The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

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The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

1947

1h 48m

Drama

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3 Reviews

58%

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100+ Ratings

Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond) must try to support his family now that his father has died. He lands a job working at a school, but doesn't get along with Wackford Squeers (Alfred Drayton), the brutal headmaster he works under. Nicholas eventually flees from the school and reunites with his mother (Mary Merrall) and sister, Kate (Sally Ann Howes). Unfortunately, Nicholas learns that his callous uncle, Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke), has mistreated Kate and his mother, and he must defend their honor.

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

If you like a good Dickens trope, you’ll love this film, which is positively crammed with them.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 13, 2024

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Cavalcanti's adaptation is elegant, atmospheric and successfully captures the author's skewering of corrupt, inhuman social types and the society that breeds them.

Feb 22, 2021

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MFB Critics

Monthly Film Bulletin

Director and adaptor have only partially succeeded in the conjurer's task of getting a quart into a pint pot; and Dickens has proved too generous a creator to be squeezed into 108 minutes of screen time.

Feb 6, 2018

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Steve D

Solid though a bit rushed version.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/24

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Audience Member

Set in nineteenth century England, when Nicholas Nickleby's father dies he leaves his family in the hands of his evil and greedy moneylender brother. Soon enough, upon realising the man's ways, Nicholas begins to rebel against him. Cavalcanti's adaptation of the Dickens novel is perhaps not as adventurous as it should be, given the unholy task of fitting the episodic tale in less than two hours, but apart from a strong first part the film can also be admired for the great work by the cast, most noticeably Hardwicke as the villaneous moneylender.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

A solid, though not exceptional, Dickens adaptation. Tips a bit too far into the melodramatic at times. Character actor Bernard Miles who participated in some of the most excessive melodrama also holds the proceedings together in his sly and engaging supporting role around which the stars wheel.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

Nice Dickens adaptation with the supporting actors injecting a lot of character into their roles and quite rightly so.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

Very good film of Nicholas Nickleby.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

good version of this

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Alberto Cavalcanti

Director

Derek Bond

Nicholas Nickleby

Cedric Hardwicke

Ralph Nickleby

Sybil Thorndike

Mrs. Squeers

Alfred Drayton

Wackford Squeers

Cyril Fletcher

Alfred Mantalini

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Synopsis

Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond) must try to support his family now that his father has died. He lands a job working at a school, but doesn't get along with Wackford Squeers (Alfred Drayton), the brutal headmaster he works under. Nicholas eventually flees from the school and reunites with his mother (Mary Merrall) and sister, Kate (Sally Ann Howes). Unfortunately, Nicholas learns that his callous uncle, Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke), has mistreated Kate and his mother, and he must defend their honor.

Director: Alberto Cavalcanti
Producer: Michael Balcon
Screenwriter: John Dighton
Production Co: Ealing Studios
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2017
Runtime: 1h 48m

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