A sincere,but atrociously acted and flatly staged film version of the book, with no authentic period flavor whatsoever. Dickie Moore is so syrupy sweet you want to slap him; Irving Pichel tries very hard but is just adequate as Fagin, as is Doris Lloyd as Nancy, but William (Stage) Boyd acts as if he thought he were doing one of those corny silent melodramas. Lionel Belmore (not to be confused with Lionel Barrymore) gives a very stereotypical performance as Mr. Bumble, and nobody else makes any kind of an impression whatever.
An embarrassment to the memory of a great author, and especially so when compared with so many other Dickens films.
An embarrassment to the memory of a great author, and especially so when compared with so many other Dickens films.