A Tale of Two Cities

Jack Conway's 1935 adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities is often regarded as the finest film of the classic novel. Set during the French Revolution, the story revolves around two men -- English lawyer Sydney Carton (Ronald Colman) and French aristocrat Charles Darnay (Donald Woods) -- who share similar looks and a love for the same girl, Lucie Manette (Elizabeth Allan). In London Lucie marries Darnay, whose uncle, Marquis St. Evremonde (Basil Rathbone), is one of the most despised men in France. After St. Evremonde shows no concern for a young boy trampled by the Marquis' horse, the boy's father kills him, sparking a revolution. Darnay is persuaded to return to Paris, where he is arrested and sentenced to death. Still in love with Lucie, yet realizing his love will remain unrequited, Carton agrees to take Darnay's place on death row. Built entirely on a soundstage, the production orchestrated by producer David A. Selznick vividly captures France -- particularly Paris and the Bastille -- with its detailed photography and was an enormous success, earning Academy award nominations for Best Picture and Best Editing. The film also marks the film debut of stage star Blanche Yurka as Madame DeFarge. During the '80s, A Tale Of Two Cities was shown in a computer-colorized edition.