Les Miserables (1935)/Les Miserables (1952)

Two big screen versions of Victor Hugo's classic tale, set in early 19th-century France.

The story follows Jean Valjean (played by Fredric March in the 1935 version, and by Michael Rennie in the 1952 film), a prisoner who breaks his parole and spends the next two decades fleeing from obsessive police inspector Javert (Charles Laughton/Robert Newton).

In his quest for personal redemption, Valjean adopts Cosette (Rochelle Hudson/Debra Paget), daughter of impoverished prostitute Fantine (Florence Eldridge/Sylvia Sydney), and is eventually elected as town mayor.

But it's not long before Valjean's past, in the shape of Inspector Javert, comes back to haunt him.