Il forzato

This is perhaps the worst film version of a Dickens novel ever made by a major studio. All of the dramatic power of the story is drowned in syrupy music and mostly mediocre to awful acting. Phillips Holmes is terrible as the adult Pip. Holmes, never a good actor, is alternately stiff and hammy.

Henry Hull, usually quite enjoyable when hammy, and actually quite good normally, is unsatisfying compared to Finlay Currie as Magwitch (Currie appeared in the classic 1946 David Lean film). Jane Wyatt conveys nothing of the icy-yet sympathetic haughtiness of Estella. Florence Reed is just fair as Miss Havisham, especially when compared with Martita Hunt's absolutely unforgettable 1947 performance, and Francis L.Sullivan showed much more enthusiasm playing Jaggers in the 1946 film.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Universal, 1934), directed by Stuart Walker, became the studio's contribution to the current trend of classic literature captured on film. With Louisa May Allcott's LITTLE WOMEN (RKO, 1933) and Charles Dickens' oft-told tale of OLIVER TWIST (Monogram, 1933) having reached the screen, it would be a matter of time before other literary works would be retold in celluloid, particularly those by Dickens. Universal other contribution, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (1935) would soon join MGM's masterful adaptations with both 1935 releases of David COPPERFIELD and A TALE OF TWO CITIES, each outdoing all previous attempts on Dickens thus far, even to a point of earning Academy Award nominations as Best Picture, while the Universal carnations are literally well made, though not accurately retold from the book, they're close to being virtually forgotten.

As with David COPPERFIELD, GREAT EXPECTATIONS is told in two parts, first with its central character as a boy before moving forward to the same character as a man. Set in England during the 19th Century, the story opens in a gloomy churchyard cemetery where the sad-faced Pip (Georgie Breakston) visits the graves of his dearly departed parents and siblings. He is soon confronted by an escaped convict later revealed as Abel Magwich (Henry Hull) who, after learning his sister's husband, Joe (Alan Hale), is a blacksmith, asks him to meet him the following morning with food, drink and a file to break his chains. At home, Pip is mistreated by his older but stern sister (Rafaela Ottiano), upon being forced to drink the dreaded tar water, but is well liked by his good-matured brother-in-law, Joe. Sneaking out of the house to keep his promise to the convict with his sister's pork-pie, brandy and file, Pip, in turn, no longer fears the convict, but pities him. After his capture and arrest, and before being sent back to prison, Magwich, to assure Pip won't be punished for doing a good deed, tells Joe that it was he who stole his food and file. Pip then cries as he watches Magwich being shipped back to prison. Later on, hoping to acquire extra money, Mrs. Joe and Pip's uncle, Pumblechook (Forrester Harvey), arrange for Pip to become a part-time companion to the ward of the richest woman in the county, Jane Havisham's (Florence Reed). Aside from seeing the neglected mansion full of frightful surroundings, with a reception room and wedding cake covered by cobwebs, Miss Havisham, dressed in wedding gown, introduces the boy to Estella (Anne Howard). Estella, taught to dislike and mistrust all males, verbally abuses Pip to a point of tears, but after winning a fight with the neighboring Herbert (Jackie Searle), Estella, who still finds Pip to be common, allows him to kiss her. Years later, the adult Pip (Phillips Holmes), has grown to love with the sophisticated Estella (Jane Wyatt), regardless of her continued verbal put-downs. Through a lawyer named Jaggers (Francis L. Sullivan), Pip finds that an unknown benefactor has arranged for him to rise from hard-working blacksmith to sophisticated gentleman of great expectations. A series of unforeseen circumstances based on "chance acquaintances" would soon take effect on his life.

Of the numerous screen adaptations of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, none come any better than David Lean's 1946 British-made production starring John Mills. While the 1934 version has never achieved the sort of lasting impression had it been produced by MGM rather than Universal, it's attempt, though well-conceived, has become the most overlooked and ignored of its screen adaptations. Henry Hull, who heads the cast, is generally a supporting role, the one whose character is unseen for a 40 minute stretch before reappearing again. His performance as the convict is excellent throughout. No problem there. Georgie Breakston does splendidly as young Pip, though, for playing a British lad makes no attempt of speaking with British accent. He briefly spoils it when using the American slang term of "ain't." Phillips Holmes role might have been better served had it been played by either a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. or Frank Lawton ("David Cooperfield"). Regardless, the resemblance between Breakston and Holmes are close enough to be physically the same character from boy to man. The same can be said of Anne Howard and Jane Wyatt. While Wyatt is acceptable as Estella, Anne Howard's poor acting and obnoxious overtones weakens the story. Valerie Hobson, credited last in the opening and closing credits as Biddy, is a character talked about but never seen mainly because Biddy was edited from the final print. Hobson not only appeared opposite Henry Hull in the now horror classic, WEREWOLF OF London (1935), but enacted the role of Estella in the 1946 remake. Francis L. Sullivan would also appear in the Lean production, reprising his original role of Jaggers. Other members of the cast include George Barrard (Compeyson); Eily Malyon (Sarah Pocket), and Philip Dakin (Bently Drummle). Try to locate the uncredited Walter Brennan appearing briefly as one of the convicts in the boat.

