David COPPERFIELD (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1935), directed by George Cukor, is one of Hollywood's many contributions in the world of classic literature, transforming the literary works of Charles Dickens to the silver screen, the best coming from the 1930s. With OLIVER TWIST (Monogram, 1933) and GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Universal, 1934) starting the trend, it would be a matter of time before MGM, the biggest studio in the business, to turn out an expensive, all-star production of American and British actors combined bringing the Dickens characters to life. One of the most interesting selections was having comedian W.C. Fields, on loan from Paramount, playing Wilkins Milcawber, a role originally intended for Britisher Charles Laughton. Another interesting fact is that it is Fields, and not any one of the studio's own contract players, whose name heads the big cast in the opening credits, though for the closing, the names are categorized in order of appearance. With Fields pictured with the title character on both video and DVD packages, one shouldn't assume David COPPERFIELD to be a W.C. Fields comedy. His spread out scenes are briefly performed, not making his first appearance until 38 minutes from the start of the story. In short, a movie rightfully belonging to the equally matched performances by Freddie Bartholomew (David, the boy) and Frank Lawton (David, the young man). Regardless of the choir singing to Christmas songs, "The First Noel" and "Christmas Day in the Morning" on the soundtrack in the opening credits, David COPPERFIELD is not a Christmas themed photoplay in a sense of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" but a story of a boy from the time of his birth to his youth as a young man.
Played in biographical form, the life story of David Copperfield is said to be the life of its creator, with the opening title "Like many fine parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child, and his name is David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens, indicating that. Opening with the passage of a book reading, Chapter One, "I Am Born," the wonderful life of David Copperfield begins with his birth to Clara Copperfield (Elizabeth Allan), a young widow whose husband died six months previously. Over the years, David,the boy (Freddie Bartholomew) has been reared by both mother and Nurse Paggerty (Jessie Ralph). After Clara's marriage to the stern Edward Murdstone (Basil Rathbone), their once happy existence turns for the worse when David, who has never liked his stepfather, is abused with severe punishments by him. After Clara dies in childbirth, Murdstone puts David to work in a London factory under the care of family man, Mr. Micawber (W.C. Fields). David finds happiness with the Micawbers until being forced to leave town after Micawber serves time in debtor's prison. Not wanting to return to Mr. Murdstone and his wicked sister, Jane (Violet Kemble-Cooper), David walks over a hundred miles to Dover to live with his Aunt Betsy (Edna May Oliver), who, along with Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle), a dim-wit with common sense, rear the boy. Educated in Castleberry and living in the home of Mr. Wickfield (Lewis Stone), David (Frank Lawton), now a fine young man with ambition to become a writer, marries the pretty yet childish Dora Spendow (Maureen O'Sullivan), while being secretly loved by Wickfield's daughter, Agnes (Madge Evans). During the course of his wonderful life, David is reunited with Mr. Micawber but encounters troubles along the way, especially with the sinister Uriah Heep (Roland Young).
Others members of the cast include: Lionel Barrymore (Dan Peggotty); Elsa Lanchester (Clickett); Una O'Connor (Mrs. Gummidge); John Buckler (Ham); Hugh Williams (Steerforth); Herbert Mundin (Barkis), and many others. Aside from Bartholomew, Lawton, and Edna May Oliver in standout performances, Basil Rathbone as the cold-hearted Murdstone, and W.C. Fields, one of the most likable and sincere characters associated with David, have lasting appeal. Take note that Fields does Mr. Micawber in the manner of Dickens and, in short, Micawber being W.C. Fields as if Dickens had written Micawber entirely with Fields in mind. Look quickly for Arthur Treacher as the donkey man who takes away and goes off with young David's money.
"David Copperfield," in book form, is a thick novel and involving story with many incidents and characters not included in the final film print. In movie form, David COPPERFIELD is, at times, a dark and depressing story with the boyhood portion of Copperfield's life more interesting than his adult years, but overall, in abridged form of 132 minutes, an agreeable film that would have made Charles Dickens proud. Formerly presented on commercial and cable TV in the 1990s in both colorized and shorter versions, David COPPERFIELD can be found intact in glorious black and white on Turner Classic Movies. Remade several times since 1935, there's no question that this David O. Selznick production, in short, remains the most beloved and critically acclaimed of them all. (****)
Played in biographical form, the life story of David Copperfield is said to be the life of its creator, with the opening title "Like many fine parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child, and his name is David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens, indicating that. Opening with the passage of a book reading, Chapter One, "I Am Born," the wonderful life of David Copperfield begins with his birth to Clara Copperfield (Elizabeth Allan), a young widow whose husband died six months previously. Over the years, David,the boy (Freddie Bartholomew) has been reared by both mother and Nurse Paggerty (Jessie Ralph). After Clara's marriage to the stern Edward Murdstone (Basil Rathbone), their once happy existence turns for the worse when David, who has never liked his stepfather, is abused with severe punishments by him. After Clara dies in childbirth, Murdstone puts David to work in a London factory under the care of family man, Mr. Micawber (W.C. Fields). David finds happiness with the Micawbers until being forced to leave town after Micawber serves time in debtor's prison. Not wanting to return to Mr. Murdstone and his wicked sister, Jane (Violet Kemble-Cooper), David walks over a hundred miles to Dover to live with his Aunt Betsy (Edna May Oliver), who, along with Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle), a dim-wit with common sense, rear the boy. Educated in Castleberry and living in the home of Mr. Wickfield (Lewis Stone), David (Frank Lawton), now a fine young man with ambition to become a writer, marries the pretty yet childish Dora Spendow (Maureen O'Sullivan), while being secretly loved by Wickfield's daughter, Agnes (Madge Evans). During the course of his wonderful life, David is reunited with Mr. Micawber but encounters troubles along the way, especially with the sinister Uriah Heep (Roland Young).
Others members of the cast include: Lionel Barrymore (Dan Peggotty); Elsa Lanchester (Clickett); Una O'Connor (Mrs. Gummidge); John Buckler (Ham); Hugh Williams (Steerforth); Herbert Mundin (Barkis), and many others. Aside from Bartholomew, Lawton, and Edna May Oliver in standout performances, Basil Rathbone as the cold-hearted Murdstone, and W.C. Fields, one of the most likable and sincere characters associated with David, have lasting appeal. Take note that Fields does Mr. Micawber in the manner of Dickens and, in short, Micawber being W.C. Fields as if Dickens had written Micawber entirely with Fields in mind. Look quickly for Arthur Treacher as the donkey man who takes away and goes off with young David's money.
"David Copperfield," in book form, is a thick novel and involving story with many incidents and characters not included in the final film print. In movie form, David COPPERFIELD is, at times, a dark and depressing story with the boyhood portion of Copperfield's life more interesting than his adult years, but overall, in abridged form of 132 minutes, an agreeable film that would have made Charles Dickens proud. Formerly presented on commercial and cable TV in the 1990s in both colorized and shorter versions, David COPPERFIELD can be found intact in glorious black and white on Turner Classic Movies. Remade several times since 1935, there's no question that this David O. Selznick production, in short, remains the most beloved and critically acclaimed of them all. (****)