Les Misérables

In early 19th century France, an ex-convict who failed to report for parole is relentlessly pursued over a 20-year period by an obsessive police inspector. Jean Valjean, a Frenchman of good character and great strength, is convicted of stealing a loaf of bread, an act that sets in motion a lifetime of misery, as he is pursued by the uncompromising and brutal lawman Javert. Starring Fredric March as Valjean and Charles Laughton as Javert. —Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>