow. The earlier scenes with young Pip are the most enjoyable for me--especially those involving Estella (Jean Simmons) and Miss Havisham (Martita Hunt).

    Brilliant performances from all concerned. John Mills is wholly satisfying as the adult Pip and Valerie Hobson as the adult Estella--but it is Martita Hunt's Miss Havisham, sitting among the ruined finery of a wedding that never took place, everything exactly the way it was on that fateful day--and waging war on men ever since--that lingers in the memory.

    Some of the best black and white photography seen until that time and an absorbing story with twists and surprises that have logical explanations. Compares favorably with the other great British film, "Oliver Twist" and, by all means, recommended viewing.

    Not only worthy of its Best Picture nomination, it should have won over "Gentleman's Agreement" which now seems preachy and artificial.
    helpful•55
    11
    • Doylenf
    • May 28, 2001

    FAQ1

    • How does the movie ending differ from the book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 22, 1947 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Veliko Iščekivanje
    • Filming locations
      • St Mary's Marshes, Kent, England, UK(opening sequence - Pip and Herbert Pocket ride in rowboat)
    • Production company
      • Cineguild
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £350,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $19,329
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Jean Simmons, Finlay Currie, Valerie Hobson, Martita Hunt, John Mills, and Tony Wager in Great Expectations (1946)
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