A Tale of Two Cities ( 1935 film ) - wikipedia A Tale of Two Cities ( 1935 film ) A Tale of Two Cities 1935 US Theatrical Poster Directed by Jack Conway Produced by David O. Selznick Written by W.P. Lipscomb ( screenplay ) S.N. Behrman Based on A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Starring Ronald Colman Elizabeth Allan Music by Herbert Stothart Cinematography Oliver T. Marsh Edited by Conrad A. Nervig Distributed by Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer Release date December 27, 1935 ( 1935 - 12 - 27 ) Running time 123 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $1,232,000 Box office $2.3 million ( worldwide rentals ) A Tale of Two Cities is a 1935 film based upon Charles Dickens ' 1859 historical novel, A Tale of Two Cities set in London and Paris. The film stars Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton, Donald Woods and Elizabeth Allan. The supporting players include Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone, Claude Gillingwater, Edna May Oliver and Blanche Yurka. It was directed by Jack Conway from a screenplay by W.P. Lipscomb and S.N. Behrman. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Film Editing. The story is set in the French Revolution and deals with two men who are alike, not only in appearance, but in their love for the same woman. The film is generally regarded as the best cinematic version of Dickens ' novel. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Reception 3.1 Critical reception 3.2 Accolades 4 References 5 External links Plot On the eve of the French Revolution, Lucie Manette ( Elizabeth Allan ) is informed that her father ( Henry B. Walthall ) is not dead, but has been a prisoner in the Bastille for many long years before finally being released. She travels to Paris to take her father to her home in England. Dr. Manette has been taken care of by a friend, Ernest Defarge ( Mitchell Lewis ), and his wife ( Blanche Yurka ). The old man 's mind has given way during his long ordeal, but Lucie 's tender care begins to restore his sanity. On the trip across the English Channel, Lucie meets Charles Darnay ( Donald Woods ), a French aristocrat who, unlike his unfeeling uncle, the Marquis de St. Evremonde ( Basil Rathbone ), is sympathetic to the plight of the downtrodden French masses. Darnay is framed for treason, but is saved by the cleverness of the dissolute lawyer Sydney Carton ( Ronald Colman ). Carton goes drinking with Barsad ( Walter Catlett ), the main prosecution witness, and tricks him into admitting that he lied. When Barsad is called to testify, he is horrified to discover that Carton is one of the defense attorneys and grudgingly allows that he might have been mistaken. Darnay is released. Carton is thanked by Lucie, who had been a witness at the trial. He quickly falls in love with her, but realizes it is hopeless. Lucie eventually marries Darnay, and they have a daughter. By this time, the Reign of Terror has engulfed France. The long - suffering commoners vent their fury on the aristocrats, condemning scores daily to Madame Guillotine. Darnay is tricked into returning to Paris and arrested. Dr. Manette pleads for mercy for his son - in - law, but Madame Defarge, seeking revenge against all the Evremondes, regardless of guilt or innocence, convinces the tribunal to sentence him to death with a letter Dr. Manette wrote exposing the guilt of Darnay 's uncle, Marquis de St. Evremonde. While trying to comfort the family, Carton knows that they are themselves in grave danger. When Lorry tries to convince him otherwise, Carton tells him that he is aware that Madame Defarge will stop at nothing just to get the vengeance she craves for. This is evident when Carton noticed her behavior in having the Vengeance give Lucie 's daughter a miniature guillotine during their trip at Defarge 's and which he confiscated. He comes up with a desperate rescue plan to stop her. He first persuades Lucie and her friends to leave Paris by promising to save Darnay. Next he confronts an old acquaintance, Barsad, now an influential man in the French government, to enable him to visit Darnay in jail. When he refuses to cooperate, Carton blackmails him into doing what he asks by threatening to reveal his secret about being a paid spy for the Marquis to the tribunal if he does n't allow him to see Darnay. There, Carton drugs the prisoner unconscious, switches places with him, and finishes the letter to Lucie to be put in his jacket pocket. Barsad and the guard has Darnay carried out to be reunited with his family. Madame Defarge, her thirst for vengeance still unsatisfied, goes to have Lucie and her daughter arrested, only to find that they have fled with Dr. Manette. When she finds out they 're gone after searching the rooms, Madame Defarge tries to flee. She is confronted by Miss Pross ( Edna May Oliver ), Lucie 's devoted servant who locks her inside in an attempt to prevent her from warning the populace. In the ensuing struggle, Madame Defarge is killed by Miss Pross. She clutches her ear and runs from the scene. Meanwhile, only a condemned seamstress ( Isabel Jewell ) notices Carton 's substitution, but keeps quiet. She draws comfort in his heroism as they ride in the same cart to the execution place. As the camera rises just before the blade falls, Carton 's voice is heard, saying, `` It 's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It 's a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known. '' Cast Ronald Colman as Sydney Carton. Colman had long wanted to play Sydney Carton on film. He was even willing to shave off his moustache. Elizabeth Allan as Lucie Manette Edna May Oliver as Miss Pross