▁with ▁the ▁resolution ▁of ▁the ▁stage ▁play ▁wild ly ▁different ▁from ▁the ▁finished ▁novel . ▁Dick ens ' s ▁off ence ▁at ▁this ▁pl ag iar ism ▁prompt ed ▁him ▁to ▁have ▁Nicholas ▁encounter ▁a ▁" liter ary ▁gentleman " ▁in ▁chapter ▁forty - e ight ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁The ▁gentleman ▁b rag s ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁dram at ised ▁two ▁hundred ▁and ▁forty - se ven ▁nov els ▁" as ▁fast ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁come ▁out   – ▁in ▁some ▁cases ▁faster ▁than ▁they ▁had ▁come ▁out ", ▁and ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁thus ▁best owed ▁fame ▁on ▁their ▁authors . ▁In ▁response ▁Nicholas ▁del ivers ▁a ▁length y ▁and ▁he ated ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁adapt ing ▁still - un fin ished ▁books ▁without ▁the ▁author ' s ▁permission , ▁going ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁say : ▁ ▁Film ▁and ▁TV ▁adapt ations ▁A ▁two - min ute ▁short ▁showing ▁the ▁fight ▁scene ▁at ▁" D othe bo ys ▁Hall " ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁A ▁half - hour ▁film ▁adaptation ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁cover ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁featuring ▁Vict ory ▁Bat eman ▁as ▁Miss ▁La ▁C ree vey ▁and ▁Eth yle ▁Co oke ▁as ▁Miss ▁S ne vel lic i . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁sound ▁film ▁adaptation , ▁The ▁Life ▁and ▁Advent ures ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁Nick le by , ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁st arring ▁C ed