Les Misérables (2 discs)

Les Miserables (1935)
Victor Hugo's most acclaimed novel comes brilliantly to life in this impeccably performed, magnificently filmed screen adaptation. Frederic March stars as Valjean, the ex-convict who rises against all odds from galley slave to mayor. Charles Laughton is Javert, the fanatical police inspector who dedicates his life to recapturing Valjean. A vivid depiction of the appalling poverty and social strife of 19th-century France, this version of Les Miserables does splendid justice to the original novel.

Les Miserables (1952)
Michael Rennie, fresh from his success in the sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still cuts a very handsome figure as Jean Valjean, and Debra Paget, who would later reteam with Rennie in four more films, makes for a stunning Cosette in this powerful retelling of the classic epic. Costars include Robert Newton (Treasure Island), Edmund Gwenn (Miracle On 34th Street), Cameron Mitchell (How To Marry A Millionaire), Sylvia Sidney (Mars Attack!) and Elsa Lanchester (The Bride Of Frankenstein).