Reginald Owen as Stryver Basil Rathbone as Marquis de St. Evremonde Blanche Yurka as Madame Therese Defarge Henry B. Walthall as Dr. Manette Donald Woods as Charles Darnay Walter Catlett as Barsad Claude Gillingwater as Jarvis Lorry H.B. Warner as Gabelle Fritz Leiber as Gaspard Lucille La Verne as The Vengeance Mitchell Lewis as Ernest Defarge Isabel Jewell as the Seamstress Tully Marshall as a Woodcutter Fay Chaldecott as Lucie Darnay, a child Billy Bevan as Jerry Cruncher Eily Malyon as Mrs. Cruncher Donald Haines as Jerry Cruncher, Jr. E.E. Clive as Judge in Old Bailey Robert Warwick as Judge at tribunal Lawrence Grant as a Prosecutor Ralf Harolde as a Prosecutor John Davidson as Morveau Tom Ricketts as Tellson, Jr. Barlowe Borland as Jacques Faye Chaldecott is the last surviving cast member. Reception Critical reception Andre Sennwald wrote in the New York Times of December 26, 1935 : `` Having given us ' David Copperfield ', Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer now heaps up more Dickensian magic with a prodigally stirring production of ' A Tale of Two Cities '... For more than two hours it crowds the screen with beauty and excitement, sparing nothing in its recital of the Englishmen who were caught up in the blood and terror of the French Revolution... The drama achieves a crisis of extraordinary effectiveness at the guillotine, leaving the audience quivering under its emotional sledge - hammer blows... Ronald Colman gives his ablest performance in years as Sydney Carton and a score of excellent players are at their best in it... Only Donald Woods 's Darnay is inferior, an unpleasant study in juvenile virtue. It struck me, too, that Blanche Yurka was guilty of tearing an emotion to tatters in the rôle of Madame Defarge... you can be sure that ' A Tale of Two Cities ' will cause a vast rearranging of ten - best lists. '' Accolades The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists : 2003 : AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains : The Marquis de St. Evremonde -- Nominated Villain References ^ Jump up to : Glancy, H. Mark `` When Hollywood Loved Britain : The Hollywood ' British ' Film 1939 -- 1945 '' ( Manchester University Press, 1999 ) Jump up ^ Quirk, Lawrence, The Films of Ronald Colman. Lyle Stuart, 1979. Jump up ^ Sennwald, Andre ( December 26, 1935 ). `` Ronald Colman in ' A Tale of Two Cites, ' at the Capitol -- ' If You Could Only Cook. ' ''. New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2009. Jump up ^ `` AFI 's 100 Years... 100 Heroes & Villains Nominees '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 06. External links A Tale of Two Cities at the TCM Movie Database A Tale of Two Cities on IMDb A Tale of Two Cities at AllMovie A Tale of Two Cities Starring Ronald Colman Tribute site : synopsis, images and list of actors. hide Films directed by Jack Conway The Penitentes ( 1915 ) Her Decision ( 1918 ) You Ca n't Believe Everything ( 1918 ) The Servant in the House ( 1921 ) Across the Dead - Line ( 1922 ) Step on It ! ( 1922 ) The Prisoner ( 1923 ) Lucretia Lombard ( 1923 ) The Only Thing ( 1925 ) Soul Mates ( 1925 ) Brown of Harvard ( 1926 ) The Understanding Heart ( 1927 ) Twelve Miles Out ( 1927 ) Bringing Up Father ( 1928 ) The Smart Set ( 1928 ) While the City Sleeps ( 1928 ) Alias Jimmy Valentine ( 1928 ) Our Modern Maidens ( 1929 ) Untamed ( 1929 ) They Learned About Women ( 1930 ) The Unholy Three ( 1930 ) New Moon ( 1930 ) The Easiest Way ( 1931 ) Just a Gigolo ( 1931 ) But the Flesh Is Weak ( 1932 ) Red - Headed Woman ( 1932 ) Hell Below ( 1933 ) The Solitaire Man ( 1933 ) The Nuisance ( 1933 ) Viva Villa ! ( 1934 ) The Girl from Missouri ( 1934 ) The Gay Bride ( 1934 ) One New York Night ( 1935 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1935 ) Libeled Lady ( 1936 ) Saratoga ( 1937 ) A Yank at Oxford ( 1938 ) Too Hot to Handle ( 1938 ) Lady of the Tropics ( 1939 ) Boom Town ( 1940 ) Love Crazy ( 1941 ) Honky Tonk ( 1941 ) Crossroads ( 1942 ) Assignment in Brittany ( 1943 ) Dragon Seed ( 1944 ) High Barbaree ( 1947 ) The Hucksters ( 1947 ) Julia Misbehaves ( 1948 ) hide Charles Dickens ' A Tale of Two Cities Characters Sydney Carton Lucie Manette Charles Darnay Alexandre Manette Monsieur Ernest Defarge Madame Thérèse Defarge Jarvis Lorry Miss Pross Marquis St. Evrémonde John Barsad Jerry Cruncher Stryver The Seamstress Film A Tale of Two Cities ( 1911 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1917 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1922 ) The Only Way ( 1927 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1935 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1958 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 1980 ) Musicals Two Cities ( 2006 ) A Tale of Two Cities ( 2007 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Tale_of_Two_Cities_(1935_film)&oldid=839192267 '' Categories : 1935 films English - language films American films American historical films American black - and - white films Films based on A Tale of Two Cities Films directed by Jack Conway Films directed by Robert Z. Leonard 1930s historical films 1930s romantic drama films Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer films Films set in London Films set in Paris American romantic drama films Films produced by David O. Selznick Films scored by Herbert Stothart Hidden categories : Film articles using image size parameter Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Deutsch Ελληνικά فارسی Français Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 1 May 2018, at 21 : 33. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who starred in a tale of two cities
Answer: Ronald Colman