The Pickwick Papers (1952)

One of the most enjoyable Dickens adaptations, this movie leaves  the viewer with a big smile and a zest for life.  There are no big stars in the cast but a lot of familiar British faces from the films of the period, all uniformly excellent.  James Hayter is Mr. Pickwick whose exploits with his close friends form the episodic narrative; a particular stand-out is Nigel Patrick as the rascally Mr Jingle whom neither we the viewer nor Mr Pickwick can quite bring ourselves to dislike. Beautifully filmed in crisp black and white, the movie is a real pleasure.