Among his works there are two historical novels. In 1841 he wrote «Burnaby Rudge», taking a subject from English history of the year 1780, known as the «Rebellion».
Since the early 20th century, Dickens’s work has inspired endless adaptations in cinema and on stage. The earliest Dickens film “The Death of Poor Joe” was released in 1901. It focuses on a scene from Bleak House– the death of Jo the crossing guard. It shows the boy dying of disease on the street in the arms of a policeman. The film is silent and only a minute long.
The second movie, also released in 1901, is an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”. It shows Ebenezer Scrooge confronting the ghost and seeing the visions of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet-to-Come. Although to a modern viewer it might seem a little boring, the film was quite impressive for its time, even featuring some special effects.