The 1934 version of Great Expectations is generally overlooked and dismissed by connoisseurs of the classic story. If it were remastered and put into the Criterion Collection, like the 1946 version, I think it would hold its own.
The start of the 1934 and 1946 versions are nearly identical. Young Georgie Breakston meets the frightening convict Henry Hull in the graveyard while visiting his dead family. He gets Henry the requested "vittles" and cries as he sees him dragged away by the police. Joe Gargery, played by Alan Hale, makes faces at the boy to cheer him up when Mrs. Joe, Rafaela Ottiano, goes "on the rampage". The movies only diverge when Pip meets Miss Havisham, but all in all, they're still very similar. The same actor, Francis Sullivan, even plays Jaggers in both versions!
You're going to have to accept the fact that this version hasn't been remastered. The picture is a bit fuzzy, and the dialogue is even fuzzier. If you can get past that, you'll be in a much better position to appreciate it. Georgie Breakman and Phillips Holmes perfectly represent the younger and older versions of each other; I haven't been able to make up my mind which one was trying to imitate the other! Jane Wyatt is stunningly beautiful as the adult Estella, and as she proves she could have easily handled Dora in the following year's David Copperfield.
Florence Reed has a different interpretation of Miss Havisham, but I really liked it-especially when compared to other ladies who made absolute fools of themselves. Henry Hull (in the only movie I've ever seen him to get first billing!) shines as Magwitch. He's unrecognizable and puts on a thick Cockney accent, and his thin frame and desperate movements make him naturally believable as the convict. You'll be hard-pressed to find a Henry Hull movie where he's the lead, so rent this one to see him in full force.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When Henry Hull comes to the apartment and flaps him arms from the cold, the camera tilts for a few seconds, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
