The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

1947
Approved
1h 48min

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Cedric Hardwicke in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947)

Agrega una trama en tu idiomaA young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-hearted, grasping uncle.A young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-hearted, grasping uncle.A young, compassionate man struggles to save his family and friends from the abusive exploitation of his cold-hearted, grasping uncle.

Dirección
- Alberto Cavalcanti
Guionistas
- Charles Dickens
- John Dighton
Elenco

Ver la información de producción en IMDbPro

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6.9/10

1.1 k

TU CALIFICACIÓN

Dirección
- Alberto Cavalcanti
Guionistas
- Charles Dickens
- John Dighton
Elenco

Ver la información de producción en IMDbPro

Fotos76

+ 70

Opiniones de usuarios20

6.91K

Opiniones destacadas

8TheLittleSongbird

Very good, one of the better adaptations of the book

Personally, there are only two that are better, the 1982 production with Alun Armstrong as Squeers and the 2002 James D'Arcy version, with the weakest being the 2002 feature film with Jim Broadbent and Christopher Plummer, the 2002 film was quite good in my view. But from personal perspective, none of them are bad. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby(1947) has problems; an intrusive music score, Derek Bond's wooden Nicholas, Sally Ann Howes' over-simpering Kate and Mary Merrall playing Mrs Nickleby as too much of a silly caricature. The film is beautifully and expressively photographed and has an evocatively atmospheric setting. Alberto Cavalcanti does direct gracefully for one who is more of a surrealist director, while the dialogue is crisp and intelligent and the story draws you right in with little filler and delivers the narrative right to the point. Three performances may not have worked, but the others do. Coming off best is Cedric Hardwicke, by far and large the most evil of the Ralph Nicklebys of all the adaptations, truly diabolical. Alfred Drayton is loathsome and funny as Squeers, while Bernard Miles' Newman is appealing, Stanley Holloway is a sharp Crummles and the Smike of Aubrey Woods is very affecting. In conclusion, one of the better adaptations of the book and does a very good job on its own. 8/10 Bethany Cox

7CinemaSerf

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

It's not so often that Sir Cedric Hardwicke takes centre stage in a film, but he does it quite menacingly in this adaptation of Charles Dickens's story of greed and belonging. We first meet his "Ralph" when his recently widowed sister-in-law (Mary Merrill) arrives on his doorstep with her children "Nicholas" (Derek Bond) and "Kate" (Sally Ann Howes). In need of his patronage, he agrees providing the children find gainful employment - a task he readily undertakes himself. She is to become an apprentice seamstress, he a teacher in a remote boy's school run by "Wackford Squeers" (Alfred Drayton) who rules his school with fear, starvation and a cane. Young "Nicholas" is repulsed by their methods, especially as both he and his wife (Sybil Thorndike) use their lackey "Smike" (Aubrey Woods) as a glorified slave. Abhorred, he takes direct action which promptly sets him on a series of escapades that eventually pitch him against his uncle and his powerful, and sleazy, friends. There are loads of engaging characters to help him along the way: "Crummies" (Stanley Holloway) runs a touring vaudeville troupe whom he and "Smike" do some popular writing for; Bernard Miles's "Newman Noggs" proves ever useful as his eyes and ears in his uncle's office and the always reliable James Hayter is on good form as the aptly named and generous "Ned Cheeryble". They all help this tale of the epitome of venality and wickedness come to it's head. It's never simple with this author, he always takes with one hand what he gives with the other - and the conclusion here is tinged with sadness. It's one of my favourite of this man's stories and Cavalcanti makes sure this superior cast pack plenty of characterful performances into this darkly photographed and gritty looking drama that sticks fairly faithfully to the original text.

9bkoganbing

One Evil Uncle

In post World War II Great Britain there seemed to be a great revival in the work of Charles Dickens. Three of his classic novels were filmed in that period, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickleby.

Nicholas Nickleby is less known than the other two because Alec Guinness and John Mills got great roles and reached the top of the British cinema firmament as stars. Derek Bond in the title tole of Nicholas Nickleby never got to the heights that Mills and Guinness did. Still he was good in what was probably his career role.

Like the other two Dickens works Nicholas Nickleby involves the progress of a young man who has to overcome a lot of odds to attain prosperity and happiness. In this case his father dies and Bond with his mother Mary Merrall who is from the Billie Burke school of fluttery female and sister Sally Ann Howes look to his father's brother Cedric Hardwicke for charity.

But Hardwicke's not the charitable sort, in fact he's a scoundrel who has systematically lied and cheated others to build his fortune. He's not above using Howes as bait for his business and he sends Bond off to some 'school' that is little more than the work house we saw in Oliver Twist. Bond is a teacher there and leaves enraged at the treatment after giving the headmaster Alfred Drayton a thrashing the kind he relishes giving out to the kids.

Bond leaves with one of the kids played by Aubrey Woods who has been particularly abused and who in fact as it turns out was the victim of the most monstrous evil performed by Hardwicke. But we find out what that is toward the end of the film. Woods who has very few lines by facial expressions gives one of the most touching performances I've seen on film, he will live you longer than any of the other characters.

Dickens works abound in colorful characters and villains completely despicable. Cedric Hardwicke as Uncle Ralph Nickleby is a black hearted soul. Also standing out is Stanley Holloway head of a group of strolling players who gives help to Bond and Woods when they are at their lowest.

Nicholas Nickleby though it has been done on the big and small screen several times has this version to set a very high standard.

