Les Misérables (1935 film)

Les Misérables
Original film poster
Directed by	Richard Boleslawski
Screenplay by	W. P. Lipscomb
Based on	Les Misérables 1862 novel by Victor Hugo
Produced by	Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring	Fredric March
Cinematography	Gregg Toland
Edited by	Barbara McLean
Music by	Alfred Newman
Production company	Twentieth Century Pictures
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	April 20, 1935 (1935-04-20)
Running time	103 minutes (normal), 6 minutes (credits)
Country	United States
Language	English

Les Misérables is a 1935 American drama film starring Fredric March and Charles Laughton based upon the 1862 Victor Hugo novel of the same name. The movie was adapted by W. P. Lipscomb and directed by Richard Boleslawski. This was the last film for Twentieth Century Pictures before it merged with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century-Fox. The plot of the film mostly follows Hugo's novel Les Misérables, but there are many differences.

The film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, the Academy Award for Best Assistant Director, the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. The National Board of Review named the film the sixth best of 1935.

Plot

In 1800, in Favorelles, France, Jean Valjean is sentenced to ten years as a galley slave. Jean's crime was that while he was hungry and out of work, he stole a loaf of bread to feed his sister and her babies. Elsewhere in France, Officer Javert, who has sworn to rise above the class of his father, who died as a prisoner on the galleys, is promoted after he emotionally confides that the book of regulations is his bible and that his creed is that the law must be strictly obeyed.

Sometime later, when a galley slave is trapped under a heavy board, Javert witnesses Jean lift it with his back. After years of imprisonment, Jean, now with long, unkempt hair and beard, is freed and told he must carry a yellow passport and report to police headquarters on a regular basis. He is refused lodging and food by all but Bishop Bienvenue, who, during a rain storm, offers him shelter. Jean steals the bishop's silver plates, but when officers return with him, the bishop states that the plates were a gift.

After he also presents Jean with two silver candlesticks and tells him that life is to give, not to take, Jean leaves with new confidence. Years later, Jean has changed his name to M. Madeleine and, as the owner of a thriving glass factory, is elected mayor. Javert is appointed inspector of police for the district in which Jean lives. Fantine, a former worker at the glass factory, is discharged because of rumors that she had a child out of wedlock. Although she threatens to kill Jean, he prevents Javert from arresting her and goes to bring back her daughter Cosette from the inn in another town where she had been sent to work.

On the way, Jean rescues a man caught under a cart by lifting it with his back. Javert witnesses the rescue and, his suspicions aroused, sends messengers to inquire about Jean. When Javert learns that a man known as Champmathieu has been arrested for not reporting for parole as "Jean Valjean," he confesses his actions to Jean and demands that Jean dismiss him and press charges against him. Jean's refusal greatly disturbs Javert. After Jean goes to Champmathieu's trial and proves that he himself is Jean Valjean, he attempts to give Fantine 20,000 francs to provide for Cosette, but Javert confiscates the money.

When Fantine, who has been seriously ill, dies, Jean throws Javert down and leaves with Cosette for Paris. After changing his identity to M. Duval, Jean puts Cosette into a convent and gets work there as a gardener. Years later, after Cosette's confirmation, she meets Marius Pontmercy, a law student who is protesting for reforms, and they secretly fall in love. Javert, investigating Marius' group, follows Cosette home, and when Jean spies Javert watching them, he starts to pack. As the students' protests escalate into street violence, Jean plans to go with Cosette to England, but when she reveals her love for Marius, Jean responds with anger, jealousy and dismay, for he loves Cosette himself.

To please Jean, for whom she feels undying gratitude, Cosette agrees to go with him. However, when Eponine, who also loves Marius, arrives with a message for Cosette from Marius, who is fighting amid the barricades, Jean sees her selfless love for the boy. Remembering the bishop's words on giving, he goes to help Marius. After the students capture Javert, Jean cannot bring himself to kill him. However, Javert is outraged to be freed by Jean.

Followed by Javert, Jean carries the beaten Marius through the sewers of Paris and escapes. He brings Marius to Cosette and begs Javert, who is waiting in the antechamber, for a moment to say goodbye to her. Although the law does not allow this, Javert complies. After Jean repeats the bishop's creed to Cosette and Marius, Jean says a prayer which Javert overhears. When Jean returns outside, he finds that Javert has dropped his handcuffs and is jumping into the river. Jean then looks up to God.

