Mister Quilp

Reader's Digest Films Limited

Industry	Film production
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Films

Mister Quilp, alternatively titled The Old Curiosity Shop, is a 1975 British musical film helmed by director Michael Tuchner, featuring performances by Anthony Newley, David Hemmings, and Jill Bennett. The movie adapts the 1841 novel The Old Curiosity Shop authored by Charles Dickens.

Main cast

• Anthony Newley portrays Daniel Quilp
• David Hemmings appears as Richard Swiveller
• Jill Bennett takes on the role of Sally Brass
• Sarah-Jane Varley plays Little Nell
• Michael Hordern acts as grandfather / Edward Trent
• David Warner is cast as Sampson Brass
• Yvonne Antrobus features as Betsy Quilp
• Sue Barbour performs as stiltdancer
• David Battley plays Codlin
• Windsor Davies appears as George, Mrs. Jarley's assistant
• Philip Davis portrays Tom Scott
• Peter Duncan acts as Kit Nubbles
• Brian Glover is furnaceman
• Chris Greener appears as Giant
• Rosalind Knight plays Mrs. George
• Ronald Lacey acts as Harris
• Bryan Pringle appears as Mr. Garland
• Paul Rogers plays single gent / Henry Trent
• Maxwell Shaw is Isaac List
• Norman Warwick portrays Vuffin
• Mona Washbourne acts as Mrs. Jarley
• Malcolm Weaver performs as acrobat
• Sarah Webb features as duchess

Release

Created by Reader's Digest Films Limited, Mister Quilp was included in Reader's Digest's "Family Classics" collection, which presented contemporary musical renditions of classic stories. The film saw theatrical release through distribution by EMI Films in the United Kingdom and by Avco Embassy Pictures in the United States.

Home media

Under the title The Old Curiosity Shop, Magnetic Video issued the movie on VHS and Beta formats; however, this edition was shortened by roughly 30 minutes. During the 1980s, it was broadcast on television in the UK. To date, there has been no authorized DVD publication.

Critical reception

According to The Monthly Film Bulletin, "While the blend of music, dance, and Dickensian narrative succeeded in Oliver! (1968), this Reader's Digest adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop fails to capture similar vitality. From the outset, London street scenes feel lifeless despite varied camera work. The studio environment is overly pristine, costumes appear generic, and the musical numbers reflect awkward choreography ('I may be simple-hearted but I think the world is grand'). Anthony Newley's portrayal of Quilp is exaggerated, and Sarah-Jane Varley's depiction of Nell becomes excessively saccharine early on. The episodic nature of the source material struggles in translation: Swiveller vanishes, Quilp's death lacks impact, and Kit's sudden prominence in a dull finale might have unsettled Dickens himself."

In its review, The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded 2 out of 5 stars, commenting: "Anthony Newley embodies the malevolent, hunched moneylender Quilp and also crafted songs reminiscent of Lionel Bart’s work on Oliver!. This Americanized and sanitized family adaptation preserves some of the original’s darker tones, with performances highlighting grotesque elements."

British film historian Leslie Halliwell observed: "Choosing the villainous protagonist for a musical adaptation is unusual; this version lacks imaginative energy and falls flat."

Critic Roger Ebert offered a mixed assessment, commending the musical score and Newley's acting but criticizing the emphasis on the villainous moneylender and the narrative’s inability to sustain engagement.