9Prismark10

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Alberto Cavalcanti's has made a concise version of the story of Nicholas Nickleby for Ealing Studios.

Although Charles Dickens epic novel is judiciously pruned, the flavour and atmosphere remains.

This episodic film has greedy moneylender Ralph Nickleby (Cedric Hardwicke) reluctantly taking on his brother's family after his death in 1830.

Ralph quickly gets a job for nephew Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond) as a teacher working for Wackford Squeers. The school is a wretched place and Nicholas soon leaves when a young man Smike is being flogged.

Nicholas and Smike soon get in with theatrical producer Vincent Crummles (Stanley Holloway) and become actors.

Meanwhile Ralph also gets his niece working as a seamstress for low wages. Ralph also uses her to attract the attention of Lord Verisopht so he will borrow money from him.

Soon Nicholas gets wind of what Ralph has been up to. How some wealthy men plan to use and abuse his sister. So he comes to rescue his sister and mother.

Ralph also has a lusty eye for a pretty young woman Madeleine Bray (Jill Balcon) to be his bride. Her father is in debt to Ralph Nickleby. However Nicholas is also in love with her.

The film allows some of the actors to shine even in smaller roles. Stanley Holloway stands out as Crummles as well as Bernard Miles as the nice Newman Noggs. Cyril Fletcher more famous from the BBC television program That's Life is almost debauched as Mantalini.

Of course Cedric Hardwicke steals the film as the dastardly avaricious uncle Ralph. He does his duty to take care of his brother's family, he makes sure they all get to work.

Although the complexities of the novel and the various characters had to be reduced. This is an enjoyably brisk film which is not full of cloying sentimentality. It also shows the harshness and cruelty of life in that era.

Surprisingly this is the only British film version of Nicholas Nickleby made in the 20th century.

misctidsandbits

Standard Setting Version

This is an excellent version. I find it much superior to the 2002 offering, which I have just seen. Derek Bond, Cedric Hardwicke - virtually every actor and portrayal is fuller and fitter. The view and flow are entirely more pleasing. It is much better tied together. I needed this previously seen version to help tie the 2002 one together - it is so chopped. I eagerly sought out the book after seeing this some time ago. It is one I had not read, and very much desired to after viewing. Thankfully, it is still being shown by TCM. One needs a good version of any classic, and this one settles it for me with Nickleby. I agree that it sets the standard. Unfortunately, it was not followed in the most recent version to date. Someone mentions the problems with Dickens - If the makers of this film had a problem with Dickens in general or Nickleby in particular, they certainly solved it nicely. Indeed, they should be consulted by those who do.

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Trivia
On reading the script, Hollywood censor Joseph Breen objected to the use of the expression "dem'd", but said that "deshit" and "deshed" were allowed. Most importantly, a character could not be shown hanging himself in order to escape the police, but could if it was out of remorse.

Citas
Ralph Nickleby: Noggs, take down this letter. "To Mr. Squeers, the Saracen's Head, Snow Hill. I have decided to finance any legal action you may care to take against my nephew."
Newman Noggs: Ho, ho, ho! He isn't there.
Ralph Nickleby: Who isn't?
Newman Noggs: Mr. Squeers. He's at Bow Street Police Station!
Ralph Nickleby: You're lying.
Newman Noggs: Ohhh no, I'm not. And Mr Squeers hasn't been lying either. Mr Squeers has confessed to conspiracy with regard to a birth certificate and certain letters purporting to prove that Mr Snawley was the father!
Ralph Nickleby: I don't know what you're talking about.
Newman Noggs: Don't you? Mr Squeers says otherwise. So does Mr Snawley. So do the police.
Ralph Nickleby: Hold your tongue, you treacherous, sneaking...!
Newman Noggs: I've held my tongue for 15 years! Stood by helpless while you've ruined many another as once you ruined me.
Ralph Nickleby: You ruined yourself. You'd sell your soul, if you had one, for a little gin.
Newman Noggs: But I wouldn't sell my own flesh and blood. And it's not only little Kate I'm thinking of. I've seen the boy, Smike, the living image of his mother, of your wife!
Ralph Nickleby: My wife?
Newman Noggs: Didn't know I knew that, did you, that you had a son? Your wife died, but the child lived. And you had to keep his birth a secret, or the money would have gone to him. You put him out with a poor family, didn't you, to bring him up as their own? You paid them well for it, haven't you, ever since? Well, they didn't keep the boy!
Ralph Nickleby: It isn't true.
Newman Noggs: They put him to school in Yorkshire. They put him in Dotheboys Hall!
Ralph Nickleby: They cheated me!
Newman Noggs: Yes. They cheated you. Just as you've cheated hundreds of others!
Ralph Nickleby: In the gutter for this! And I'll deal with you too!
Newman Noggs: Will you? Will you? I've waited all these years for a chance to settle our account. And now, at last, it's come. The police have been here, and I've told them everything. There'll be another charge against you now: depriving your own son of his birthright, robbing him of a fortune! They'll transport you for that, you know! Hahahahahaha! They'll confiscate every penny you've got! Hahahahahaha! You can't escape now! It doesn't matter where you go! Off to see a lawyer, is that it? See if he can help you! Or are you going to bring the boy home? Own him as your own son, give him back the money? No use! No good! Nothing can help you now, money or lawyers! It doesn't matter where you go! YOU'RE TOO LATE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! TOO LATE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!