Charles Dickens

Which other authors do you enjoy? Discuss them here.
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Courtenay »

Could be, BB - and since by then there happened to be a very famous and popular author with that name, it might have added extra weight to the expression.
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Moonraker »

Domino wrote:Pete, I wasn't a judge, or a barrister, or a solicitor, but what they call a paralegal
My son is a paralegal! He works for Westfield, and is currently taking exams to become a qualified solicitor. Image
Society Member
User avatar
burlingtonbertram
Posts: 971
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 15:46
Location: **CLASSIFIED**

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by burlingtonbertram »

I watched half an hour of "Scrooge" this afternoon; the black and white, Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol". It's now a real period piece in itself and I'm not referring to the events that it is depicting. It was made in 1951 so that is 63 years ago. It's equidistant between the present day and Jack the Ripper's London.
"The days are long, but the years are short"
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I haven't seen that for years, but I'd like to watch it again. A couple of years ago I bought a DVD of that film from a charity shop for 10p, but when I got home I discovered the DVD was damaged and wouldn't play. I suppose I ought to stop being a "Scrooge" and fork out a bit more for a decent copy!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Julie2owlsdene
Posts: 15244
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 20:15
Favourite book/series: F.F. and Mystery Series - Five get into Trouble
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Cornwall

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

We always watch Scrooge, with Alistair Sim on Christmas Eve. It's a really great black and white film, and sets us up for the festive cheer. We also like to watch The Signal Man too. :)

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

Society Member
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Moonraker »

We watch both of those as well, every year. Also White Christmas! :D
Society Member
User avatar
Wolfgang
Posts: 3121
Joined: 06 Apr 2008, 05:26
Favourite book/series: The children at Green Meadows/Adventure-series
Favourite character: Fatty
Location: Germany

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Wolfgang »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:I haven't seen that for years, but I'd like to watch it again. A couple of years ago I bought a DVD of that film from a charity shop for 10p, but when I got home I discovered the DVD was damaged and wouldn't play. I suppose I ought to stop being a "Scrooge" and fork out a bit more for a decent copy!
Can you see optical damage? If there are scratches or dust/dirt on the silvery side, you might carefully wash it with water and dry/polish it with a soft cloth. If the damage is on the coloured side so you can see through holes, the DVD is beyond repair because the laser wont' reflect any longer.
Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks, Wolfgang, but as far as I remember the DVD was visibly quite badly damaged so I didn't keep it.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
burlingtonbertram
Posts: 971
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 15:46
Location: **CLASSIFIED**

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by burlingtonbertram »

I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" on TV the other day (1946, James Stewart). It's a real Christmas classic. It struck me for the first time though that it could well be influenced by Dickens "A Christmas Carol".

The main protagonist is George Bailey; a well meaning and much put upon man. The difference between the two stories is that here the tale is told through the Bob Cratchitesque character Bailey.

The villain is Henry Potter - a mean, grasping, joyless man. Okay, Scrooge was the protagonist in his tale and Potter isn't; nonetheless, he is a very pivotal character.

George Bailey gets Clarence the Angel. Scrooge gets the undead Jacob Marley and three ghosts.

Both tales have a back story with the crucial events then occurring during a long, dark night of the soul.

Scrooge is shown the world he has influenced. George Bailey gets to see the world as if he had not existed to influence it.

Scrooge is shown his own tombstone. Bailey is shown the tombstone of his brother as if he had not lived to rescue him at a young age.

It seems to me that there are quite a few parallels, unless I am attempting to shoehorn them in. What do you reckon?
"The days are long, but the years are short"
User avatar
Farwa
Posts: 1341
Joined: 08 Jul 2014, 10:31
Favourite book/series: The Secret Island/Adventure Series/Famous Five
Favourite character: Anne Kirrin/Peggy
Location: In my imagination

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Farwa »

Yes, I've watched "A Wonderful Life" too, but I never noticed any such resemblance - but then, sometimes stories are similar, but are not intended to be copied. It was a wonderful film though, wasn't it?
Last edited by Farwa on 18 Feb 2015, 14:18, edited 1 time in total.
A day spent without a smile is a day lost.
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I agree that It's a Wonderful Life might well have been influenced by A Christmas Carol, BurlingtonBertram. Even though it's a 1940s film, I didn't see it until I was an adult. It reminded me very much of another film I saw on TV as a child, in which a woman despairs of her life and wants to die. An angel also appears to her and takes her back through past events to show her how different things would have been for others without her positive influence. The film was in colour and I think I watched it when I was about nine or ten, so that would be around 1979 or 1980. I recall that the woman looked a bit like Karen Carpenter, with longish dark hair, and that there was snow in the story. Anyone happen to know the title?
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
burlingtonbertram
Posts: 971
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 15:46
Location: **CLASSIFIED**

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by burlingtonbertram »

Farwa wrote:Yes, I've watched "A Wonderful Life" too, but I never noticed any such resemblance - but then, sometimes stories are similar, but are not intended to be copied. It was a wonderful movie though, wasn't it?
I agree it isn't a direct copy or anything but I think there is a strong influence there. Anyway, whatever the inspiration, you're right, t is a wonderful Christmas classic.

Sorry Anita; that film doesn't ring a bell with me.
"The days are long, but the years are short"
User avatar
shadow
Posts: 1471
Joined: 30 Mar 2009, 22:25
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery / Mary Pollock / Adventure Series
Favourite character: Kiki / Loony
Location: Midlands, England

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by shadow »

Found a film using Google called It Happened One Christmas, could this be it Anita?
If I could live here on this secret island always and always and always, and never grow up at all, I would be quite happy
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks very much, Su - you're a wonder and a marvel! :D It Happened One Christmas is indeed the film I remember!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
burlingtonbertram
Posts: 971
Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 15:46
Location: **CLASSIFIED**

Re: Charles Dickens

Post by burlingtonbertram »

Darn! Missed "The Pickwick Papers" on an obscure channel this morning. It was the great 1952 version with James Hayter. I suspect it was originally black and white because the colours are lovely but so delicate and unreal, almost like water-colours. Hayter was perfect as Pickwick, Harry Fowler put in a good turn as Sam Weller, with Nigel Patrick stealing his scenes as the lovable scoundrel Mr Jingle, with his clipped way of talking.

Wish I'd known it was on but no doubt the channel will repeat it ad nauseam over the coming month.
"The days are long, but the years are short"
Post Reply