Customer Reviews

A Tale of Two Cities

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Of all the fine film versions made of the classic Charles Dicken's tale "A Tale of Two Cities", none can in my opinion compare with this lavish, beautifully wrought version created by the legendary David O. Selznick during his tenure as a producer at MGM in the mid 1930's. All the right elements for creating a film classic are here and combine in a most memorable entertainment experience. A superlative cast, great dialogue, no expense spared on sets, costumes and period flavour and the backing of a perfectionist studio like MGM at its prime, all combine to make "A Tale of Two Cities" a viewing experience to cherish always.

David O. Selznick is still best remembered as the producer of the classic "Gone With The Wind", however his work goes much further back at MGM and earlier at RKO where he was responsible for such efforts as "King Kong", "David Copperfield", "The Prisoner of Zenda", and "A Star is Born" among others. Never however did he produce a finer effort than here in his 1935 version of "A Tale of Two Cities". The film provided Ronald Colman with possibly his greatest role as the frivolous lawyer Sydney Carton who in the face of the bloody French Revolution learns about life and duty and makes the ultimate sacrifice for the well being of those he has grown to love. Colman, always a superb actor is a perfect choice as Carton and he brings to the role not only his beautifully trained voice and presentation but also a real understanding of what the character was about both in the earlier scenes as a drunken no good and later in the exciting scenes during the outbreak of the revolution where he develops a sense of the rightness of some things in the face of adversity. The story of "A Tale of Two Cities", is a well known one of two men both in love with the same women with one (Carton) undergoing the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the woman he loves but can never possess. This tale is played out against the colourful but dangerous tapestry of the revolution in France in 1789. Selznick pulled out all the stops with this film which boasts production values unsurpassed at the time. Recreated vividly for the camera are the scenes depicting the storming of the Bastille (involving thousands of extras filmed entirely on the MGM backlot), revolutionary Paris in all its opulence and squalor, the bogus revolutionary tribunals which condemmned thousands of innocent people to the death sentence and most vividly the ghastly executions by the infamous Guillotine.

Apart from Ronald Colman's towering central performance the film has many other unforgettable performances which really capture the wonderful richness of Charles Dicken's characters. The beautiful Elizabeth Allan also had one of her best roles as Lucie Manette the object of Carton's affection who falls in love with and marries Charles Darney ( handsome Donald Woods), a naive young French aristocrat who ultimately leds Carton to his destiny in revolutionary Paris when he exchanges places with him on the eve of his execution for being an "enemy" of the Republic. Legendary character actress Edna May Oliver had I firmly believe her best remembered role here as the bossy Miss Pross, the guardian of Lucie who goes through all the visitudes of the revolution to stay by the side of and protect her "Lady bird". She is wonderful in her playing and really is one of the main outstanding elements that make "A Tale of Two Cities" the classic it is. Basil Rathbone plays to the hilt his detestable villian role of the Marquis St. Evermonde who is Charles Darnay's uncle. Working with a totally horrid character , being the superb actor he was, Rathbone manages to create a wonderfully memorable villian that is at the basis of the whole story. The scene of his carriage running over a peasant boy and the Marquise being annoyed that it might have upset his horses is a tragically memorable moment typical of Dicken's pen when writing about the clash of the social classes but to today's viewer like myself it will bring tears to your eyes over the wretched conditions the peasantry lived under at this time. Equally memorable are the actors and actresses playing the peasants in the story. Of all the unforgettable performances of the notorius Madame Defarge over the years none have elicpsed Blanche Yurka's frentic playing of the desperate revolutionary out for revenge. She is both frightening and tragic when one learns of her families fate at the hands of the Marquise St. Evremonde.The vision of her endlessly knitting while people go to their deaths is one of the dramatic highights of this stirring tale. Lucille La Verne (the voice of the wicked witch in Disney's classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"), Reginald Owen, Mitchell Lewis and Henry B. Walthall complete the sterling cast and provide the story with a wealth of beautiful characterisations.