Seldom revived since the 1980s when presented on public television or on Chicago-based WGN-TV's Sunday afternoon presentation of "Family Classics" (Thanksgiving weekend 1988) hosted by Roy Leonard. Regardless of its 1998 distribution to home video, the 1934 version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS may not be great nor faithful adaptation to the Dickens book, but manages in getting by with whatever expectations it has during its 102 minutes. (***)

The 1934 version of Great Expectations is generally overlooked and dismissed by connoisseurs of the classic story. If it were remastered and put into the Criterion Collection, like the 1946 version, I think it would hold its own.

The start of the 1934 and 1946 versions are nearly identical. Young Georgie Breakston meets the frightening convict Henry Hull in the graveyard while visiting his dead family. He gets Henry the requested "vittles" and cries as he sees him dragged away by the police. Joe Gargery, played by Alan Hale, makes faces at the boy to cheer him up when Mrs. Joe, Rafaela Ottiano, goes "on the rampage". The movies only diverge when Pip meets Miss Havisham, but all in all, they're still very similar. The same actor, Francis Sullivan, even plays Jaggers in both versions!

You're going to have to accept the fact that this version hasn't been remastered. The picture is a bit fuzzy, and the dialogue is even fuzzier. If you can get past that, you'll be in a much better position to appreciate it. Georgie Breakman and Phillips Holmes perfectly represent the younger and older versions of each other; I haven't been able to make up my mind which one was trying to imitate the other! Jane Wyatt is stunningly beautiful as the adult Estella, and as she proves she could have easily handled Dora in the following year's David Copperfield.

Florence Reed has a different interpretation of Miss Havisham, but I really liked it-especially when compared to other ladies who made absolute fools of themselves. Henry Hull (in the only movie I've ever seen him to get first billing!) shines as Magwitch. He's unrecognizable and puts on a thick Cockney accent, and his thin frame and desperate movements make him naturally believable as the convict. You'll be hard-pressed to find a Henry Hull movie where he's the lead, so rent this one to see him in full force.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Henry Hull comes to the apartment and flaps him arms from the cold, the camera tilts for a few seconds, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

This first sound adaptation of Dickens' 'Great Expectations' is sorely lacking anything connected with Charles Dickens. Phillips Holmes is a fine actor and he puts all that he can into the hackneyed script. Miss Havisham is played in a sentimental manner and she actually shows kindness. Jane Wyatt is also sympathetic! Her coldness, which she talks about with Miss Havisham, is lacking in action. This would all be fine if it were an original story but it is purportedly 'Great Expectations'! Stick with David Lean's far superior film and the BBC mini-series actually made in Britain. It is no wonder that Phillips Holmes left to make most of his final films in the UK after being disgusted with this film.

There have been too many adaptations of Great Expectations and other Dickens classics that have failed to miss the fact that the eminent Victorian author's novels were not intended as sentimental, romantic fairytales but as scathing criticisms of the less-than-progressive aspects of life in 19th century Britain,namely the exploitation of the impoverished masses by the hypocritical idle rich. This 1934 travesty is about as accurate a realization of Dickens' original vision as Free Willy is a realization of Melville's vision for Moby-Dick. The scenes involving young Pip are played out like an Our Gang comedy complete with cloying music and the rest of it is filled with wooden acting,overly high key lighting, and an abundance of peculiarly well-fed poor people- this last aspect a phenomenon that plagued other mis-begotten Dickens farces of the '30s such as Monogram's Oliver Twist and the MGM A Christmas Carol. Every time this shows up on cable(a rarity at least in Madison,thank God) or is borrowed from a library,Dickens must do a backflip in his grave. All said, if you want to see DICKENS' Great Expectations stick with the Lean version or the respectable 1989 Disney version.Leave this one to rot in Miss Havisham's wedding cake.