Mister Quilp

Mister Quilp is a 1975 British musical film directed by Michael Tuchner and starring Anthony Newley, David Hemmings and Jill Bennett. It is based on the novel The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens, under which name it was also released.

The film was one of several "Family Classics" made into modern musical films by Reader's Digest. Mr. Quilp was theatrically distributed by EMI Films in the United Kingdom and by Avco Embassy Pictures in the USA. In the VHS and Beta formats, it was released by Magnetic Video under the title The Old Curiosity Shop. There is no record of a DVD release. Viewers in the UK have reported seeing it played on television in the 1980s but beyond the home video which was greatly edited, there appears to be no other way to see the film

Critic Roger Ebert gave the film a mixed review not so much for the music or for Newley's performance, both of which he praised, but for the very idea of centering the film on the evil money-lender and failing to make the story compelling enough to hold interest.

Main cast

 * Anthony Newley - Daniel Quilp
 * David Hemmings - Richard Swiveller
 * Jill Bennett - Sally Brass
 * Sarah-Jane Varley - Little Nell
 * Michael Hordern - Grandfather / Edward Trent
 * David Warner - Sampson Brass
 * Yvonne Antrobus - Betsy Quilp
 * Sue Barbour - Stiltdancer
 * David Battley - Codlin
 * Windsor Davies - George, Mrs. Jarley's asst.
 * Philip Davis - Tom Scott
 * Peter Duncan - Kit Nubbles
 * Brian Glover - Furnaceman
 * Chris Greener - Giant
 * Rosalind Knight - Mrs. George
 * Ronald Lacey - Harris
 * Bryan Pringle - Mr. Garland
 * Paul Rogers - Single Gent / Henry Trent
 * Maxwell Shaw - Isaac List
 * Norman Warwick - Vuffin
 * Mona Washbourne - Mrs. Jarley
 * Malcolm Weaver - Acrobat
 * Sarah Webb - Duchess