DICKENS ON THE SCREEN

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 98, 19 January 1935, Page 24

DICKENS ON THE SCREEN

Two Classic Interpretations (By John Storm.) “Great Expectations” offers so much of drama, romance, mystery and even poetry that it must give pause to the less devout lovers of Dickens. Minus the old-fashioned sektiment.al air of the “dust covers” ol‘ mauv ( of his works, 1 think the bvok was a liappj choice for a screen adaptation. The cast for the .picture is almost equally happy, more particularly in the choice of George Breakstone for Pip the younger, and Henry Hull of the New York stage for Jlaiiwieh. From his opening scene as the escaning convict of the hulks to his last triumph in the murky waters of the Thames, this overpowering personality commands the whole picture. He is one of those character actors, who, like Charles Laughton, can make himself up so as to be unrecognisable. He flings himself into tlie grotesaueries of his first appearance in the film with Caliban-like opulence. If he allowed us a moment to think we might utter philosophical asides to ourselves. “Thus did our prison systems of the sixties create tragedies, and our own are so little better.” But we do not pause to think, we cannot take oureyes off him. His acting is at full tide and would break and turn and flow out if it were tlie least tbought stronger. But it is not overdone. Henry Hull knows his own power. George Breakstone, that consummate little actor, as Pip, is sitting among tlie tombs addressing himself to his lost brothers and sisters according to his daily custom.' The child is as real as he was in “No Greater Glory,” which he and the director, Frank Borzage, made one of the notable pictures of last year. He is talking with pathetic affection when 'the terrifying vision meets his eyes. A half human creature attached by the foot to an immense ball of metal clutches his shoulders and the child is transformed. Very soon the timidest little boy in the world must rush home, neither to beg nor to borrow, but. to steal from his explosive sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, the blacksmith’s wife. He must find a file to separate the metal from the man, find food and drink and bring them back to him. Varying emotions pass over the face of the young Breakstone, which expresses with uncanny knowledge the feelings and the life of an orphan. Tlie file is found, the food and drink are brought, but all of no avail, as soon sifter come the hayings of the bloodhounds through tlie fog, and with them the soldiers. Alan Hale, remembered for his wonderful performance us Lammchen’s fairy godfather in “Little Man What Now?” then appears as the perfect Joe Gargery. With a comforting arm round the boy’s shoulder tlie two watch sorrowfully tlie re-capture. Thence to the house of mystery and dear Miss Havisham, just a little more human than Dickens painted iter—we cannot help liking iter, almost we cannot help joining in her game! There are some scenes of the adoring Pip and the scornful little Estella. They grow up and Adele . . and Phillips Holmes take the earlier couple’s place. We sigh for the loss of them. Though the little boy lias a slight accent that reminds us of the very new, v.ery moneyed, very untraditioned U.S.A., even before lie lias finished his first words, he has carried us beyond tlie realm of speech at all. He is just “the.child in the world.” He is just humanity, perfect in his art! The whole picture is very sympathetic. The two young men in London, tlie grown up Pip and his friend—all their money aiid all their fripperies cannot conceal all tlie fine stuff underneath. Through it all there is the mysterious unseen presence of Magwieh. When at last he materializes again, the play is complete with a picture of tlie tragic sixties. The florid man of substance from Australia bears scald marks on his spirit though ills heart is as a lamp before a shrine. Henry Hull makes bis interpretation a classic.