David Copperfield (1935) User Reviews (60)

Oliver tops even Fields

[mlevans · 8/10 · 11 January 2010]

Having always heard of David Copperfield, but never having read the novel nor seen the movie, I finally decided to check out the DVD. I found it quite enjoyable with an all-star cast and good Dickensian backdrops.

I have always loved W.C. Fields, but have to disagree with those who say he steals the show. Although he is perfect as Mcawber, to me it is Edna May Oliver who steals the picture. She is delightful as the dotty aunt – especially standing up to Mr. and Miss Murdstone with the loony backing of Mr. Dick (a charming Lennox Pawle).

Of course Lionel Barrymore always makes the most of a part and does so as the gruff fisherman Dan Peggotty. Freddie Bartholomew is excellent as the young David. Elizabeth Allen is gorgeous and delightful as David's mother, while Basil Rathbone and Violet Kemble Cooper are cold and devious as the step-father and his housekeeper sister.

The entire cast is excellent, including Jessie Ralph as Peggotty and Herbert Mundin as the 'willing' Barkis. My only complaint – and this is from one who hasn't read the book – is that the miscellaneous characters get a bit confusing. A guy who apparently had been nice to David in school runs off with and abandons the adopted daughter of Peggotty's brother. Then two men fight during a shipwreck and David sees his school friend dead. Perhaps things were better spelled out in the book.

In any event, it is a quite charming film. Oliver and Field are delightful, along with the rest of the talented cast. I doubt that as better adaptation could be done today.

By Dickens!

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 30 December 2011]

George Cukor, one of the best American master directors, orchestrated one of the best screen adaptations of one of the most beloved novels in the English language. "David Copperfield", the 1935 MGM treatment of the classic, is still one of those pictures that will always be enjoyed by movie fans of all ages.

The ingredients that went into the production of Charles Dickens' novel could only have been done by the studio with vast resources as it was the case with MGM. From the superb art direction of the legendary Cedric Gibbons to the Oliver Marsh cinematography and the musical score of Herbert Stothart, all the elements under director George Cukor fell in the right place.

The superb casting adds to the glory of the end product. Freddie Bartholomew was one of the best child actors of that era and in his effortless appearance as the young David, set the right tone for the staging of the novel. Add to that the impressive Edna May Oliver who practically steals the first part of the film. W.C. Fields made a wonderful Micawber and the supporting roles were played by a fabulous array of actors not easily matched then, or now. Lionel Barrymore, Frank Lawton, Basil Rathbone, Roland Young, Lewis Stone, Madge Evans, Margaret O'Sullivan, Elsa Lanchester, and the rest, contributed to bring Dickens' immortal story to life.

A film to cherish thanks to the vision of George Cukor.

Good Adaptation of Dickens

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 4 March 2007]

This film might be the best adaptation of a Dickens novel this side of the epic Scrooge story itself. The cast is stellar & well put together. This film alone is the reason W C Fields had an inside track to be the Wizard of Oz in 1939. If Fields hadn't wanted so much money for Oz, it would have been interesting.

Fields is excellent in a supporting role in this movie. While some of his comedy, especially a good piece of his physical comedy is worked in early in this film, it is his acting that is good. This is Fields best dramatic part in any movie.

Freddie Bartholmew is great as young David Copperfield. Basil Rathbone (later Sherlock Holmes) is excellent in support too. George Cukor is solid in directing this film at a good pace too. Overall, I don't know if a remake of this could be any better. Check this out if you happen upon the film anyplace. Last time I saw it was on Turner Classic Movies.

I am glad I finally saw this as for years I had heard about this film & especially how good Fields is in it. When I finally saw it, everything I had heard about it was right.

Enjoyable Version of the Story, With a Very Good Cast

[Snow Leopard · 10 August 2004]

With a very good cast and a well-conceived adaptation of the novel, this version of "David Copperfield" is enjoyable in its own right, and it does a good job of preserving the most important themes of the original. The quirks and characteristics of most of the characters are captured effectively by the cast. Freddie Bartholomew is engaging in the title role, and the cast members as a whole work together and complement each other well.

It would be hard even to list all of the good performances. Edna May Oliver almost seems to have born to play Dickens's kind of strong-willed but caring female character. W.C. Fields is perhaps somewhat different from the novel's conception of Micawber, but he is quite entertaining, and he gets plenty of good lines. Characters like Uriah Heep, Mr. Dick, the Murdstones, and several others could have come straight from the novel. As the adult Copperfield, Frank Lawton is sometimes rather bland, but he is likable and is at least believable as Bartholomew's grown-up counterpart.

