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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Drama
    Drama TV Shows - 1950s 3 Mins Read

    Nicholas Nickleby

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    1 9 5 7 (UK)
    10 x 30 minute episodes

    The BBC brought the great novel by Charles Dickens to television as a 10-part Friday night serial which set its tone – the struggle between Nicholas (William Russell) and his Uncle Ralph (70-year-old Malcolm Keen) – within the first few minutes of the first episode. It was a struggle fought out with increasing intensity as the plot unfolded, and reached a climax of terrible power.

    These two violent personalities dominated the story and, although Nicholas was the hero, he was by no means perfect.

    He had a violent temper, a great inclination to use his fists, and was often extremely stupid. Yet the fact that he had such obvious faults made him the more credible as a character and the more endearing as a personality.

    By the same token, Uncle Ralph was not a complete dragon. He had an unsuspected softer side to his nature, which Nichola’s sister Kate (Jennifer Wilson) touched upon.

    Moreover, he was an honest villain. He hated the world but was more than ready to take on the whole of it in battle.

    Drawn up behind these two enemies were battalions of rich characters: villains like Arthur Gride (Anthony Jacobs) and Wackford Squeers (Esmond Knight, pictured above); tragic ones like Smike (Brian Peck, pictured below); fantastically funny ones like the Mantalinis (Fabia Drake and Carl Bernard) and the mad “gentleman in small clothes” who lived next door to Mrs Nickleby (Gillian Lind) and wooed her by hurling cucumbers over the garden wall.

    Veteran comedian Leslie Henson was to have played the “gentleman in small clothes” in episode 8 but died of a heart attack on Monday 2 December, four days before the episode was due to be broadcast. He was 66. Future Till Death Us Do Part star Warren Mitchell was brought in at extremely short notice to play the part instead.

    Richard Wordsworth’s portrayal of Newman Noggs was outstanding, and a young Rosalind Knight appeared playing Fanny Squeers, the daughter of Wackford Squeers, played by her real-life father, Esmond.

    Debuting on Friday 18 October 1957, the series reproduced the costumes and the setting of the period perfectly and the whole series was beautifully produced.

    A camera fault interrupted the concluding episode but the serial was brought to a satisfactory end with the downfall of the villainous Ralph.

    Nicholas Nickleby
    William Russell
    Kate Nickleby
    Jennifer Wilson
    Ralph Nickleby
    Malcolm Keen
    Newman Noggs
    Richard Wordsworth
    Mrs Nickleby
    Gillian Lind
    Smike
    Brian Peck
    Wackford Squeers Sr.
    Esmond Knight
    Wackford Squeers Jr.
    Keith Davis
    Miss La Creevy
    Rosamund Greenwood
    Mr Charles Cheery
    George Howe
    Frank Cheeryble
    Barry Foster
    Arthur Gride
    Anthony Jacobs
    Madeline Bray
    Lyn James
    Tim Linkinwater
    Bartlett Mullins
    Sir Mulberry Hawk
    Douglas Wilmer
    Mr Pyke
    Graham Crowden
    Madame Mantalini
    Fabia Drake
    Mr Alfred Mantalini
    Carl Bernard
    Mr Ned Cheeryble
    Roddy Hughes
    Lord Frederick Verisopht
    Jack May
    Mr Pluck
    Victor Platt
    Matilda Price
    Sheila Ballantine
    Walter Bray
    Maurice Colbourne
    Mrs Squeers
    Fay Compton
    Miss Fanny Squeers
    Rosalind Knight
    Mr Snawley
    Roy Hepworth
    John Browdie
    Brian Rawlinson
    Peg Sliderskew
    Ada Reeve
    Hannah
    Greta Wood

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