Plot

During the turbulent days of the French Revolution, Frenchwoman Lucie Manette falls in love with Englishman Charles Darnay, who's hiding his true identity and purpose.

During the French Revolution, French national Lucie Manette (Dorothy Tutin) meets and falls in love with Englishman Charles Darnay (Paul Guers). He is, however, hiding his true identity as a member of the French aristocratic Evrémonde family, whom he has denounced in private. The Marquis St. Evrémonde (Sir Christopher Lee) in particular was a cruel man. Those he wronged have vowed to see the end of the family line at any cost. Lucie's father Dr. Alexandre Manette (Stephen Murray) was imprisoned in the Bastille for eighteen years because of actions of the Marquis. Into their lives comes English barrister Sydney Carton (Sir Dirk Bogarde), who enjoys his alcohol to excess. Carton earlier defended Darnay in a trial on trumped up charges of treason. Carton doesn't really like Darnay in part because Carton also loves Lucie, he realizing that that love is unrequited. But Carton does eventually learn of Darnay's true heritage at a critical time. Carton takes extraordinary measures to ensure Lucie's happiness during this time, which has the potential to be explosive if others also found out about Darnay's true identity.—Huggo

British barrister Sydney Carton (Sir Dirk Bogarde) lives an insubstantial and unhappy life. He falls under the spell of Lucie Manette (Dorothy Tutin), but Lucie marries Charles Darnay (Paul Guers). When Darnay goes to Paris to rescue an imprisoned family retainer, he becomes entangled in the snares of the brutal French Revolution and is jailed and condemned to the guillotine. But Sydney Carton, in love with a woman he cannot have, comes up with a daring plan to save her husband.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

In the time of the French Revolution, Charles Darnay (Paul Guers) has been arrested and charged with espionage after being arrested in Dover in possession of secret documents. Darnay is the distant cousin of a French aristocrat, the Marquis St. Evrémonde (Sir Christopher Lee), but eschews any pretense of aristocracy. His barrister, Sydney Carton (Sir Dirk Bogarde), puts on an admirable defense, and Darnay is acquitted to the great joy of Lucie Manette (Dorothy Tutin), who has developed affections for him. Manette is French having recently located her father, Dr. Alexandre Manette (Stephen Murray), who was found to be alive after spending eighteen years in the Bastille. Lucie has her own admirers, including Carton, who is very much in love with her. When Darnay is arrested and imprisoned in Paris, Carton decides to make a sacrifice to ensure the happiness of the woman he loves.—garykmcd