The story, of necessity, is episodic and moves quite quickly, usually including only the highlights of the narrative. But it does a very good job of this, making each sequence work well, and efficiently fitting each one into the story as a whole. George Cukor certainly deserves a good deal of credit for making it work and fit together so well. The settings, which are always important in a Dickens story, are also for the most part pretty good.

The original novel "David Copperfield" is such a fine classic of literature that no two-hour movie could be on quite the same level, but this version is quite enjoyable, and it does a very good job of depicting the atmosphere and most of the important events of the story.

Mr. Dickens' Characters Come To Life

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 16 February 2000]

A young boy grows to manhood in Victorian England. He will learn to deal with the early deaths of his parents. He will be cruelly abused by his sadistic stepfather. He will be betrayed by false friends. He will experience a brief, tragic marriage. He will also be showered with tenderness and affection from hearts good & true. He will grow to be a man made strong by adversity, but still wondering if he'll turn out to be the hero of his own life. He is DAVID COPPERFIELD.

Charles Dickens' masterpiece comes to marvelous life in this triumphant translation from literary classic into film. Enormous care was taken by MGM to get the look & feel just right - to make the viewer believe they were seeing the novel spread out before them, without a false moment from start to finish. (The Studio even went so far as to use special on-location exterior filming at Canterbury Cathedral, a segment that only runs for a few seconds.)

The all-star cast is remarkable:

Freddie Bartholomew, newly brought from England by his aunt, is perfect in the role of Young David; his anguish at the death of his mother is almost palpable.

Replacing a reluctant Charles Laughton, W. C. Fields proved a triumph in the comic role of the penniless Mr. Micawber, always confident of something `turning up.' (You might think Fields' American accent & mannerisms would tend to be grating, but he turns in what is arguably his finest performance. Fields had loved Dickens' novels for years and always kept a few in his vaudeville trunk. He knew the role and how to play it. Here he takes the character of Micawber, tweaks it slightly, and delights us.)

Lionel Barrymore, as the old fisherman Dan'l Peggoty, adding yet another exceptional portrait to his gallery of character parts.

Edna May Oliver is unforgettable as the stern, yet loving, Aunt Betsey, forever chasing donkeys off her property - fiercely defensive of those she cares for.

Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone, dark & dangerous, full of passions & fury.

Maureen O'Sullivan as darling Dora, sweet & doomed.

Roland Young as an oily Uriah Heep, sniveling & devious.

Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Allan, Una O'Connor, Lennox Pawle, Elsa Lanchester, Violet Kemble Cooper, Madge Evans, Frank Lawton - all perfectly cast.

(Look for E. E. Clive, Lionel Belmore & Arthur Treacher in tiny uncredited roles. Sir Hugh Walpole, the celebrated English novelist who adapted the novel for the screen, appears as the Vicar.)

Savor this wonderful film again & again.

Far Better Than "Okay"

[FANatic-10 · 10/10 · 16 April 2000]

This film is not just "okay", its a masterful adaptation of one of the world's great novels. Whatever shortcomings it may have for modern audiences due to its age and the technical limitations of the time are more than compensated for by the immense care and effort lavished on the production and a cast that is impeccably "right". Truly, this is one of the finest jobs of casting you could imagine, as MGM was blessed at this time to have a slate of brilliant and irreplacable character actors. My favorites: W.C. Fields at his peak, born to play Micawber; the inimitable and wonderful Edna May Oliver, Betsy Trotwood to a T; and Lennox Pawle, unforgettable as Mr. Dick. And if I wanted to be really tiresome, I could probably name 8 others. Dickens would have been pleased!

