Radio Theater: Orson Welles in A Tale of Two Cities (7/25/1938)

A Tale of Two Cities

Starring: Orson Welles, Mary Taylor, Edgar Barrier, Martin Gabel, Frank Readick, Betty Garde, Erskine Sanford, Ray Collins, Kenneth Delmar

Year: July 25, 1938

My Rating: ★★★

Available free from Indiana University Bloomington

This review will be quite brief.

I have listened to this radio play at least a half a dozen times, but it still confuses me. I partially blame my confusion on Mr. Welles' adaptation that feels a bit jumpy, but also on my having never read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. My unfamiliarity with the story makes it hard for me to focus and if I have just a few minutes where my mind wanders, which always seems to happen, well, that's the end. And I spend the rest of the play struggling to keep up.

All I do know is that it is a very condensed version of Dickens' novel. It has to be or they could never fit the story into an hour. 

Go to my Classic Hollywood page to find all my Classic Hollywood reviews!

Orson Welles gives a stellar performance as both Dr. Alexandre Manette and Sydney Carton, two men who are alike in appearance and voice but in no other way. My brain disengages about 10 minutes in and re-engages about 15 minutes from the end when I realize that Dr. Manette is about to be executed during the French Revolution and Sydney Carton, a man who has never done anything for anyone, decides to take his place. The final several minutes are very moving and fit well into my expectations of Orson Welles' emoting abilities.

The only reason I've listened to this radio play so many times is because it is the first play in my complete Audible collection of Orson Welles' plays. I forget that every single time and am simply too lazy to skip ahead. I must keep hoping that the story will someday click in my brain. Alas, it hasn't happened quite yet.

However, if you are familiar with Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, then I have no doubt you will enjoy the radio play.