It’s a familiar experience: many readers of doorstop-sized Victorian novels have described their plots as cinematic. From the birth of cinema to the present, these texts and their memorable casts of characters have inspired countless films, and it is often the same host of narratives that are retold endlessly (case in point: William Thackeray’s 1848 novel about the Napoleonic wars Vanity Fair was adapted five times just between 1911 and 1935).
Filmmakers saw loads of potential in the works of authors like Charles Dickens, one of the period’s best-known authors who penned a true wealth of material, including fifteen novels and far more short stories. Five Dickens novels made their way to the silver screen within the 1930s alone. The 1930s were a big decade for literary adaptations, so this list will introduce you to five stellar starting points.
Wuthering Heights (1939)
William Wyler’s 1939 adaptation of Wuthering Heights is a fascinating take on the classic Gothic novel by Emily Brontë. To suit Samuel Goldwyn’s tastes, Wyler tempered much of what makes the novel creepy and unsettling in favor of a film that feels much more romantic. In this way, Wuthering Heights will appeal to anyone interested in how genre shapes the making of a film adaptation. The film stars Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier as Catherine and Heathcliff, and it depicts how their relationship is thwarted by abuse and class difference. Notably, this film features one of the most drastic erasures of any film on this list: readers familiar with the novel will quickly realize that Wyler scrapped its entire second generation of characters, and in doing so, cut out half of the novel’s plot.
Purchase Wuthering Heights on DVD.
Purchase the Wuthering Heights novel for your library collection.
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” So begins A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dicken’s French Revolution novel and staple of many high school and college humanities curricula. Set in both London and Paris, the story reflects the rippling impacts of the revolution and its Reign of Terror. For the characters, the guillotine is both a spectral presence and a real threat. Not interested in one of the most pivotal and violent moments in European history? Viewers interested in stories of swapped identities, love triangles, and class struggle will all find something to maintain their interest. Directed by Jack Conway for David O. Selznick and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this scrupulous adaptation was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Purchase A Tale of Two Cities on DVD.
Purchase the A Tale of Two Cities novel for your library collection.
Dracula (1931)
The vampire was a figure of fascination for Victorian readers: the bloodsuckers reflected public anxieties about sexuality, disease, and strangers. Dracula, the titular character of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, was (and, perhaps, still is) the most famous Victorian vampire. After leaving his native Transylvania, Count Dracula emigrates to London and terrorizes the innocent. After all, he can only survive off the taste of human blood, and he prefers defenseless female victims. Just over three decades after the novel’s publication, Universal Pictures began producing their famous horror films featuring creatures like Frankenstein and the Mummy alongside Dracula. Dracula, starring the Hungarian-American actor Bela Lugosi and directed by Tod Browning, was a smash hit and is today considered a classic in the horror genre.
Purchase the Dracula novel for your library collection.
Becky Sharp (1935)
Rounding out this list is a major milestone in cinema history: did you know that director Rouben Mamoulian’s 1935 adaptation of the aforementioned novel Vanity Fair was the first feature-length film to be entirely shot using the three-strip Technicolor process? The only thing more vibrant than this film’s use of color is Miriam Hopkins’ character Becky Sharp, Victorian literature’s most manipulative social climber, as she cons the men in her orbit.
Purchase the Vanity Fair novel for your library collection.