Artistic and Beautifully-Mounted Production; A Sad Era Brought to Life

[silverscreen888 · 7/10 · 27 November 2005]

The artistry of George Cukor as director I suggest is everywhere in evidence in this long, faithful and artistically admirable presentation of Charles Dickens' most-esteemed work. All the author's qualities are faithfully interpreted here, I assert--a realistic British Empire background of class snobbery, long-suffering underclass humor and sublimated desperation, mawkish sentimentality and well-earned dramatic moments. David Copperfield (1935) . The script was adapted from the Dickens novel in 1935 by Hugh Walpole, with aid from Howard Estabrook and Lenore J. Coffee (uncredited). B/W Cinematography was done by Oliver T. Marsh and award level art direction by Cedric Gibbons. In the Art Department, Merrill Pye and Edwin B. Willis are billed as associate art directors, referring to fantastically complex period settings they provided. Douglas Shearer's difficult work as recording director was handled brilliantly, I suggest; Dolly Tree was credited as wardrobe head. Herbert Stothart composed the film's music, with uncredited aid from William Axt and R.H. Bassett. The long and involved story begins with young David, played by Freddie Bartholemew being born six months after his father's death to a weak, sickly woman. She is compelled for financial reasons to remarry, her choice being one Murdstone, Basil Rathbone, who with his abominable sister's help drives Davy's mother to her grave rapidly. At the mercy of his cruel stepfather, Davy is sent to work in a factory. He finally escapes this life by running to his gruff but kindly Aunt Betsy Trotwood played by Edna May Oliver. His mother's maid, Peggotty, played by Jessie Ralph and her family whom he comes to know, well form a portion of his milieu, in their home by the unrelenting sea; the other parts are his adventures in the city of London, and his school days with friends such as Steerforth, Tommy Traddles and other familiar characters from the novel; and the last, his courtship of a young woman after tragedy has struck the Peggotty family. Among the cast, Lionel Barrymore as the Peggotty patriarch, Rathbone, Roland Young as unctuous Uriah Heep. Ralph and Oliver come off best. W. C. Fields has a showy part as ne'er-do-well Mr. Micawber, and Violert Kemble-Cooper brings Jane Murdstone to life. Others in the huge cast include Freddie Bartholemew, who is fine as young Davy, Lewis Stone, Lennox Pawle, Elizabeth Allen, Elsa Lanchester, Herbert Murdin, Una O'Connor, Herbert Murdin, Hugh Williams, Frank Lawton and Madge Evans. This is a very well-made film, absorbing and cruel, tender and interesting. It is Dickens' most- respected work, and dated, in my opinion, only by his use of a child as the victim of British imperial oppression. This is a very fine early David Selznick achievement in both purpose and detail; also, I credit this film with helping to cause Hollywood producers to make many Victorian films thereafter.

The best cast, best rendition of a classic novel ever.

[gjames3 · 10/10 · 20 August 2004]

I've read "David Copperfield" at least a half dozen times. If it's not the greatest novel in the English language, then it's darned close to it. Like any Dickens work, there are plots within plots and scores of major and minor character. With the exception of excluding poor Traddles, this film catches the essence of the story better than any since--and I defy anyone to cite a better movie for casting the right actor with the right character. Of course, W.C. Fields' Mr. McCawber was superb and has been cited time and again as a great characterization, but it's also difficult to fault Basil Rathbone's Mr. Murdstone, Edna may Oliver's Aunt Betsy, Roland Young's Uriah Heep, Freddy Bartholomew's young David, Lionel Barrymore's Mr. Peggoty or Maureen O'Sullivan's Dora Spenlow. As well, George Cukor's direction and period details are top-notch, as is the screen adoption of a very complicated novel. It's simply one of the greatest movies ever made.

Better By Halves

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 25 February 2007]

Watching the classic MGM version of David Copperfield, I couldn't help but feel that too much was cut out of this film. It would have been better done in two parts with one part strictly dealing with David's childhood up to the point where he comes into the custody of his great aunt Betsy Trotwood. Another film would then pick up the slack and follow him through adulthood. MGM did it that way several years later in their life of Thomas Edison, it should definitely have been done for David Copperfield.

Too much of the story is left out and it's assumed since David Copperfield was and is required reading in most high school literature courses that the audience would be familiar with the story. Certainly the fine group of players that George Cukor gathered all do their best and are well cast in their parts.

For the one and only time in his career W.C. Fields played someone other than W.C. Fields on screen. Borrowed from Paramount, Fields is cast as the ever expectant Mr. Micawber who proves to be David's salvation both as a child and as an adult. He also indulges in a little bit of Fields like physical comedy, please note that walk on the roof to enter his dwelling. Still in the key moments you do realize he's Micawber and not Fields in the film.

Freddie Bartholomew followed up his first noticed screen role in Anna Karenina with a winning portrayal as young David the child. I'm sure that Frank Lawton might not have gotten the part had he had to carry a whole film as an adult. Still he's not bad as the adult David for his half of the film.

