A Tale of Two Cities (1935)

Director:

Jack Conway
(more)

Writers:

Charles Dickens (novel)
W.P. Lipscomb (writer) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The most dramatic love story in the history of literature!

Plot:

An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution. Dissipated lawyer Sydney...

Plot Keywords:

Guillotine | French Revolution | Lawyer | 1790s | Father Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Ronald Colman	...	Sydney Carton
Elizabeth Allan	...	Lucie Manette
Edna May Oliver	...	Miss Pross
Reginald Owen	...	Stryver
Basil Rathbone	...	Marquis St. Evremonde
Blanche Yurka	...	Madame De Farge
Henry B. Walthall	...	Dr. Manette
Donald Woods	...	Charles Darnay
Walter Catlett	...	Barsad
Fritz Leiber	...	Gaspard
H.B. Warner	...	Gabelle
Mitchell Lewis	...	Ernest De Farge
Claude Gillingwater	...	Jarvis Lorry
Billy Bevan	...	Jerry Cruncher
Isabel Jewell	...	Seamstress
Lucille La Verne	...	The Vengeance (as Lucille LaVerne)
Tully Marshall	...	Woodcutter
Fay Chaldecott	...	Little Lucy
Eily Malyon	...	Mrs. Cruncher
E.E. Clive	...	Judge in Old Bailey
Lawrence Grant	...	Prosecutor in 'Old Bailey'
Robert Warwick	...	Judge at Tribunal
Ralf Harolde	...	Prosecutor
John Davidson	...	Morveau
Tom Ricketts	...	Tellson Jr
Donald Haines	...	Jerry Cruncher Jr.
Barlowe Borland	...	Jacques
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Tom, Coach Driver on the Dover Road (uncredited)
Richard Alexander	...	Executioner (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Innkeeper (uncredited)
Barbara Barondess	...	Female Aristocrat about to be Executed (uncredited)
May Beatty	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Burr Caruth	...	Guillotine Seller (uncredited)
Frank Dawson	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Chappell Dossett	...	Priest at Wedding (uncredited)
Frank Dunn	...	Official (uncredited)
Harold Entwistle	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Christian J. Frank	...	Headsman (uncredited)
Sig Frohlich	...	Gentleman (uncredited)
Dale Fuller	...	Old Hag (uncredited)
Winter Hall	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Forrester Harvey	...	Joe (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Leader (Bastille) (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Billy House	...	Border Guard (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
Walter Kingsford	...	Victor (uncredited)
Marion Lessing	...	Aristocrat (uncredited)
James T. Mack	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Cyril McLaglen	...	Guillotine Operator (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Lackey #1 (uncredited)
John Miltern	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr.	...	Cartwright (uncredited)
Tempe Pigott	...	Old Hag (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Condemned Dandy (uncredited)
C. Montague Shaw	...	Chief Registrar (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Conway
Robert Z. Leonard		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Charles Dickens		(novel "A Tale of Two Cities")
W.P. Lipscomb		(writer) and
S.N. Behrman		(writer)
Thomas Carlyle		book "The French Revolution"
M. Clery		book "Journal of the Temple"
Mademoiselle des Echerolles		book "Memoirs"
M. Nicholas		book "Memoirs"

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart		(musical score by)

Cinematography by
Oliver T. Marsh		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Conrad A. Nervig

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacques Tourneur	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Fredric Hope	....	associate art director
Edwin B. Willis	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Snell	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Val Lewton	....	revolutionary sequences arranged by
Jacques Tourneur	....	revolutionary sequences arranged by

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)

Also Known As:

Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

128 min | USA:121 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: 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:

Lucie Manette: You know, Sydney, sometimes it's the part of a friend to criticize, too.
Sydney Carton: Oh, when there's any hope of reformation, yes; but with me, it's hopeless.
Lucie Manette: I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it.
Sydney Carton: Oh, I admit that once when... when I first knew you, the sight of you and your home stirred old shadows that I thought had died out of me. I had unformed ideas of striving afresh, beginning anew, fighting out the abandoned fight. A dream that ended in nothing, but you inspired it.
Lucie Manette: Must it end in nothing?
Sydney Carton: I'm afraid so. But for that inspiration, and for that dream, I shall always be grateful to you, Lucie.
Lucie Manette: I feel in you still such possibilities.
Sydney Carton: No, they'll never be realized. I am like one who died young.
Lucie Manette: I'll never give up my hopes for you, Sydney. Never.
Sydney Carton: I know myself better. But, this I know, too: I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Will you hold me in your mind as being ardent and sincere in this one thing? Think now and then that there is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Killer Tomatoes Eat France! (1991)

Soundtrack:

None But the Lonely Heart

A Fabulous Tale of 2 Cities ****

Charles Dickens would have stood up and applauded had he seen this fabulous 1935 version of his classic tale.

There are no words adequate enough to praise the fine performances in this film dealing with the French Revolution.

Ronald Colman is memorable as Sidney Carton, an alcoholic lawyer, who gave up his life to save the husband (Donald Woods) of the woman he loved. The woman, played by Elizabeth Allan, was strong in emotion and very appealing.

The supporting performances are first-rate. Had they had supporting Oscar categories in 1935, Edna May Oliver, as Miss Pross, governess to Allan and Blanche Yurka, as fiery revolutionary Madame De Farge, would have certainly been nominated. Who can forget the fight scene between both of these women? Who can forget De Farge's demand that Darnay, the nephew of the notorious Marquis Evremonde, a vicious Basil Rathbone, be put to death for being a member of this elitist family? Yurka tore into this scene a revenge rarely seen in motion pictures. Unfortunately, Hollywood could offer her few parts for a talent as great as this. Oliver, as Miss Pross, shed the right tears, and with sarcastic wit, delivered some of the most memorable lines in this film. Her facial gestures along with those of Yurka were something else. You'd also feel for the mobs of the starving French while the aristocrats lived so well.

Isabel Jewell, as the condemned seamstress, gave heart in her brief performance. Her emotional outburst, as she nears her fate, will never be forgotten.

The dialogue was crisp, the directing by Jack Conway, was first rate.

Years later, this classic was remade in 1958. It was an extremely poor remake. Foolishly, they weakened the part of Madame De Farge. **** for the original and even more. Revolutions were never as good as this one!