Les Miserables... What was the crime?

[chaseexchange]

The adaptation of Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" has always been one of my favorite CBSRMT adaptations. However, something about it baffles me...

I have seen and listened to just about every film and radio adaptation of Les Miserables. In all of them, Jean Valjean escapes from prison, thus taking us into the story of Javert's pursuit of him. However, the CBSRMT version has Jean Valjean being released after 19 years.

Shortly after being released from prison, Jean Valjean steals the Bishop's silver, is caught and brought back to the Bishop, who tells the police that he had given Jean Valjean the silver. After this, Jean Valjean goes on to start his new life, only to be plagued by Javert's pursuit of him.

This is the part of the CBSRMT adaptation that I do not understand. Since Jean Valjean was actually released from prison, and no charges were made for stealing the Bishop's silver, what is Javert's charge against him? I realize that Javert is obsessed, but what crime did Jean Valjean commit after his release from prison, to validate Javert's continued pursuit of him?

The CBSRMT writers were very sharp. I've heard very few inconsistencies in the series. Am I missing something in Les Miserables?

Even if this was an error in CBSRMT's Les Miserables, it takes very little from the quality of the story. I've listened to it several times over the years, and find it to be among the very best adaptations of this classic story.

If you're a fan of Les Miserables, I would highly suggest checking out the following two film adaptations:
2000 (TV) Gerard Depardieu (Jean Valjean), John Malcovich (Javert)
1978 (TV) Richard Jordan (Jean Valjean), Anthony Perkins (Javert)
Although all 4 actors in these versions were stellar, my dream film version would have featured Gerard Depardieu playing against Anthony Perkins, as they both seemed to have been born to play these parts.

I just signed on to this forum. Looking forward to participating on this board more.

[Executive]

Les Miserables is an interesting story, because I've always been a fan of the much superior (and in a far more modern setting) of THE FUGITIVE starring David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble and Barry Morse as Lt. Philip Gerard. Yes, modern stories usually tend to be better than those set in the past anyway.

Although The Fugitive is based partially on the Dr. Sam Shepard murder case, Morse himself had referenced Victor Hugo's Les Miserables in his 1990s intro to one of the episodes for the VHS tape releases. (The Fugitive is finally coming to DVD next month, by the way....40 years after the TV series ended).

I really only needed to hear the Mystery Theater's most ambitious (and final) 5 part story only one time. Although I thought it was well-done overall, I don't have a problem with Valjean getting released from prison after 19 years or even of Javert again pursuing him. The reason is simple: Javert is obsessed with getting Valjean back into jail. The man felt he didn't finish the job with our hero getting out in the first place, and he feels like a fool for being short-changed by the mechanics of the French justice system.

What I don't understand is why Valjean would spend so many years in jail just for stealing a loaf of bread! Try to figure that one out! :D

Behind the scenes, what takes away even more from the story is replacing the young woman played at first by Evelyn Juster with Amanda Plummer in the same role one episode later. Granted that Amanda was less annoying than Evie, but never before in the long history of the show had that occurred.

[chaseexchange]

Thanks for your reply, Executive. I figured it was simply Javert's obsession that caused his continued pursuit, but if John V had been smart he would have simply turned himself in, as he had commited no further crimes after his release...but then we would have no story. No plan is perfect. :wink_smile:

Regarding your comment about 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread, John V was sentenced to 5 years. The extra 14 years were for his continued attempts at escaping.

Great board here. Looking forward to participating more.

[Executive]

Hey, Chase.... Are you aware that Orson Welles did his own adaptation of Les Miserables on his Mercury Theater series in 1937? It was a year before War of the Worlds, and was presented as a 7-part story. Multi-part stories were rare back in those days. I haven't heard it, but you might want to check it out: www.archive.org/details/LesMiserablesOrsonWelles

[totalpardo]

Hey, Chase.... Are you aware that Orson Welles did his own adaptation of Les Miserables on his Mercury Theater series in 1937? It was a year before War of the Worlds, and was presented as a 7-part story. Multi-part stories were rare back in those days. I haven't heard it, but you might want to check it out: www.archive.org/details/LesMiserablesOrsonWelles (http://www.archive.org/details/LesMiserablesOrsonWelles)

nice find exec. the wells adaption is fantastic but i prefer the rmt one over it, even though the wells one is more parts.