Dickens's villains are as black as they come in literature and Basil Rathbone and Violet Kemble Cooper as the Murdstone brother and sister are as coldblooded a pair as you'll ever find. And Roland Young as Uriah Heep is one oily insinuating dude.

Rathbone as Murdstone is young David's father who was cruel to his mother Elizabeth Allan who was a kindly, but weak soul. When David grows up he remembers what happened and when another kindly, but weak and also airheaded soul in the person of his first wife Dora comes into his life, his protective instincts are aroused and he marries her. Maureen O'Sullivan who would usually be playing upper crust types plays the simple lisping airhead, Dora. It's an unusual turn for her and a good one. Funniest moment in the film when she invites Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsy and Lennox Pawle as Mr. Dick over and the meal is a disaster.

I liked the film, liked everybody in it. But MGM and George Cukor would have been better off doing it in two parts. Still it's a classic, though don't use it as a substitute for reading the book or Cliff's Notes if you have to do a book report.

When MGM got it right,they got it right.

[ianlouisiana · 9/10 · 29 March 2006]

At one time,along with the Edmund Gwenn/Natalie Wood version of "Miracle on 34th St" and Robert Youngson's "Golden Age of Comedy",the wonderful MGM "David Copperfield" used to be a Christmas staple on British television. Now it's the loud and bloodthirsty "The Great Escape" where in the key scene dozens of British officers are shot in cold blood by our Common Market partners - well,there's no accounting for taste I suppose,but do the broadcasting companies ever consult their audience I wonder? There's not a better film to complement that satisfied after-dinner feeling than George Cukor's masterpiece.Whatever criticism you may level at MGM ,when they got things right,they got things right.A lot of love went into this film,a lot of care.With the choice of "All the Stars in Heaven" as they used to say,the Studio picked wisely.The incomparable Edna May Oliver stands head and shoulders above them all as David's Aunt Betsy. Bill Fields is an amiable Micawber,Basil Rathbone a blood-chilling Murdstone.Roland Young perhaps surprisingly cast as Heep is really unpleasant.Frank Lawton and Fredddie Bartholomew between them flesh out the young man who never knew whether he was going to be the hero of his own life.Cukor caught the atmosphere of a very long and much-loved novel and turned it into an accessible film that appealled to an audience that might otherwise have never had the pleasure of meeting some of the most wonderful characters in English Literature.

A true classic. Appealing Dickens tale.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 26 November 2005]

This is possibly the keenest adaptation of a Dickens classic. Young David Copperfield(Freddie Bartholomew)survives a difficult childhood and we share his trials and tribulations on the way to manhood. Actually a coming-of-age tale that tugs at the heartstrings. Excellently photographed and an all-star cast that brings forth unforgettable characterizations. You don't have to be a Dickens fan to enjoy this version of David COPPERFIELD. Frank Lawton plays Copperfield as a man. Just a few of the other stars making up this outstanding cast:Basil Rathbone, Lionel Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Lewis Stone, Jessie Ralph, Maureen O'Sullivan and Edna May Oliver. This fine 1935 film still can hold your interest.

One of the best in Dickens films - a true classic.

[lora64 · 10/10 · 16 October 2006]

Although I've seen the movie on TV a few times over the decades, today I received the DVD digital version of "David Copperfield", wonderfully restored, and I must admit that the subtitles were a tremendous help in catching every bit of the story.

To me Freddie Bartholomew as young David is the most moving character because as a sensitive, loving child he must endure so much injustice and heartache, what with the loss of his mother, the brutal treatment from his stepfather, and then being sent away to a workhouse, only to flee to the safety of his aunt in Dover, walking all the way by foot, in hopes of a better life to grow up in. The stark realistic atmosphere that envelops many of the episodic scenes draws one into the tale with captivating ease. I consider it even more convincing than the scenes from "Great Expectations", the version with John Mills in it.

W.C. Fields gives a remarkably sincere and fine portrayal of Mr. Macawber with all his many subtleties of speech. I couldn't picture it being performed as well by anyone else, and I think Ch. Laughton would not have been the right choice or as convincing.

I put this early film at the top of my list of great ones!

Streamlined Version of the Novel Is Fun

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 15 May 2020]

A fast-paced and super streamlined version of the Charles Dickens classic that captures the book's tone nicely and ends up being quite a bit of fun.

