Nicholas Nickleby (Derek Bond), is an 18-year-old gentleman's son, kind and honest. When his father dies, Nicholas is left to take care of his mother and his beautiful sister Kate (Sally Ann Howes). His father left them no money, and his dying wish was that the family goes to London and turns to help to his brother Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke), a rich businessman.
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Uncle Ralph is rather displeased when Nicholas, Kate, and Mrs. Nickleby show up on his doorstep, but he feels obligated to do something for them. He finds them a place to live and helps Nicholas to get a job as a headmaster's assistant at Dotheboys Hall, a boarding school for boys in Yorkshire. Mr. Squeers (Alfred Drayton), the headmaster, turns out to be a very cruel man who terribly abuses the students, especially one older boy, a poor cripple named Smike (Aubrey Woods). One day, when the boy is once again being beaten, Nicholas interferes, thrashes the headmaster, and runs away from the school. Smike joins him.
They travel to Portsmouth, where they are unexpectedly invited to join a theater as actors. Things seem to go well, until Nicholas learns that his sister Kate is in trouble. Uncle Ralph, under whose protection the young lady was left, is using her to entertain his rich clients, caring little for her discomfort when those clients' advances go too far. Nicholas rushes back to London to defend the honor of his sister. He disowns Uncle Ralph, who responds with plotting against Nicholas.
The review of this Movie prepared by Laura Southcombe
