| The Old Curiosity Shop | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Thomas Bentley |
| Written by | Charles Dickens (novel) Ralph Neale Margaret Kennedy |
| Produced by | Walter C. Mycroft |
| Starring | Elaine Benson Ben Webster Hay Petrie Polly Ward |
| Cinematography | Claude Friese-Greene |
| Edited by | Leslie Norman |
| Music by | Herman Finck |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Wardour Films First Division Pictures (US) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Old Curiosity Shop is a 1934 British drama film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Elaine Benson, Ben Webster and Hay Petrie.[1] It is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1841 novel The Old Curiosity Shop.
Production[edit]
The film was produced by British International Pictures, one of the two most prominent British film studios of the time, at its base at Elstree Studios. Bentley was a well-established director who worked on several of the company's presigous historical films during the decade. He had previously directed a number of Dickens adaptations during the silent era, but this was his only Dickens talkie. The film sought to achieve a "painterly" effect in its interpretation of the original work. The recreation of the grotesque elements of Dickens' novel has led to it being described as an "expressionist nightmare".[2]
Cast[edit]
- Elaine Benson as Nell
- Ben Webster as The Grandfather
- Hay Petrie as Quilp
- Beatrix Thomson as Quilp's Wife
- Gibb McLaughlin as Sampson Brass
- Lily Long as Sally Brass
- Reginald Purdell as Dick Swiveller
- Polly Ward as The Marchioness
- James Harcourt as The Single Gentleman
- J. Fisher White as The Schoolmaster
- Dick Tubb as Codin
- Roddy Hughes as Short
- Amy Veness as Mrs. Jarley
- Peter Penrose as Kit
- Vic Filmer as Tom Scott
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Harper, Sue. Picturing the Past: The Rise and Fall of the British Costume Film. British Film Institute, 1994.
External links[edit]
- The Old Curiosity Shop at IMDb
- The Old Curiosity Shop at the BFI's Screenonline
