Great Expectations: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A two-part educational film with the title Great Expectations. It consists of two (2) reels of 16mm color acetate film with optical sound.

Part one opens with Clifton Fadiman providing contextual narration and discussing "the prison" as a major theme that arises in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, before the film transitions to a re-enactment of the scene in which young Pip meets young Estella and Miss Havisham (Rosalie Crutchley). The rest of part one alternates between scenes from the novel and Clifton Fadiman’s narration.

Part two starts out with Fadiman providing a philosophical analysis of an interaction between Pip (John Stride) and Miss Havisham. The rest of part two alternates between Fadiman’s narration and re-enactments of scenes from the novel.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1962
• Directed by: John Barnes, American, 1920 - 2000
• Narrated by: Clifton Fadiman, American, 1904 - 1999
• Subject of: Charles Dickens, English, 1812 - 1870
• Produced by: Encyclopædia Britannica Films, American, founded 1928
• Subject of: John Stride, British, 1936 - 2018
• Subject of: Rosalie Crutchley, British, 1920 - 1997
• Subject of: Richard Caldicot, British, 1908 - 1995
• Subject of: Judi Dench, British, born 1934
• Type: sound films
• Type: color films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 1): 35 minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1250 Feet
• Dimensions: Duration (Reel 2): 34 Minutes
• Dimensions: Length (Film): 1225 Feet
• Place used: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Education
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Literature
• Topic: Theatre
• Object number: 2017.55.111.1ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.