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IMDbPro

Great Expectations

  • 19461946
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,070
1,272
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
24K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
12,070
1,272
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • 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
    Top credits
    • 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
    • 132User reviews
    • 67Critic reviews
    • 90Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos1

    Great Expectations (1947)
    Trailer 3:01
    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
      John Mills, playing Pip from the age of 19 to 25, was 38 at the time of filming.
    • 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
      The identity of the actress playing Molly is never revealed, because this would constitute a spoiler.
    • 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 reviews132

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    A great film
    When David Lean directed Great Expectations, he used black and white, even though color was available. From the very first scene, you see that the black and white brings out a quality in the film, that wouldn't have been achieved with color. The black and white makes the film seem simpler than it really is. Great Expectations is a film, which ends very nicely for the characters, but their journeys throughout the film are not.

    Pip sees himself for the rude snob he became, and Estella prides herself for being a heartless, ruthless bitch (for lack of a better word), and Miss Havisham is cold, and simply out to destroy men. The only person in this film who is not arrogant, or evil is the simple Joe.

    I am far from a film expert. Infact, I only watched this movie because I am studying Great Expectations at school. However, after hours of in-depth discussion, there is so much more to this film than meets the eye. My favorite scenes are those in the first quarter of an hour. Lean's use of Silhouettes gives the search for the two escaped convicts a feel of war, and creates an atmosphere of tension very well. It also introduces the key characters in the story excellently.

    As far as the story goes, I found it much easier on the head to watch than the book was to read. While it wasn't close in length to books i've read before (I think it's shorter than my little brother's "Harry Potter" books), it took me close to 30 hours to read. The movie compacts the majority of the book into 2 hours of film. The exclusion of characters like Orlick I have no problem with, as they are nearly completely irrelevant to the story. Lean explains the death of Pip's sister in less than 10 seconds, while the book takes somewhere in the region of 10 pages.

    The acting is excellent. Alec Guinness was the only actor I had heard of, and that was only thanks to George Lucas. John Mills was interesting to watch, and after seeing the movie, I didn't know weather to like Pip for how he ended up, or to see him for the nasty person he had changed into (and come back from).

    Only when watching it for the second time, did i realise the thought behind the direction. When Magwitch reappears, the atmosphere from their first meeting is created exactly; even the wind sounds the same. The sets were also incredible, and remade 19th century England perfectly. Ms. Havisham's `Statis House' was particularly memorable for me, as it is exactly how I pictured it from reading.

    David Lean's Great Expectations set a benchmark in 1946 for great movies. It was nominated and won several Oscars, and is still enjoyed today. Every aspect of this film was enjoyable, it tells a great story, and if you look closer, you will appreciate the art of film making a little more, as I have.
    helpful•70
    23
    • jonomichel
    • Jun 21, 2002

    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
    • 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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