A TALE OF TWO CITIES

This classic tale of the French Revolution has been filmed many times. One of the best versions is the 1958 one with Dirk Bogarde as Sydney Carton. Director Ralph Thomas assembled a cast of the cream of British actors including Cecil Parker as a banker, Stephen Murray as Dr Manette and Dorothy Tutin as Sydney Carton’s love interest.

But most of the acting honours go to an actress in one of her first screen roles, Marie Versini as the young servant girl who becomes a victim of Madame Guillotine, a role that surely deserved an award. Donald Pleasence is his usual slimy self as a spy, Christopher Lee plays a sadistic aristocrat as to the manner born and Duncan Lamont, one of the stalwarts of British films of the period really makes his mark as one of the leaders of the revolution.

Look out for a really stand-out performance from the veteran actress Rosalie Crutchley as a vengeful wife. What can we say about Dirk Bogarde except that he brings his very own kind of lazy charm and nonchalance to the role of Sydney Carton.

Good, but the film does not surpass the 1935 version with Ronald Colman in the leading role.