The Pickwick Papers (1952 film)
| The Pickwick Papers | |
|---|---|
 Original British 1952 quad film poster | |
| Directed by | Noel Langley |
| Produced by |
George Minter Noel Langley |
| Screenplay by | Noel Langley |
| Based on |
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens |
| Starring |
James Hayter |
| Music by | Antony Hopkins |
| Cinematography | Wilkie Cooper |
| Edited by | Anne V. Coates |
Production company |
Renown Film Productions[1] |
| Distributed by | Renown Picture Corp.[2] (UK) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 115 min[2] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Pickwick Papers is a 1952 British black-and-white film based on the Charles Dickens classic. Both screenplay and direction were by Noel Langley.
The film premiered at the Gaumont Cinema at Haymarket in London on 14 November 1952.[3] In 1954 Soviet Union paid £10,000 for the distribution rights, and it became the first British film to be shown in Soviet Union after World War II, premiering on 29 July 1954 in a number of cities with a dubbed soundtrack.[4] The film was followed by a Russian reprint of Dickens' book in 150,000 copies a month later.[5]
Main cast
- James Hayter as Samuel Pickwick
- James Donald as Nathaniel Winkle
- Nigel Patrick as Mr. Jingle
- Joyce Grenfell as Mrs. Leo Hunter
- Hermione Gingold as Miss Tompkins
- Hermione Baddeley as Mrs. Bardell
- Donald Wolfit as Sergeant Buzfuz
- Harry Fowler as Sam Weller
- Kathleen Harrison as Rachel Wardle
- Alexander Gauge as Tracy Tupman
- Lionel Murton as Augustus Snodgrass
- Diane Hart as Emily Wardle
- Joan Heal as Isabella Wardle
- William Hartnell as Irate Cabman
- Athene Seyler as Miss Witherfield
- Walter Fitzgerald as Mr. Wardle
- Mary Merrall as Grandma Wardle
- Cecil Trouncer as Mr. Justice Stareleigh
- Felix Felton as Dr. Slammer
- Hattie Jacques as Mrs Nutkins
- Sam Costa as Job Trotter
Awards and nominations
- James Hayter was nominated for the BAFTA Best British Actor award in 1953 for his portrayal of Samuel Pickwick.
- The Pickwick Papers was awarded a Golden Bear in the Soviet Union in 1954[6]
- In 1956, Beatrice Dawson was nominated for an Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White for the film's costumes.
Colourised version
In 2012, a digitally restored and colourised version of the film was released on DVD, causing a renewed debate in the UK about colourisation of old black-and-white classics.[7]
References
- ↑ BFI: The Pickwick Papers Linked 2013-12-06
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 BBFC: The Pickwick Papers (1952) Linked 2013-12-06
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Times, 13 November 1952, page 2, film review – "Dickens on Screen": "The Pickwick Papers goes into the programme at the Gaumont Cinema to-morrow." – Found in The Times Digital Archive 2013-12-06
- ↑ The Times, 30 July 1954, page 11: Dickens Film In Russia – Found in The Times Digital Archive 2013-12-06
- ↑ The Times, 14 August 1954, page 3, Telegrams in Brief: A new edition of 150,000 copies of 'Pickwick Papers' has been published in Russia, Moscow Radio reports. – Found in The Times Digital Archive 2013-12-06
- ↑ Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference, page 163, Oxford University Press, 2007
- ↑ MovieMail, 15 November 2012: The Colourisation Debate – Not All Black and White Linked 2013-12-06
Bibliography
- Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press, 2007.
External links
- The Pickwick Papers in the British Film Institute's "Explore film..." database
- The Pickwick Papers at the Internet Movie Database
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