Of course it's a Cliffs Notes version of the book, but anything short of a mini-series would have to be. Like many screen adaptations of novels, it focuses on hitting all of the key plot points without delving too deeply into any of the characters or themes that Dickens developed over the course of his doorstop of a book, but if you can shake yourself out of the need to compare one to the other, you might find yourself settling into this film and having a good time.

W.C. Fields seems to get most of the attention for this movie, probably because he made it at the height of his popularity. And he's very good as Micawber, don't get me wrong. But he doesn't have a lot of screen time. Instead, it's Edna May Oliver, as Copperfield's battleaxe of an aunt and guardian, who stole the show for me. She's pretty hilarious, and never more so than in the scene where she gives Basil Rathbone, Copperfield's step-father, and his step-aunt, played by Violet Kemble Cooper, a what for. I also liked the scenes that show how Copperfield's marriage to the woman of his dreams (Maureen O'Sullivan) goes from blissful union to domestic nightmare as they realize how unsuited they are for each other.

"David Copperfield" scored three nominations at the 1935 Academy Awards -- Best Picture, Best Assistant Director (Joseph Newman), and Best Film Editing (Robert J. Kern) -- but went home empty handed. George Cukor provided the playful direction.

Grade: A

OK but disappointing

[tomntempe · 5/10 · 5 July 2009]

I was expecting something that captured the time of Dickens and that was well acted. This turned out to be a sentimental look at the times thru rose-colored glasses and most of the actors were chewing the scenery. Almost everyone in the movie was a caricature.

During an ocean rescue scene there is no logic at all for anyone to go swimming out to rescue someone, with the wind and surf it would have been impossible to even swim out. Then when they do swim out there seems to be no reason for having done so other then to set up the melodrama. Pretty much everything in the movie is telegraphed so don't expect any surprises.

While it has its moments it seems vastly over-rated to me. Not having read the book, perhaps the book is the same way, in which case it's hardly the fault of the movie if it's just following the book. But either way, it was a disappointment. I would never watch it a second time.

Masterpiece of film-making brings Dickens' novel to life...

[Doylenf · 28 May 2001]

Of all of the films directed by George Cukor, I think this is his finest achievement, helped in no small measure by the perfect casting of all the Dickens characters.

Freddie Bartholomew is flawless as the young David. Edna May Oliver as his stern but loving Aunt Betsy Trotwood gives her usual sharp characterization and nearly steals the first half of the movie. As for Mr. Murdstone, Basil Rathbone is the perfect embodiment of that brutally wicked man. Born to play Mr. Micawber is W. C. Fields, so uncannily right that it almost seems as if Dickens had him in mind when he wrote the character!

Very atmospheric, so much so that it seems almost incredible that an American movie company could have crafted this gem. One would think the British would have beat us to it--but Dickens would have approved of this version, I'm sure.

The only drawback is the length and the scenes involving David's wife, Dora, as played by Maureen O'Sullivan with a saccharine sweetness that becomes cloying at times. (Thank God she didn't play Melanie in 'GWTW'). Some of the acting is a bit florid but to be expected when you consider this was made in 1935. Roland Young is well cast as Uriah Heep.

Highly recommended. Anyone who cherishes the Dickens novel will not be disappointed. The only flaw is that the story has been compressed in order to limit the running time to two hours and ten minutes and it shows. All the essential characters remain but some of them have little dimension because of time constraints.

A Good Version of a Classic

[theowinthrop · 9/10 · 15 May 2005]

This version of David COPPERFIELD is quite a good one, in that it does trim the 800 plus page novel down to reasonable coherence. There are some characters that one misses, but they are understandably cut due to length considerations. While Steerforth and his betrayal of the Peggoty Family is in the film (including the dual tragedy at it's conclusion), the sub-story of Little Em'ly's friend Martha and the business regarding Steerforth's mother, Rosa Dartle, and Mrs. Mowcher were dumped (Mrs. Mowcher would have been hard to cast). Pity, Mrs. Mowcher's famous speech to David about not confusing her physical attributes with her mental ones is missing. Also Steerforth's butler Littimer appears once, but the film does not get into the ironic coda of his imprisonment. While Uriah Heep's villainy against Mr. Wickfield and his clients is shown, his willingness to dig up dirt against other "enemies" is not shown. In particular his treatment of Dr. Strong (David's second schoolmaster), his young wife, and Jack Dalton is not developed (which is sad as it proves Mr. Dick is not simple minded).