Cast

Cedric Hardwicke and Fredric March in Les Misérables

• Fredric March as Jean Valjean/Champmathieu
• Charles Laughton as Inspector Émile Javert
• Cedric Hardwicke as Bishop Myriel
• Rochelle Hudson as Cosette
• Marilyn Knowlden as Young Cosette
• Florence Eldridge as Fantine
• John Beal as Marius
• Frances Drake as Éponine
• Ferdinand Gottschalk and Jane Kerr as the Thénardiers
• Vernon Downing as Brissac
• Leonid Kinskey as Genflou
• Ian Maclaren as Head Gardener
• John Carradine as Enjolras
• Heinie Conklin as Drunk at Inn (uncredited)
• Harry Cording as Beam Warder (uncredited)
• Olaf Hytten as Pierre (uncredited)

Differences from the novel

This adaptation made a lot of changes, many of which can also be found in later adaptations:

• Valjean's trial, life as a convict and release are presented chronologically, whereas in the novel, his previous life is presented in flashback. In addition, the novel begins by introducing the bishop, while in the film, he does not appear until Valjean arrives at his door.
• The film begins with Valjean being sentenced in 1800, for ten years, rather than in 1796, for five years.
• While the word "galleys" was still used until the late 19th century to designate the French Bagnios, the actual penalty of sending someone to the galleys was abolished in mid-18th century. The galleys portrayed in this film are an anachronism.
• In the film, Javert is shown being assigned to the galleys and seeing Valjean's display of strength at the beginning. In the novel, he is not introduced until after Valjean has become mayor.
• Javert's first name is given as Émile, while in the novel, it is never given.
• In the film, Valjean's prison number is 2906, while in the novel it is 24601.
• In the novel, Javert is described as a tall man, with a small head, sunken eyes, large sideburns and long hair hanging over his eyes, which differs greatly from Charles Laughton's appearance, and his version of Javert in the film wears different clothes than in the novel.
• Valjean is released after the 10-year sentence, despite mention of an escape attempt. In the novel he spends 19 years in prison, having been given extra time for trying to escape. He still receives a yellow passport, branding him a violent man for his attempts, however.
• In the film, there is no mention of Fantine selling her hair and teeth, or becoming a prostitute, to afford her payments to the Thénardiers. When she confronts Valjean, she does appear to be dressed like a prostitute, but neither Valjean nor Javert make any reference to her clothing.
• In the film, Valjean brings Cosette to Fantine before Fantine dies, while in the novel, Cosette does not meet her mother again, and is not informed of her mother's identity or fate until Valjean is on his own deathbed at the end of the novel.
• The Thénardiers' inn is called "The Sergeant at Waterloo" in the novel, but is called "The Brave Sergeant" in the film.
• In the novel, Valjean pays Thénardier 1,500 francs to settle Fantine's debts and takes Cosette; the Thénardiers appear in Paris several years later. No discussion regarding Valjean's intentions takes place in the film; after speaking with Cosette alone, Valjean is seen riding away with her and the Thénardiers are not seen again.
• In the novel, only three prisoners (Brevet, Chenildieu, and Cochepaille) identify Champmathieu as being Valjean in court. The film adds a fourth convict, Genflou, to the witnesses.
• In the film, Valjean and Cosette go to the convent with a letter of introduction from M. Madeleine, whereas in the novel, they came upon the convent coincidentally while fleeing from Javert.
• Valjean rescues a man whose cart had fallen on him, which arouses Javert's suspicion, but the film does not mention that this man (Fauchelevent) and the gardener at the convent are the same person.
• Marius meets Valjean and Cosette while they ride into the park where he is giving a speech, while in the novel he is simply walking in the Luxembourg Garden when he sees them.
• Éponine's role is changed from the novel. In the film, she is the secretary of the revolutionary society Marius belongs to. In the novel, she is the Thénardiers' daughter, and is not connected to the revolutionary society. The film makes no mention of her being the Thénardiers' daughter.
• Gavroche is cut entirely.
• In the novel, Enjolras is the leader of the revolutionaries and Marius is not even a very faithful follower (him being a Bonapartist with different ideas than his friends). In the film, Marius is the leader. In addition, the students' goal is not a democracy but to better the conditions in the French galleys.
• In the film, Éponine delivers the message from Marius to Cosette, which Valjean intercepts, causing Valjean to come to the barricade to rescue Marius. In the novel, Gavroche delivers it.
• In the film, Javert pursues Valjean and Marius into the sewers, which he does not in the novel, although he does meet Valjean when he exits the sewers, having pursued Thénardier there.
• Valjean brings Marius to Valjean's house and Cosette, while in the novel, Valjean brings Marius to the house of Marius' grandfather M. Gillenormand, who does not appear in the film. Also, while Valjean thinks Javert is waiting for him and he is going away, he gives Marius and Cosette instructions, including to love each other always and leaving the candlesticks to Cosette, which in the novel appear in his deathbed scene.
• In the film, Valjean hides the fact that he expects Javert to arrest him by reiterating to Cosette and Marius his plan to move to England.
• The film ends with Javert's suicide, while at the end of the novel, Valjean dies of grief after having been separated from Cosette, because Marius severed all ties with him after learning of Valjean's convict past, but both arrive to see him before he dies.

See also

• Adaptations of Les Misérables

External links

• Les Misérables at IMDb
• Les Misérables at the TCM Movie Database
• Les Misérables at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Les Misérables at Rotten Tomatoes
• Review by film historian Tim Brayton