Great Expectations ** (1974, Michael York, Sarah Miles, James Mason, Margaret Leighton, Robert Morley, Anthony Quayle, Rachel Roberts, Joss Ackland, Maria Charles) – Classic Movie Review 13,926

The 1974 British movie Great Expectations stars Michael York, Sarah Miles, James Mason, Margaret Leighton, Robert Morley, Anthony Quayle and Joss Ackland. Its songs were dropped seven weeks into shooting, and it was cut by 24 minutes for US TV.

Director Joseph Hardy’s 1974 British-American TV movie Great Expectations stars Michael York, Sarah Miles, James Mason, Margaret Leighton, Robert Morley, Anthony Quayle, Rachel Roberts, Joss Ackland, with Maria Charles, Andrew Ray, Heather Sears, Simon Gipps-Kent, James Faulkner, Peter Bull, John Clive, Patsy Smart and Eric Chitty.

It originally was a musical but the songs were dropped seven weeks into shooting, and it had a UK cinema release at over two hours but was cut to 100 minutes for US TV. Is it really a TV movie? It was made for UK cinemas but for American TV.

The 1974 British-American TV movie Great Expectations is a handsome-looking and more than adequate British TV movie of Dickens’s novel, with notable casting in Michael York as Pip, Sarah Miles as Estella, Margaret Leighton as Miss Havisham and James Mason as the mysterious escaped convict Magwitch.

It doesn’t come up to the classic 1946 David Lean version Great Expectations, of course, and perhaps it should have had the courage of its convictions by being the musical it started out as before the songs were cut. On second thoughts, that would be a terrible idea, like the Albert Finney musical Scrooge. But script-writer Sherman Yellen makes a reasonable job of the tricky task of cutting the novel down to around two hours. It originally ran 124 minutes for UK cinemas but was cut to 100 minutes for its TV screenings in the US.

Despite its shortcomings, it is certainly worthwhile for the lovely actors. All the performances are strong and solid, but, in the film’s standout turn, the admirable Margaret Leighton greatly enjoys her turn as crazy old Miss Havisham. James Mason stands out too as Magwitch, and so does Joss Ackland as Joe Gargery. Also, Freddie Young’s photography and Maurice Jarre’s music are strong assets.

The 33-year-old Sarah Miles plays both the young and older Estella, while Michael York plays older Pip and Simon Gipps-Kent plays Young Pip. 

Apparently the bulk of the score was scrapped seven weeks into shooting. Michael York recalled: ‘We found when we started putting it together that the songs interrupted the narrative flow of the piece.’

It was made by Transcontinental Films and Sir Lew Grade’s ITC for release in cinemas in the UK and screening on American TV.

Release date: November 22, 1974.

Other versions in 1917, 1934, 1946 the 1989 mini-series. and the 1998 American revised version, and further versions in 1999 and 2012.

Cast: Michael York as older Pip, Sarah Miles as young and older Estella, James Mason as Magwitch, Margaret Leighton as Miss Havisham, Robert Morley as Uncle Pumblechook, Anthony Quayle as Jaggers, Rachel Roberts as Mrs Gargery, Joss Ackland as Joe Gargery, Maria Charles as Sarah Pocket, Andrew Ray as Herbert Pocket, Heather Sears as Biddy, Simon Gipps-Kent as Young Pip, James Faulkner as Bentley Drummle, Peter Bull as Wemmick, John Clive as Mr Wopsle, Patsy Smart as Mrs Wopsle, and Eric Chitty.

Great Expectations is directed by Joseph Hardy, runs 124 minutes or 100 minutes, is made by Incorporated Television Company (ITC) and Transcontinental Film Productions (London), is released by National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (US) and Scotia-Barber (UK), is written by Sherman Yellen, is shot by Freddie Young, is produced by Robert Fryer, and is scored by Maurice Jarre.

Great Expectations was filmed in the silent era in 1917 and the 1934 American film Great Expectations was the first sound version. It was remade as David Lean’s 1946 British film classic Great Expectations, then for TV as Great Expectations in 1974 with Michael York as Pip, and as the 1989 mini-series Great Expectations with Jean Simmons now eerily playing the Miss Havisham role, and again in Alfonso Cuaron’s 1998 American revised, modernised version Great Expectations with Ethan Hawke, as Great Expectations in 1999 with Ioan Gruffudd as Pip, and as Great Expectations in 2012 with Jeremy Irvine, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday Grainger, Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane.

Simon Gipps-Kent died in his flat on 16 September 1987, aged 28. A coroner’s inquest ruled his death as misadventure caused by morphine poisoning.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,926

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