Great Expectations (1946)
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- Approved
- 1h 58min
- Adventure, Drama
- 22 May 1947 (USA)
- Movie
A humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| John Mills | ... |
Pip
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| Tony Wager | ... |
Young Pip
(as Anthony Wager)
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| Valerie Hobson | ... |
Estella
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| Jean Simmons | ... |
Young Estella
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| Bernard Miles | ... |
Joe Gargery
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| Francis L. Sullivan | ... |
Mr. Jaggers
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| Finlay Currie | ... |
Magwitch
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| Martita Hunt | ... |
Miss Havisham
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| Alec Guinness | ... |
Herbert Pocket
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| Ivor Barnard | ... |
Mr. Wemmick
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| Freda Jackson | ... |
Mrs.Joe
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| Eileen Erskine | ... |
Biddy
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| George Hayes | ... |
Convict
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| Hay Petrie | ... |
Uncle Pumblechook
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John Forrest | ... |
The Pale Young Gentleman
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| Torin Thatcher | ... |
Bentley Drummle
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| O.B. Clarence | ... |
The Aged Parent
(as O. B. Clarence)
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John Burch | ... |
Mr. Wopsle
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| Richard George | ... |
The Sergeant
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Grace Denbeigh-Russell | ... |
Mrs. Wopsle
(as Grace Denbigh-Russell)
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| Everley Gregg | ... |
Sarah Pocket
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Anne Holland | ... |
Relation
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| Frank Atkinson | ... |
Mike
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Gordon Begg | ... |
Night Porter
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| Edie Martin | ... |
Mrs. Whimple
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Walford Hyden | ... |
The Dancing Master
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Roy Arthur | ... |
Galley Steersman
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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John Adams | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Howard Lang | ... |
Man Sitting Next to Pip at Magwitch's Trial (uncredited)
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| Jack May | ... |
Ostler (uncredited)
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| Milo O'Shea | ... |
Condemned criminal (uncredited)
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Ernie Pratt | ... |
Police Officer in Boat (uncredited)
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Bert Simms | ... |
Judge's Assistant (uncredited)
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Directed by
| David Lean | ||
Written by
| Charles Dickens | ... | (by) |
| David Lean | ... | (adapted for the screen by) & |
| Ronald Neame | ... | (adapted for the screen by) & |
| Anthony Havelock-Allan | ... | (adapted for the screen by) |
| Kay Walsh | ... | (adapted for the screen with) |
| Cecil McGivern | ... | (adapted for the screen with) |
Produced by
| Anthony Havelock-Allan | ... | executive producer |
| Ronald Neame | ... | producer (produced by) |
Music by
| Walter Goehr | ||
Cinematography by
| Guy Green | ... | (photographed by) |
Editing by
| Jack Harris | ||
Editorial Department
| John Cooke | ... | second assistant editor (uncredited) |
| Margery Saunders | ... | assistant editor (uncredited) |
Casting By
| Pat MacDonnell | ... | (uncredited) |
| Adele Raymond | ... | (uncredited) |
| Maude Spector | ... | (uncredited) |
Production Design by
| John Bryan | ||
Art Direction by
| Wilfred Shingleton | ||
Set Decoration by
| Erik Blakemore | ||
Costume Design by
| Sophie Devine | ... | (costumes designed by) (as Sophia Harris of Motley) |
Makeup Department
| George Blackler | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ernest Gasser | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Norman Spencer | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| George Pollock | ... | assistant director |
| Eric Braun | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
| Philip Shipway | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
| Chick Simpson | ... | third assistant director (uncredited) |
| Victor Wark | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| John Elphick | ... | chief assistant art director (uncredited) |
| Bill Holmes | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
| T. Hopewell Ash | ... | draughtsman (uncredited) |
| William Hutchinson | ... | assistant art director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Bill Cook | ... | boom operator |
| Stanley Lambourne | ... | sound recordist |
| Gordon K. McCallum | ... | sound recordist (as Gordon K.McCallum) |
| Winston Ryder | ... | sound editor |
| Gerry Crampton | ... | sound assistant (uncredited) |
| Bill Daniels | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
| John Dennis | ... | production sound mixer (uncredited) |
| Desmond Dew | ... | sound recordist (uncredited) |
| Fred Goodes | ... | sound camera operator (uncredited) |
| Charles Knott | ... | maintenance engineer (uncredited) |
| John W. Mitchell | ... | sound effects recordist (uncredited) |
| George Paternoster | ... | boom operator (uncredited) |
| Jack Slade | ... | assistant sound editor (uncredited) |
| J.B. Smith | ... | dubbing crew (uncredited) |
| C.C. Stevens | ... | production sound mixer (uncredited) |
Visual Effects by
| Les Bowie | ... | matte painter (uncredited) |
| Syd Howell | ... | back projection (uncredited) |
| Douglas Woolsey | ... | models (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Robert Huke | ... | camera operator (as Nigel Huke) |
| Jim Body | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
