Actors: Derek Bond, Sally Ann Howes, Cedric Hardwicke, Alfred Drayton, Aubrey Woods
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Nicholas Nickleby (1947)
Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond), is an 18-year-old gentleman's son, kind and honest. When his father dies, Nicholas is left to take care of his mother and his beautiful sister Kate (Sally Ann Howes). His father left them no money, and his dying wish was that the family goes to London and turns to help to his brother Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke), a rich businessman.
Uncle Ralph is rather displeased when Nicholas, Kate, and Mrs. Nickleby show up on his doorstep, but he feels obligated to do something for them. He finds them a place to live and helps Nicholas to get a job as a headmaster's assistant at Dotheboys Hall, a boarding school for boys in Yorkshire. Mr. Squeers (Alfred Drayton), the headmaster, turns out to be a very cruel man who terribly abuses the students, especially one older boy, a poor cripple named Smike (Aubrey Woods). One day, when the boy is once again being beaten, Nicholas interferes, thrashes the headmaster, and runs away from the school. Smike joins him.
They travel to Portsmouth, where they are unexpectedly invited to join a theater as actors. Things seem to go well, until Nicholas learns that his sister Kate is in trouble. Uncle Ralph, under whose protection the young lady was left, is using her to entertain his rich clients, caring little for her discomfort when those clients' advances go too far. Nicholas rushes back to London to defend the honor of his sister. He disowns Uncle Ralph, who responds with plotting against Nicholas.
--Laura Southcombe, Resident Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Analysis of Nicholas Nickleby (1947)
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 19th century
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- matchbreaker interference
Family, struggling with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Uncle
Poverty plotlets:
- coping with poverty (general)
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- a teen
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Body type
- (man) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
City?
Yes
Misc setting
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- thoughtful
Check here if B&W
Yes
Non-American film?
Yes
Is this movie based on a
- book
