Themes: Haunted By the Past, Unrequited Love, Rags To Riches
Main Cast: Joss Ackland, Margaret Leighton, James Mason, Michael York, Sarah Miles
Release Year: 1974
Country: UK
Run Time: 124 minutes
Plot
This third talking-picture version of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations stars Michael York as Pip, the humble British lad whose aspirations to become a gentleman are financed by a mysterious benefactor. We first see young Pip (played by Simon Gipps-Kent) coming to the aid of escaped convict Magwitch (James Mason). Once this episode has apparently run its course, we find Pip the guest of the wealthy, reclusive, half-mad Miss Havisham (Margaret Leighton), and the worshipper-from-afar of Havisham's snooty niece Estella (played as both a teenager and an adult by Sarah Miles--breaking the usual cinematic tradition of casting two actresses in the role). This brief exposure to the finer things in life leads Pip on the winding road to betterment, with a few surprises in store for him. Great Expectations premiered November 22, 1974, as a Bell System Family Theatre presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Alan Tomkins - Art Director, Joseph Hardy - Director, Bill Butler - Editor, Maurice Jarre - Composer (Music Score), Norman Sachs - Songwriter, Mel Mondel - Songwriter, Freddie Young - Cinematographer, Robert Fryer - Producer, Johnny Goodman - Producer, Sherman Yellen - Screenwriter, Charles Dickens - Book Author
