Obviously cinema was an entirely new concept to most of these theatrical actors, and it shows. The Quilp character, played by Hay Petrie was a prime example of this. It was all about stage "projection" and came across as very hammy. Also, I got the feeling that the film had under run, and bits that were quite unnecessary and repetitive for expositional purposes, were put back in. There were several external shots of the coach house that were superfluous, having already established the location of the action. However, interesting to watch from an historical aspect. I have tried to track down more information on Elaine Benson but there is very little out there, regarding her later work.
Review of The Old Curiosity Shop
