You’ve probably seen the 1946 version of Great Expectations. It’s that grainy, beautiful, moody masterpiece directed by David Lean. It basically defined how we see Charles Dickens on screen. But if you sit down and actually look at the great expectations 1946 movie cast, things get a little weird.
Actually, weird is an understatement.
The casting for this film is legendary, yet it’s also fundamentally "wrong" in ways that would never fly today. We’re talking about a 38-year-old man playing a teenager. We're talking about a future Jedi Knight making his screen debut. It’s a mix of perfection and total absurdity.
The Pip Problem: John Mills and the Age Gap
Let’s talk about John Mills. He was a massive star. He was charming, talented, and had that "everyman" quality that made Pip relatable.
There’s just one tiny issue.
When they filmed this, John Mills was 38 years old. In the story, Pip is supposed to be about 20 when he moves to London to become a gentleman. Watching a nearly 40-year-old man try to play a naive, wide-eyed youth is... an experience.
Honestly, it shouldn't work. Mills is clearly a grown man with a mortgage and a pension plan, yet somehow, he pulls it off through sheer earnestness. He captures that specific snobbery Pip develops, that cringe-worthy moment when he becomes ashamed of his humble roots.
But compare him to Anthony Wager.
Anthony Wager played the young Pip in the opening scenes. He’s 13 or 14. He’s raw, natural, and genuinely terrified. When the transition happens—when we jump from Young Pip to Adult Pip—the audience gets a massive jolt. It’s one of the most jarring age jumps in cinema history. You go from a scrawny kid to a man who looks like he’s seen a couple of world wars.
The Debut of a Legend: Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket
If you’re a Star Wars fan, this is where it gets fun. Most people know Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Others know him from The Bridge on the River Kwai.
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But Great Expectations was his first film.
He played Herbert Pocket, Pip’s roommate and best friend. It’s a delightful performance. Guinness is all smiles and buoyant energy, a total contrast to the brooding atmosphere of the rest of the film.
Funny story: Guinness actually played this role on stage years earlier. He was the one who adapted the book for the theater, and David Lean saw that play. Lean was so impressed that he hired Guinness for the movie.
Guinness was 32 playing a character who is meant to be in his early 20s. Again, the great expectations 1946 movie cast was a bit "age-flexible." But unlike Mills, Guinness had this youthful, ethereal energy that made it believable. He felt like a young man with more dreams than money.
The Women of Satis House: Pure Gothic Horror
Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham. That’s it. That’s the tweet.
She is terrifying.
Hunt also came from that 1939 stage production, and she brought a level of intensity that still haunts people’s dreams. She didn’t play Miss Havisham as a sad old lady. She played her as a living corpse. A vengeful, rotting ghost in a yellowed wedding dress.
Then you have Estella.
The casting of Estella followed the same pattern as Pip:
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- Jean Simmons played the young Estella. She was 17, but she looked younger, and she was incredible. She was cold, beautiful, and devastatingly cruel to Young Pip.
- Valerie Hobson played the adult Estella.
Here’s a fun piece of trivia for you. Jean Simmons was so iconic in this role that 40 years later, she came back to play Miss Havisham in a 1989 miniseries. Talk about a full-circle moment.
Valerie Hobson has a harder job. She has to play a woman who has had her heart surgically removed by her guardian. Some critics think she’s a bit too stiff, but honestly, isn't that the point? Estella is a weapon designed to break men. Hobson plays that "hollow" feeling perfectly.
The Heavy Hitters: Magwitch and Jaggers
Finlay Currie as Abel Magwitch is probably the best casting choice in the whole movie.
The opening scene in the graveyard is iconic. The way he pops out from behind the tombstone and grabs Pip? Pure cinema gold. Currie has this massive, gravelly voice and a physical presence that fills the screen. He’s scary as a convict, but later, he’s heartbreaking as the secret benefactor who just wants someone to love.
And then there’s Francis L. Sullivan.
He played Mr. Jaggers, the lawyer. Sullivan was a big guy with a booming voice and a way of pointing his finger that made you feel like you were already guilty of a crime. He actually played Jaggers in a 1934 version of the film too. He was so good they basically said, "Why fix what isn't broken?" and hired him again.
Why This Cast Still Matters
You’d think that with all the weird age gaps and the theatrical acting styles, this movie would feel dated.
It doesn't.
The great expectations 1946 movie cast works because they understood the spirit of Dickens. Dickens didn't write realistic people; he wrote caricatures that felt more real than real people. He wrote gargoyles. He wrote angels.
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David Lean leaned into that.
The actors aren't trying to be "natural." They are trying to be "Dickensian." Bernard Miles as Joe Gargery is so sweet and simple it hurts. Freda Jackson as Mrs. Joe is so shrill and mean you can practically feel the "Tickler" hitting your own back.
A Quick Reality Check on the Cast List
If you're looking for the full lineup, here’s the breakdown of the major players:
- Pip: John Mills (Adult) / Anthony Wager (Young)
- Estella: Valerie Hobson (Adult) / Jean Simmons (Young)
- Miss Havisham: Martita Hunt
- Abel Magwitch: Finlay Currie
- Joe Gargery: Bernard Miles
- Herbert Pocket: Alec Guinness
- Mr. Jaggers: Francis L. Sullivan
- Wemmick: Ivor Barnard
- Mrs. Joe: Freda Jackson
The Verdict on the 1946 Casting
Is it perfect? No. John Mills is definitely too old.
Is it the best version? Absolutely.
Later adaptations (like the 1998 modern version or the 2012 one) try to make the characters more "grounded." But Great Expectations isn't a grounded story. It’s a gothic nightmare about class, guilt, and the way the past haunts the present.
The 1946 cast understood the assignment. They brought a theatricality that matched the incredible cinematography. When you see Martita Hunt sitting in that cobweb-covered room, you don't care how old she is or how "stagy" the dialogue sounds. You're just in it.
What to Do Next
If you want to really appreciate what this cast did, you should:
- Watch the opening 10 minutes. Pay attention to Finlay Currie’s movement in the marshes. It’s a masterclass in physical acting.
- Compare the transition. Look for the exact moment Pip changes from Anthony Wager to John Mills. It’s a lesson in how much "star power" mattered back in the 40s.
- Check out Alec Guinness's face. Watch for the "Herbert Pocket smile." It’s a far cry from "These are not the droids you're looking for."
Go find the remastered Criterion version if you can. The black-and-white levels are crisp, and you can see the detail in Martita Hunt’s terrifying makeup. It’s worth the two hours, I promise.