Les Misérables ***** (1935, Charles Laughton, Fredric March, Cedric Hardwicke) – Classic Movie Review 3148

Charles Laughton gives an outstanding, surprisingly controlled performance as the sneering, over-law-abiding cop Inspector Javert in director Richard Boleslawski’s fine, meticulously compressed 1935 screen version of the Victor Hugo tale. Fredric March is also admirable as the hounded hero Jean Valjean and Cedric Hardwicke as Bishop Myriel in this oft-filmed yarn of social injustice and despair.

With four Oscar nominations, there is a great deal to admire in all departments, with especially impressive black and white cinematography by Gregg Toland, screenplay by W P Lipscomb, production designs and direction. John Beal and Rochelle Hudson are dull as the young lovers Marius and Cosette, but this isn’t about them and otherwise it is a stupendous film, perhaps still the best of all the many movie versions.

The plot basically follows Hugo’s novel but there are a lot of changes, many of which can also be found in later adaptations.

It also stars Marilyn Knowlden as Young Cosette, Florence Eldridge as Fantine, Frances Drake as Éponine, John Carradine as Enjolras, Vernon Downing as Brissac, and Ferdinand Gottschalk and Jane Kerr as the Thénardiers.

Also in the cast are Jessie Ralph, Leonid Kinskey, Eily Maylon, Lyons Wickland, Harry Semels, Mary Forbes and Florence Roberts.

It was nominated for the 1936 Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Assistant Director and Best Film Editing Oscars, and the National Board of Review named it the sixth best film of 1935. It was Twentieth Century Pictures last film before it merged with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3148

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com