| Peter Davies | ... | music sound camera (uncredited) |
| John Godar | ... | focus puller (uncredited) |
| Tony Hermes | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
| Alan Hume | ... | second camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
| Arthur Ibbetson | ... | camera operator: second unit (uncredited) |
| Skeets Kelly | ... | second camera operator (uncredited) |
| Robert Krasker | ... | director of photography: second unit (uncredited) |
| Kelvin Pike | ... | clapper loader: second unit (uncredited) |
| Henry Slagter | ... | clapper loader (uncredited) |
| Cyril Stanborough | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Ernest Steward | ... | director of photography: second unit (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Margaret Furse | ... | costumes designer: assisted by |
Location Management
| John Alderson | ... | location manager (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Walter Goehr | ... | conductor |
| Roy Douglas | ... | additional orchestrator (uncredited) |
| John Huntley | ... | music technician (uncredited) |
| Kenneth Pakeman | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Maggie Unsworth | ... | continuity (as Margaret Sibley) |
| Yvonne Axworthy | ... | script supervisor: second unit (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Suria Magito | ... | dances arranged by |
| J. Arthur Rank | ... | presenter (as J.Arthur Rank) |
| Bernard Coote | ... | production accountant (uncredited) |
| Vicky Fuggle | ... | production secretary (uncredited) |
| Martita Hunt | ... | voice: cow (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- General Film Distributors (GFD) (1946) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.) (released through)
- Eagle-Lion Film (1947) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (1947) (United States) (theatrical) (as Universal-International)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1947) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Parvisfilmi (1947) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Gaumont-Eagle Lion (1947) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- J. Arthur Rank Film (1947) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Eagle Lion Film (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Státní Pujcovna Filmu (1947) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
- Przedsiebiorstwo Panstwowe Film Polski (1948) (Poland) (theatrical) (as Film Polski)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1966) (Finland) (tv)
- CBS (1975) (United States) (tv)
- Thorn EMI Video Australia (1985) (Australia) (video)
- TV3 (1987) (Finland) (tv)
- Paramount Pictures (1988) (United States) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (1995) (United States) (video) (laserdisc)
- The Criterion Collection (1999) (United States) (DVD)
- Koch Media (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- British Film Institute (BFI) (2006) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
- Modern Times (2009) (Greece) (DVD)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Divisa Home Video (2012) (Spain) (DVD)
- Research Entertainment (2014) (Spain) (video)
- ARTE Mediathek (2021) (France) (video) (VoD)
- ARTE Mediathek (2021) (Germany) (video) (VoD)
- ARTE (2021) (Germany) (tv)
- ARTE (2021) (France) (tv)
- Pidax Film (2021) (Germany) (DVD)
- Premium Cine (2021) (Spain) (video)
- ARTE (2022) (France) (tv)
- Hallmark Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
- Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment (United States) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- BFI National Archive (a restoration by)
- Granada International (a restoration by)
- National Symphony Orchestra (musical score with)
- The David Lean Foundation (a restoration funded by)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Pip, a good-natured, gullible young orphan, lives with kind blacksmith Joe Gargery and his bossy, abusive wife "Mrs. Joe". When the boy finds two hidden escaped galley convicts, he obeys under, probably unnecessary, threat of a horrible death to bring the criminals food. He must steal at peril of more caning from the battle-ax. Just when Pip fears to get it really good while they have guests, a soldier comes for Joe who takes Pip along as assistant to work on the chains of the escaped galley-convicts, who are soon caught. The better-natured one takes the blame for the stolen food. Later Pip is invited to became the playmate of Estella, the equally arrogant adoptive daughter of gloomy, filthy rich Miss Havisham at her estate, who actually has "permission" to break the kind kid's heart. Being the only pretty girl he ever saw, she wins his heart forever, even after a mysterious benefactor pays through a lawyer for his education and a rich allowance, so he can become a snob in London, by now "ashamed" of simple Joe. Only after years in idle wealth, Pip learns Havisham is not his benefactor as he assumed, and both her story and those of his real sponsor and Estella. Written by KGF Vissers |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | From the Vivid Pages of Charles Dickens' Masterpiece ! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | GBP350,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Director Sir David Lean wanted his movie to have a feeling of heightened realism. Working closely in conjunction with art director John Bryan and cinematographer Guy Green, he employed several tricks, such as forced perspective, to achieve this effect. The famous opening shot in the graveyard, for instance, features a brooding church in the background, which, in reality, was only three meters (9'10") high. See more » |
| Goofs | At the end, when Pip is persuading Estella to leave Satis House with him, a 'Chad' is clearly visible drawn on the screen behind him (Chads were a popular form of graffiti in the 1940s - a character with a big nose looking over a wall). Chad is a British term; the American equivalent would be Kilroy, as in 'Kilroy was here'. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Moscow in Madrid (1965). See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The identity of the actress playing Molly is never revealed, because this would constitute a spoiler. See more » |
| Quotes |
Pip:
[narrating]
In trying to become a gentleman, I had succeeded in becoming a snob. See more » |