Finding Les Misérables Movies, etc.
Beware Michael Rennie

I enjoy tracking down lots of Les Misérables movies and suchlike. This is a compilation of what I've discovered. Because I live in the States, the list is biased towards American sources, so not all possible sources are listed. However, region coding (1, 2, etc.) and video standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) differ from country to country, and compatibility issues may prevent your VCR or DVD player from accepting certain media. Of course, this is presented for information only, a link is not an endorsement of a store or website, and links or other information may be out of date. You will have to do some of your own legwork, but then, the hunt is half the fun.

1930s comic (U.S.)
ebay.com
This is the Classics Illustrated version, which is regularly available on ebay. There are three different covers (I believe it's three), but they are all the same comic book. If you see one listed at a high price, it's probably because it's the original cover.

1933 movie (French)
alapage.com | amazon.com
This used to be out-of-print and VHS copies were hard to find. But that has all changed with Criterion's release of a subtitled edition which can be found on amazon.com. If you want straight-up French, on the rocks, try alapage.com.

1935 movie (U.S.)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | many others
This is easy to find on VHS and on DVD, and is probably available to rent in many public libraries and video stores.

1937 radio program (U.S.)
amazon.com | ebay.com
A show by Orson Wells. It was released on cassettes and on CDs. I think it is still in print, but if it isn't it shouldn't be rare.

1947 comic (French)
ebay.fr
The Les Grands Romans Illustres series, comes in fifteen short issues. Out of print. I scanned the issues I have (4-15); they can be found here.

1949 comic (French)
ebay.fr
Adapted by Martial Bouin and illustrated by René Giffey, this is the classic French comic adaptation. Not, apparently, part of any larger series, it comes in three fifty-page volumes. Out of print.

1952 movie (U.S.)
amazon.com
Getting my copy of this movie involved a monumental undertaking. Heaven and earth moved. However, now it's available on amazon.com as part of a two-pack with the 1935 U.S. movie.

1952 movie (Italian)
videoflicks.com | reel.com | ebay.com
It has also been listed as being from 1947. This was once available from a now-defunct web store called Videoflicks.com. Reel.com also had it listed in 1998 or 1999. Apparently it has faded into the sunset (and not undeservedly so). I haven't personally seen it on ebay, but perhaps it shows up from time to time.

1952 radio program (U.S.)
ebay.com | radiorevisited.com
A Lux Radio Theater program. Not that I know Lux Radio Theater from a hole in the ground, but Radio Revisited says it was a format that presented movies on the radio. So pretty much it's a one-hour version of the 1952 movie, only with Ronald Colman instead of Michael Rennie (that is a trade-up). Radio Revisited sometimes lists the show on ebay, but I don't know how it stands as far as permissions and copyrights.

1958 movie (French)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | alapage.com | amazon.fr | ebay.fr
A three-VHS set, single DVD, and single VHS set have been produced. In the States, a dubbed version was released. French sites would not have the dubbed version.

1961 TV movie (French)
alapage.com | amazon.fr
It seems to have been released on DVD in 2006. I first saw only the first part (Cosette), and then some months later found a three-pack with the other two episodes (Jean Valjean and Gavroche). It may well be on ebay, but I haven't seen it there.

1972 TV movie (French)
alapage.com | amazon.fr | ebay.fr
It comes on two VHS tapes. I got mine for sale used, and at one point I did see it for sale new, but it appears to be out of print.

1978 TV movie (U.K.)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | many others
Easily found, both on DVD and VHS.

1979 animated movie (Japanese)
ebay.com
Looks to be out of print, but you see it on occasion on ebay.

1980 radio program (U.S.)
ebay.com
The CBS radio theater show. This one I found on ebay from a seller who had made and labeled the three cassettes himself. So it seems like it's a cottage industry kind of thing.

1982 TV movie (French)
alapage.com | amazon.fr | ebay.fr
This is a TV movie made in France, and it was released on DVD in the early 2000s. There was also a VHS release, apparently.

1985 musical (U.K. / U.S. / world)
This is a whole other kettle of fish.

1988 animated movie (Irish)
ebay.com
Like the Japanese animated version, it appears to be out of print, though if you're patient, it shouldn't be too hard to find one on ebay.

1995 movie (French)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | many others
Easily found, and it's subtitled, as it was released in the U.S. too.

1995 comic (Belgian)
ebay.fr
Apparently it's out of print, but I found a copy easily enough. The ISBN is 2-930103-01-9. However, the second installment in the series was never completed, and so the comic ends with Jean Valjean taking Cosette away from the Thenardiers.

1993 animated movie (French)
ebay.fr
I found my copy on used ebay. It seems to be out of print (and it should be; the French let me down on this one: they slaughtered their national novel).

1997 comic (U.S.)
ebay.com
I don't know if it's in print or not, but I got mine from ebay. The ISBN is 1-57840-017-1.

1998 movie (U.S.)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | many others
Readily available. I wish they had a special edition with cut scenes, as the trailers had a clip or two that I never saw in the final film.

2000 TV movie (French / U.S.)
amazon.com | bn.com | ebay.com | alapage.com | amazon.fr | ebay.fr
Where you buy it will depend on which version you want, the three-hour American release or the six-hour French release. The French version does not have English subtitles.

2001 radio program (U.K.)
amazon.co.uk | ebay.co.uk
I found my copy on amazon.co.uk, and I imagine it might crop up on the U.K. ebay site. As far as I know, it was only released on three cassettes and is out of print.

2002 radio program (U.S.)
ebay.com
The program produced by Focus on the Family. It comes on three CDs.

2007 TV series (Japanese)
Complete Series from Wasurenai Subs et al. | Aoi Anime | Baka no Reiatsu Fansubs | Delicious Fansubs | Formula Sub | Licca Fansubs | MDW Fansubs | Nippon Animation | Anime Suki | Nyaa Torrents | Tokyo Tosho | Star Crossed Anime Blog | Wasurenai Wubs
In Japan, Nippon Animation has produced a 52-episode kiddie TV series called Shoujo Cosette. Several anime subtitling groups started releasing releasing unofficial versions with English subtitles, and for years no one managed to complete it. But at last in 2010, the group Aoi Fansubs began working on it, another group called Wasurenai Subs joined up with them, and finally Wasurenai Subs and a third group, Licca Fansubs, finished all 52 episodes. The first link takes you to Wasurenai's archive of the entire series, and the others are there for archival purposes. Elsewhere on the web, there's the Star Crossed Anime Blog, which has reviews/summarizes of each of the 52 episodes.


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