As a history lesson this version of "A Tale of Two Cities", with its historically accurate look and feel for the times really cannot be bettered. I love it most of all the versions as it shows all the departments of the legendary MGM studios combining in one totally polished production from the great years of Hollywood movie making. A film on this scale could barely be attempted today and it says alot for the genius of David O. Selnick's vision, and the performances by Ronald Colman and supporting cast that it has become "THE" definitive version of Charles Dicken's classic novel. Sit back and allow yourself to be swept away by the colour and tragedy of the French Revolution in David O. Selznick's classic "A Tale of Two Cities".

One of my favorite films of all time with a group of really terrific actors. Come on studios, it's one the great great classics from Hollywood's golden era, a film worth treasuring, so restore it and make it available to us on DVD and try to add some extras too!

I've found this to be a watchable version of the Dickens classic, complete with dialogue straight out of the book. I use it in my World History class as an overview of the French Revolution and assign each student one of the characters. Ronald Coleman is fabulous and kids always like him, but they find it hard to watch black and white films if they look too contrasty (there are several key nighttime/jail scenes), and for some bizzare reason I have to spend a day telling kids who is Charles and who is Sydney. The English learners are able to figure out the plot because they can focus on the facial expressions, but they have a tough time with the quick speech and accents. The storming of the Bastille is the second largest crowd scene ever filmed, and a friend said her dad was in it... Culver Studios knocked on doors in the neighborhood to recruit extras for it. It's impressive as is the end of the film.

Ronald Colman is Sydney Carton a London barrister. One man gives up his life so that another man may live during these turbulent times in France. However, the backdrop of this story takes center stage. The images of the Reign of Terror are haunting. This can be credited to Jacques Tourneur (director of CAT PEOPLE, I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, OUT OF THE PAST, CURSE OF THE DEMON and WAR GODS OF THE DEEP) who worked on the Revolution sequences even though full directorial credit is given to Jack Conway. Jacques Tourneur was in fact hired by Producer David O. Selznick as production supervisor for these scenes. Mammoth sets of the Bastille were constructed as well as surrounding Parisian structures. Jacques Tourneur directed the frenetic scenes when the Bastille was stormed utilizing thousands of extras in an impressive but eerily emotional view of human suffering and loss of life. This is unforgettable and impressionable filmmaking.

What a wonderful film A Tale Of Two Cities is,I love the story and of course I bawl my eyes out at the end every time. Ronald Coleman has the most beautiful voice and the sadness in his eyes stir something in me everytime. As for the DVD it was beautifully filmed, very clear and the sound quality was excellent, I would heartily commend this fine product.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) presents "A TALE OF TWO CITIES" (1935) (128 min/B&W) -- Starring Ronald Colman, Elizabeth Allan, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone & Donald Woods

Directed by Jack Conway

An elaborate adaptation of Dickens' classic tale of the French Revolution. Dissipated lawyer Sydney Carton defends Charles Darnay from charges of spying against England. He becomes enamored of Darnay's fiancée, Lucie Manette, and agrees to help her save Darnay from the guillotine when he is captured by Revolutionaries in Paris.

Absolutely the finest of all versions of the venerable novel by Charles Dickens, and superb film making on every conceivable level, with the definitive career performance from the great Ronald Colman. There's not a false note sounded among the literally hundreds of supporting performances.

Truly one of the great films of all time, and an honor to view, whether it's the first or one hundred one times you've seen it.

Very few films in history rank total perfection; this is one of them.

For fans of Ronald Colman, A Tale of Two Cities is not to be missed. Highly recommend!