But those are minor points really. The best jobs in the film are the work of the performers under George Cukor's direction: Edna Mae Oliver as the crusty, wise Aunt Betsy; Roland Young as the evil, greasy Uriah Heep (his best villain part); and W.C.Fields as Wilkins McCawber (Dicken's tribute to his lovable but improvident father) is superb - the one time his comic personae met the proper dramatic role; and Lionel Barrymore as Dan Pegotty determined to find his lost, ruined niece. Freddy Bartholemew's performance as young David is wonderful. But I must admit that Frank Lawson is a trifle colorless as the grown up David (although he has a funny moment at a dinner that Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan) tries to prepare). It is a weakness but a small weakness in a nearly perfect film.

The Story of David

[lugonian · 9/10 · 27 December 2008]

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. (****)

Very good but too much plot for one film...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 March 2011]

Technically, in most ways this is a very well made movie. It's obvious David O. Selznick and MGM put a lot of time and money into this production. However, I also felt that some of the acting was a bit suspect and there was way, way too much plot for a single movie--as a result it all came off as very episodic.

The film begins with young David losing his father. As for the mother, she is a weak individual--and so it's interesting that later in the film David marries an even weaker woman. Anyway, this weak lady marries a man she thinks will make a good father (Basil Rathbone). However, Rathbone moves in with his sister and they are awful--cold and cruel. The weak mother soon dies and David is sent off to work--though he only looks to be about 8. From this point on in the film, David bounces around a lot--but fortunately for his Aunt (Edna May Oliver) and a few good friends, he manages to grow into a nice and reasonably level-headed man. In this film portion of the film, lots of very episodic-like things happen--almost like we're seeing a highlights reel of his life from age 18-35 or so. Much of it was entertaining, much of it made me feel lost trying to keep up with all the characters--some of which weren't all that interesting (such as David).

Now the film did have some excellent aspects. A few of the actors were very, very good. In particular, Edna May Oliver was (as usual) great--very entertaining--so much so I wish the movie had been a story of her life! Basil Rathbone was great--and he was always wonderful in villain roles. W.C. Fields was pretty good--especially since his role was not a comedic one. As for the low-points, the mother (Elizabeth Allan) and David's wife (Maureen O'Sullivan) were supposed to be very weak characters--but the film managed to also make them pretty annoying (particularly O'Sullivan)--a definite weakness in the film. As for Una O'Connor, she, too was weak in the film--way too whiny--and a bit too much like the characters she plays in "The Invisible Man" and "Bride of Frankenstein".

It's obvious from my review that I had very mixed feelings about this film. Perhaps it could be I just don't like Dickens all that much but part of the problem is that although the film was set in the 1800s, it came off as too antiquated and stilted at times. And, the episodic nature sure didn't help. I'd really rather see this as a mini-series--the type the Brits make so well. I'll check and see if there is one, as the basic story wasn't bad--just flawed.

Perfect casting and being true to the Dickens novel help make this a great film.

[emprof · 10/10 · 2 January 2012]

This film is so true to Dickens' novel, and the acting is so incredibly perfect. Every actor in this film, from the stars to the extras made this film a treasure. Freddie Bartholomew as the young David is convincingly the naive, good-natured, and bright David. Roland Young easily displays the creepy, slimy, and untrustworthy Uriah Heap. After his role as Mr. Murdstone, it is no wonder Basil Rathbone was often typecast as a ruthless villain. Edna May Oliver should have won an academy award as the stilted but caring Aunt Betsey Trotwood. This was the quintessential role for W. C. Fields as the penniless Micawber. Jessie Ralph as the faithful, loving Nurse Peggotty was perfectly cast. What is so amazing, too, is that this film does a fine job of capturing many of the details in the almost 700-page novel. With George Cukor as director, it is not surprising this was a fine film.

A bit too compressed

[bandw · 7/10 · 30 October 2010]

This movie is entertaining enough for many reasons, but unfortunately I had read the book before seeing the movie and came away feeling that the movie failed to capture the richness of the book. I suppose it is not possible to capture Dickens' masterfully detailed descriptions on screen in a two hour movie. The characters are vividly rendered, although somewhat caricatured. I am tempted to reread the book with the images from the movie in mind.

