A Tale of Two Cities (1935) | 
 enlarge | Director: John Conway
Actors: Ronald Colman, Elizabeth Allan, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $12.00
You Save: $7.98 (40%)
New (36) Used (5) Collectible (1) from $12.00
Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 6311
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 126
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D79369D
UPC: 012569793699
EAN: 0012569793699
ASIN: B000GRUQL0
Theatrical Release Date: January 19, 1935
Release Date: October 10, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
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Amazon.com
Ronald Colman isn't even on screen for the most famous lines of his career ("It's a far, far better thing I do..."), but such is the power of the moment and the performance that everybody remembers it anyway. A Tale of Two Cities was the follow-up for producer David O. Selznick and high-class studio MGM to their hit adaptation of another Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations. While not scaling the heights of that impeccable production, Tale gives a tight, straightforward reading of Dickens' story of the French Revolution. Colman plays the drunken romantic Sydney Carton, who pines for the lovely Lucie Manette (Elizabeth Allan) even though she marries former French aristocrat Charles Darnay (Donald Woods). Meanwhile, back in Paris, the Revolution erupts, and Darnay is fated for the guillotine... perhaps. Along with Colman's expert study in melancholy, the film is crammed with fragrant supporting players, such as Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, and the uniquely unsettling Blanche Yurka as the endlessly-knitting Madame Defarge. In a handful of scenes, Basil Rathbone makes the Marquis de Evremonde the quintessence of clueless privilege ("With what I get from these peasants, I can hardly afford to pay my perfume bill"). Journeyman director Jack Conway doesn't have the lovely touch that George Cukor brought to Copperfield, but Selznick hired him because "the picture is melodrama, it must have pace and it must 'pack a wallop.'" It still does. Footnote to film history: Selznick's assistant, Val Lewton, supervised the Revolutionary montage, and hired director Jacques Tourneur for the job; later they would team up on Lewton's great run of B-horror pictures, beginning with Cat People. --Robert Horton
Description
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...." Charles Dickens' tale of love and tumult during the French Revolution comes to the screen in a sumptuous film version by the producer famed for nurturing sprawling literary works: David O. Selznick (David Copperfield, Anna Karenina, Gone with the Wind). Ronald Colman (The Prisoner of Zenda) stars as Sydney Carton ? sardonic, dissolute, a wastrel...and destined to redeem himself in an act of courageous sacrifice. "It's a far, far better thing I do than I've ever done," Carton muses at that defining moment. This is far, far better filmmaking, too: a Golden Era marvel of uncanny performances top to bottom, eye-filling crowd scenes (the storming of the Bastille, thronged courtrooms, an eerie festival of public execution) and lasting emotional power. Revolution is in the air! DVD Features:
Other:Oscar?-Nominated Short Audioscopicks 2 Classic Cartoons: Hey, Hey Fever and Honeyland Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show Adaptation Starring Colman
Theatrical Trailer
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
Greatest Version of A Tale of Two Cities Ever! July 16, 2008
This movie is by far the best of A Tale of Two Cities. It was made by the great MGM studios and David O. Selznick the same year and about the same time that they made David Copperfield was. I can only imagine how fun it must been creating these two wonderful films on the backlot at the same time. Many of the same character actors are in both pictures. This picture is the one I prefer. After all it has the wonderful Ronald Colman as the charismatic Sydney. How could Lucy prefer Charles over him? Ok, I know that Sydney drinks but he has style! I personally prefer this film over the book but don't tell anyone. Ok?!
A Tale of Two Cities June 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Perhaps the line "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." shall echo in the recesses of my mind forever and always make me long for such a wonderful opening to a book as Charles Dickens did with his masterpiece "A Tale of Two Cities". However; if the book didn't enthrall me enough the 1935 movie absolutely glued me to this tale of heroism by an ordinary but incredible man. The ability exhibited in this movie to bring such vivid images to the screen like Madame Defarge knitting as royalties heads are lopped off are incredible. Add to that the scene when Ronald Coleman recites his "It's a far, far better thing I do, ..., far better rest that I go to". If you don't have tear jerking at your cheek I think perhaps you should join the Defarge knitting club. I shouldn't be surprised though with David O. Selznick at the helm of the production and John Conway directing. It is a masterpiece of a movie that I think even Dickens would have stamped his seal of approval on. I highly recommend this movie to bring the book alive for you. Excellent DVD with great replayability. If you enjoyed this, catch "Great Expectations"(1947) and "The Scarlet Pimpernel"(1935). - C. Luster
Tale of Two Cities May 30, 2008
Excellent performance by actors especially Ronald Colman, Blanch Yurka and Basil Rathbone. Great story based on historic facts
 the real gold is near the end of this movie December 18, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
this movie has a lot of good features, but the end of this movie is pure gold. a sweet young girl gets caught up in the french revolution and ronald coleman who has already sacrificed his life for the love of a woman, then sacrifices his last moments to ease the pain of this innocent woman who is so terrified, that only ronald coleman could help her through it, and in so doing helps us to see how noble man is, and how great movies can be.
"a far better thing I do" July 29, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
One of the great classics of old Hollywood and perhaps the greatest film version of any of Dicken's works (and there have been many fine ones!!).
When people say they don't make them like that anymore they are or should be referring to a film like this.
Ronald Colman gives a superb perfomance in this moving tale of injustice, revolution, rage, vengence, love and sacrifice. You MUST see this movie!!
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