BIOS:
1. Jack Conway [aka: Hugh Ryan Conway] (Director)
Date of Birth: 17 July 1887 - Graceville, Minnesota
Date of Death: 11 October 1952 - Pacific Palisades, California

2. Ronald Colman [aka: Ronald Charles Colman]
Date of Birth: 9 February 1891 - Richmond, Surrey, England, UK
Date of Death: 19 May 1958 - Santa Barbara, California

3. Elizabeth Allan
Date of Birth: 9 April 1908 - Skegness, Lincolnshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 27 July 1990 - Hove, East Sussex, England, UK

4. Edna May Oliver [aka: Edna May Nutter]
Date of Birth: 9 November 1883 - Malden, Massachusetts
Date of Death: 9 November 1942 - Los Angeles, California

5. Reginald Owen [aka: John Reginald Owen]
Date of Birth: 5 August 1887 - Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Date of Death: 5 November 1972 - Boise, Idaho

6. Basil Rathbone [aka: Philip St. John Basil Rathbone]
Date of Birth: 13 June 1892 - Johannesburg, South Africa
Date of Death: 21 July 1967 - New York City, New York

7. Donald Woods [aka: Ralph L. Zink]
Date of Birth: 2 December 1906 - Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Date of Death: 5 March 1998 - Palm Springs, California

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 128 min on DVD ~ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) ~ (October 10, 2006)

This genuine Hollywood Classic boasts a tremendous cast, bringing to life the great Charles Dickens tale of the French Revolution. Despite big budget, glamourous Hollywood treatment, the story told here is faithful to the original Dickens masterpiece.

Ronald Colman plays the British lawyer who comes to the rescue of victims of the "Reign of Terror", sacrificing his life to save another man from the guillotine. Nominated for Best Picture Oscar. -- As a teacher, I recommend this film for viewing by High School History or English Classes.*****

Originally released for Christmas in 1935, this splendidly produced, atmospheric and magnificently acted film displayed M-G-M's flair for filming literary classics - DAVID COPPERFIELD was released earlier that year - with no expense spared; the storming of the Bastille sequence employed several thousand extras and was filmed on one of Hollywood's largest sets ever. Ronald Colman was intially reluctant to play the role of Sidney Carlton, that charming but dissolute lawyer who commits the ultimate self - sacrifice ...... It took great persuasion to make Colman shave off his trademark moustache for the role of Carlton, but he delivered more than likely his finest performance ( Later in his life, Colman admitted this was his personal favourite of all his roles ). Charles Dicken's stirring classic of seventeenth-century Paris and London and the events surrounding the French Revolution had been filmed as silents on four different occasions -twice each in Great Britain and America - this easily remains the definitive masterpiece. Under Jack Conway's meticulous direction, A TALE OF TWO CITIES offers memorable performances by a fine cast, including the marvelously hammy Blanche Yurka, frightening Lucille LaVerne, vinegary Edna May Oliver, despicable Basil Rathbone, eloquent Henry B. Walthall ( he was the "Little Colonel" in BIRTH OF A NATION ) and, in a radical change of pace, the dimunitive Isabel Jewell, as the pathetic seamstress who accompanies Colman to the place of his execution.

This early version of Dickens novel was the film that David O. Selznick chose to produce for MGM before his gigantic production of "Gone With The Wind." The numerous versions that have followed fail to capture the grandeur and emotion this glorious black and white film portrays. I've read all the customer reviews on Amazon and can't add much more to them. It is a shame that these classics aren't available yet on DVD. One aspect of this production that has not been mentioned in any of the reviews on Amazon and I thought was worth a segment in the recent release of Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" special edition on DVD is the character actress Lucille La Verne. She specialized in playing hags or old crones during her career and her performance in "Tale Of Two Cities" brought her to the attention of Walt Disney. She was hired to voice the Queen and also voice and play the Witch. Watching her performance in "Tale" today, you can see the witch of Snow White in the flesh. I did some research on Ms. La Verne and found that shortly after her stint in "Snow White" she retired from film and voice overs and ran a bar in Culver City, California close to MGM Studios. Let's see this film once again available on DVD or at least on video.

This is the BEST adaptation of the Classic Charles Dickens Novel. The only disappointment is that they have not been able to produce this particular version into a DVD. I have been through THREE VHS tapes I watch it so often !! You will not be disappointed. The other versions of this movies do not even come close to this one.