BFI Southbank's Dickens on Screen season

[didi-5]

Starts in January at the BFI Southbank. Along with the usual Dickens films (David Lean's Great Expectations, Dirk Bogarde in A Tale of Two Cities), there's a showing of the 1913 David Copperfield and the 1934 Great Expectations.

The TV section of the retrospective though is extremely disappointing and consists of complete showings of dramas already widely available on DVD including 1960's Barnaby Rudge and 1976's Our Mutual Friend. Why the BFI couldn't have shown some imagination in showing material that is locked in the archives is anyone's guess - I would rather have had representative episodes from a range of adaptations across the decades than material I have already seen.

Later in the year will be a new print of the musical Oliver! which should be well worth seeing.

[Maureen Whittaker]

Starts in January at the BFI Southbank. Along with the usual Dickens films (David Lean's Great Expectations, Dirk Bogarde in A Tale of Two Cities), there's a showing of the 1913 David Copperfield and the 1934 Great Expectations.
Later in the year will be a new print of the musical Oliver! which should be well worth seeing.

Thank you for the information didi-5. Can I ask where you have your details from. I have searched the BFI site with little success and there seem to be, as yet, no dates for these showings. We plan to be there for the TALE OF TWO CITIES amongst others.

[didi-5]

There's a press release on the website plus as a member I have January's brochure in advance of dates going up for public booking.

[Maureen Whittaker]

There's a press release on the website plus as a member I have January's brochure in advance of dates going up for public booking.

That would explain why I could not find the information yet on the website, but thanks anyway. To see the films on the big screen is an event not to be missed if at all possible.

[CaptainWaggett]

BFI Southbank programme for Sunday 1 January | BFI

Click each date in January to find the complete listings. But, as Didi says, it's not wildly interesting. I'm sure there must be a few 50s and 60s Dickens tv series available they could show.

[didi-5]

I'm sure there must be a few 50s and 60s Dickens tv series available they could show.

The television side of the series is absolutely pathetic. The only pre-1970 series they are showing is Barnaby Rudge from 1960, which is available on DVD. As are their other big screen choices including 1976's Our Mutual Friend, 1977's Hard Times, and 1985's Bleak House.

There's one discussion on the Sunday serials which promises a handful of clips, but many of these series survive in their entirety, or survive incomplete but with key performances from actors still well-known. Personally I was hoping for some of the incomplete series like 1959's Great Expectations (Dinsdale Landen as Pip and Colin Jeavons as Herbert Pocket, just one episode wiped, oddly the eighth of thirteen) or 1966's David Copperfield (Ian McKellen as David, nine out of thirteen episodes wiped) to be represented.

Or series which could benefit from more exposure and potential DVD release now like 1967's Great Expectations (Gary Bond as Pip, Francesca Annis as Estella, survives complete) or 1968's Nicholas Nickleby (Martin Jarvis as Nicholas, survives complete). The 1959 Bleak House with Diana Fairfax as Esther, Colin Jeavons as Richard, and Andrew Cruickshank as Jarndyce also survives complete, as does 1962's Oliver Twist (which includes Max Adrian as Fagin and Peter Vaughn as Bill Sikes).

An earlier Copperfield from 1956 with Robert Hardy is sadly missing, as is the 1957 Nickleby with William Russell. A 1964 Martin Chuzzlewit with Gary Raymond has also gone, as has Paul Daneman in Our Mutual Friend from 1958.

Given what has survived and been left to rot in the archives I am deeply disappointed by the BFI's lazy programming - they have had over a year to plan this season and the best they can do is show what's already available?

Even in films the only one I haven't seen in the 1934 Great Expectations - and although the 1930s Curiosity Shop is welcome, that's out on DVD soon as well.

[didi-5]

A few more production stats re television Dickens:

US Productions:

1949 – The Christmas Carol. Host/Narrator: Vincent Price. Scrooge: Taylor Holmes. On DVD.
1953 – ABC Album: A Tale of Two Cities. Sydney Carton: Wendell Corey. Charles Darnay: Carleton Young. On Internet Archive.
1954- Shower of Stars: A Christmas Carol. Scrooge: Fredric March. Marley: Basil Rathbone. A musical version, on DVD as a special feature on the Bing Crosby and Kate Smith Christmas disc.

UK Productions:

1957’s A Tale of Two Cities with Peter Wyngarde as Carton is sadly lost, but the 1958 version, a TV movie, with John Cameron as Carton has survived.

A 1959 musical version of David Copperfield called Young David and made for Armchair Theatre was sadly wiped. It featured Peter Bull as Mr Creakle, Robert Morley and Irene Handl as the Micawbers, and Alan Wheatley as Mr Murdstone.

1960’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood was wiped. It featured Tim Seely as Edwin and Donald Sinden as John Jasper.

Amazingly Barnaby Rudge from the same year was not and, as the only adaptation made of this book, it was released to DVD. It stars John Wood.

1962’s Old Curiosity Shop has gone, despite featuring Michele Dotrice as Little Nell, Anton Rodgers as Dick Swiveller and Patrick Troughton as Quilp.

Good news! Two episodes survive of ten made for the 1965 A Tale of Two Cities, featuring John Wood as Carton.

More good news! 1969’s Dombey and Son exists complete. It features John Carson as Mr Dombey.

The 1974 David Copperfield with David Yelland exists and has been released to DVD, as has the 1976 Our Mutual Friend (featuring Leo McKern and Warren Clarke), and 1977’s Nicholas Nickleby, with Nigel Havers.

No such good tidings for 1975’s Old Curiosity Shop aka Mr Quilp, the musical version with Anthony Newley, which languishes in rights hell, I believe not unconnected to the Readers Digest?!

More good news for 1975’s The Signalman, with Denholm Elliott, available on DVD; the 1977 Hard Times from Granada with Patrick Allen and Timothy West, which has been one of Network’s releases; and 1979’s The Old Curiosity Shop, with Natalie Ogle as Little Nell, also available.

Also available on DVD are 1980’s A Tale of Two Cities, with Paul Shelley in both lead roles; the 1981 Great Expectations with Gerry Sundquist as Pip; and the 1989 Tale of Two Cities with James Wilby as Carton.

However, one curious omission - does anyone know the whereabouts of the 1986 David Copperfield, with Colin Hurley?

[jimw1]

More good news for 1975’s The Signalman, with Denholm Elliott, available on DVD;

Thanks for the info didi........

I was fortunate enough to buy the DVD of The Signalman about 6 years ago from BBC Shop.....

It has since disappeared from there and last time I checked it was around £80.00 from Amazon...I hope its released again at a much more reasonable price

[didi-5]

Thanks for the info didi........

I was fortunate enough to buy the DVD of The Signalman about 6 years ago from BBC Shop.....

It has since disappeared from there and last time I checked it was around £80.00 from Amazon...I hope its released again at a much more reasonable price

If you can watch Region 1 releases it is a special feature on the Alan Bates/Bob Peck Hard Times, itself part of the Charles Dickens Collection.

Here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charles-Dick...945815&sr=1-11

[jimw1]

If you can watch Region 1 releases it is a special feature on the Alan Bates/Bob Peck Hard Times, itself part of the Charles Dickens Collection.

Thanks didi.. I had no idea it was in that Collection....

[didi-5]

In the BFI Mediatheque from February - one episode each from 1959's Great Expectations and 1966's David Copperfield ...