With so much material to cover the story is rushed from scene to scene almost in a sequence of vignettes, often played as if this were a stage play. David goes quickly through the stages of his life. With so many characters, the character development is not deep. For example, Uriah Heep's treachery is not revealed gradually, but erupts in a crucial scene near the end. You have to give Dickens credit for his talent for names (Murdstone, Barkis, Gummidge, Peggotty, Clickett, Micawber, Steerforth, and so on) and the name Uriah Heep is a master stroke to the point where it has entered the language to refer to a person presenting a guise of humility as a cover for devious ambition. And the name lends itself to a wonderful double entendre when Micawber refers to him as "you Heep of infamy."

As the young Copperfield I found Freddie Bartholomew to be too much of a child actor rather than a believable character. Some sequences cannot be taken seriously, like David's 72 mile trek to Dover--what was he living on during that arduous journey? The sappy score is a bit off-putting, but maybe can be forgiven for a 1935 movie.

Overall the positives outweighed the negatives for me, the main positive being to see so many interesting actors assembled in one cast.

A film largely worthy of Dickens' masterpiece

[richard-1787 · 8/10 · 5 September 2015]

Generations continue to read Dickens' best works, David Copperfield among them, because he created unforgettable characters through their language. Granted, the characters are often exaggerated or simplified, but they are nonetheless memorable, and often very lovable.

That's what makes so much of this movie so good. MGM lavished on it their best character actors, and the result is often magical. Edna May Oliver as Betsey Trotwood, Jessie Ralph as Peggotty, Basil Rathbone as Murdstone, Herbert Mundin as Barkis (yes, "Barkis is willin'"), Una O'Connor as Mrs. Gummidge, Lionel Barrymore as Dan Peggotty, Violet Kemble Cooper as Jane Murdstone, W. C. Fields as Micawber, the sadly forgotten Lennox Pawle unforgettable as Mr. Dick, the versatile Roland Young remarkable as Uriah Heep. These actors and actresses all create vivid characters, sometimes with very little screen time. They make Dickens come alive before our eyes.

The only weak spot, to me, is the cypher Elisabeth Allen as David's mother. For me, she is a zero in several otherwise very good MGM movies from this period. She conveys no personality. I do not understand why she was given one major role after the next. She is forgettable in all of them. The thought that she was originally contracted to appear opposite Robert Donat in one of my favorite movies, Goodbye Mr. Chips, is chilling. She was replaced by Greer Garson, who was great in that movie and helped make it the masterpiece it is. Elisabeth Allan would have made it a much inferior movie, despite Donat's deservedly Academy Award-winning performance as Chips.

Freddie Bartholomew is fine as the young David, but Cukor directed him to be far too emotional for my tastes. (You can see in the trailer that "tears" were intended here.) He is much better in films like Captains Courageous, made two years later and directed by Victor Fleming.

The only problem with this movie, for me, is that, while the script is good, it sometimes radically abbreviates major moments. (In the edition I read, the novel has 848 pages. Reducing that to a 2-hour movie is a real challenge.) Just as one example: during the storm that is wrecking the ship on which Steerforth is returning to England, Ham, from whom Steerforth seduced Little Emily only to abandon her later, swims out to the ship in order to save the crew. He climbs on board and sees Steerforth, who sees him. There is the potential for a great, elemental confrontation scene there, set against the wild storm, but it is passed over almost immediately to the next scene, where the two men's lifeless bodies are dragged up on shore.

Even the great scene near the end where Micawber denounces Uriah Heep, one of the great moments in the novel, could have been given more time to build, though its still very good. (With this cast, how could it not have been?)

Definitely worth a watch.

Tough and Tender Minded

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 20 February 2005]

On a tour of America, Charles Dickens met Edgar Allan Poe. It couldn't have been much of a conversation. One writer was maybe the most effective speller of psychological nightmares who ever lived, and the other was an advocate of the poor and a fighter against social inequity. The psychologist and the sociologist.

