A Tale of Two Cities (1917 & 1953) (DVD)

A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens' epic tale of tragedy and triumph set against the French Revolution, was tailor-made for the big screen. Hollywood producers were quick to realize this, and the first film version appeared on movie screens as early as 1911. Adaptations of the 1859 novel have followed regularly ever since, with no signs of filmmakers losing interest in what they can bring to Dickens' classic tale.

A Tale Of Two Cities (BW, 1917): This early silent version of A Tale of Two Cities is directed by Frank Lloyd, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of The Divine Lady (1929), Cavalcade (1933), and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). A chance encounter with a school teacher impressed upon the director the responsibility of bringing Dickens' work before a wider audience, so he strove to make his film as faithful as possible to the novel. It is apparent that Lloyd's adaptation is influenced by the work of D.W. Griffith, particularly The Birth of a Nation (1915). Star William Farnum was at the time considered Fox's biggest male box-office draw. He also starred in the original Hollywood versions of The Sign of the Cross (1914) and Les Miserables (1917). His older brother was cowboy star Dustin Farnum.

A Tale Of Two Cities (BW, 1953): During the first weeks of May 1953, the television anthology series The Plymouth Playhouse presented A Tale of Two Cities as a two-part dramatization on ABC. Star Wendell Corey's career included roles in classics like Rear Window (1954), The Big Knife (1955) and The Rainmaker (1956). This extremely rare example of early TV drama was directed by Dik Darley, who is best remembered for directing most of the episodes of the beloved sci-fi children's series Space Patrol (1950-1955). Both episodes are introduced and narrated by character actor Whit Bissell.

• drama