Cedric Hardwicke

Stanley Holloway

Derek Bond

Mary Merrall

Sally Ann Howes

Aubrey Woods

Jill Balcon

Bernard Miles

Alfred Drayton

Vera Pearce

James Hayter

Emrys Jones

Cecil Ramage

Timothy Bateson

George Relph

Frederick Burtwell

Sybil Thorndike

Hattie Jacques

Athene Seyler

Vida Hope

Roy Hermitage

Laurence Hanray

Arthur Brander

Patricia Hayes

Cyril Fletcher

Fay Compton

Cathleen Nesbitt

Una Bart

June Elvin

Drusilla Wills

Roddy Hughes

Michael Shepley

Eliot Makeham

Alberto Cavalcanti

Michael Balcon

John Dighton

Charles Dickens

Lord Berners

Leslie Norman

John Croydon

Barbara Barnard

Ernest Taylor

Gordon Dines

Hal Mason

Jack Rix

Stephen Dalby

Eric Williams

Marion Horn

Ernest Irving

Michael Relph

Lionel Banes

Cliff Richardson

Jack Parker

Drama

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

Ealing Studios

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

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 Cavacanti makes sure this superior cast pack plenty of characterful performances into this darkly photographed drama and gritty looking drama.

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.

English