I never read Dickens' novel which, if this movie is at all faithful, follows Davie Copperfield from his infancy through his young manhood. There are romantic mismatches and tragedies and a bit of comedy along the way. But maybe the most memorable character is Mr. Micawber, on whom a few comments may be lavished. First of all, what a great name, especially for a clown. Micawber is haunted by debt and is constantly on the run from his creditors while trying to support a large family. W. C. Field, dressed in formal clothes several sizes too small for him, is perfect in the part. "Godfrey Daniels!", he exclaims in one of his other films. Is that very far removed from, "Shades of Nicodemus!" in this film? When we are introduced to Micawber we see him returning home. He spots his doorway clogged with creditors and makes an abrupt about face, sneaking around until he is able to climb through a window into his flat. His family crowd around him and applaud his entry. "I have avoided the scurrilous machinations of our enemies!" he announces. "In short -- I have arrived." The line doth roll trippingly from his tongue.

His casting as Micawber was stroke of genius on somebody's part, but then all the casting is fine. The actors, the characters, and the names all suit one another. Edna May Oliver as Aunt Bitsy, sensible and no nonsense, and with that strangest of long prim faces. Basil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone (pronounced "Murd-stun"), the cold-hearted sadistic stepfather. Mr. Dick looks right but is more daft than amusing. Uriah Heap (great name!), the fawning and evil hypocrite, played by Roland Young. Mr. Dick, the good-natured idiot, looks exactly like Benny Hill. Davie's first wife, Maureen O'Sullivan, has an IQ that's less than her height in inches. Perhaps only the people who play Davie himself, at whatever age, are a bit bland.

The story contrasts two personality types that William James called the tough minded and the tender minded. Mr. Murdstone represents the tough minded -- discipline, authoritarianism, punishment. (How his eyes gleam as he swats his palm with the switch that is about to be applied to Davie's bottom.) Peggotty represents the opposite, the always nurturing, always loving maid who, in the end, is as helpless to change things as Mr. Murdstone. The real heroin is Aunt Bitsy, who is tough on the outside and tender on the inside, like a breaded veal cutlet at Appleby's.

A lot of subplots crop up. Maureen O'Sullivan, Tarzan's succulent and uninhibited mate of a few years earlier, is a dotty but loving wife who dies at a convenient time. (There are a couple of other deaths, all tragic because the deceased were fundamentally good people.) The clever and aristocratic Steerforth breaks up a happy engagement and runs away with a young working girl and ruins her.

Those subplots are part of what is maybe an unavoidable problem. They're squeezed into the plot so that the movie must rush along and spell things out like a Classic Comic version of Dickens' novel. Even the music supports the hasty narrative. The score is what used to be called "mickey mouse" music because it resembles that of a cartoon. If somebody drinks out of a mug, the score matches the tempo of his Adam's apple -- glug glug glug. A shot of a cute little doggie is accompanied by a dozen sobbing violins. I can't imagine how this problem could be overcome, giving the main plot and each subplot its due attention. Maybe it can't be done. The best compromise between the demands of the two-hour movie and the prolix Dickens' novel may be Lean's "Great Expectations," although I always enjoy "A Christmas Carol" too.

The problem is a real one. Just look at the whole title of this novel. "The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger." And is this the same novel that opens with the line -- "Chapter One. I am born."? I mean, you can see the difficulty.

That being said, the movie does run its course cleanly and Cukor the director doesn't linger over any scenes to the point of pain. It's a bit too much like a soap opera in some respects but I was caught up in it this time and rather enjoyed it.

DAVID COPPERFIELD AND WC FIELDS.

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 26 November 2021]

After viewing this film great for more than half a century, it remains the absolute best.

10 Stars And Counting. WC Fields it seems was destined to play the ultimate Dickens character, Micawber; his mannerisms, that VOICE. Runner up, by far, none other than unforgettable Edna May Oliver, a stand-out as tough-cookie Aunt Betsey, again groomed for a Dickens character that no other actress could rightfully play.

Freddie Bartholomew ties it all so well together, perfectly cast as young and impressionable David, and preparing for his next assignment in CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS. Frank Lawton also quite good as the adult David.

It must have been a sentimental "Farewell" when filming finished, you can tell everyone enjoyed being a part of this movie, if not movie history. One has to salute not only the mechanics of this amazing production, but a supporting cast of positively exceptional character actors, all of whom left a tremendous impression on film audiences through the years; Basil Rathbone, Roland Young, Lionel Barrymore (crusty as ever) and Jessie Ralph as Nurse Peggotty.

Thank you, especially, to director George Cukor. Cukor's next assignment was SYLVIA SCARLETT.

Always on dvd and remastered blu ray.

Less Than Meets The Eye

[cstotlar-1 · 6/10 · 28 December 2013]

I hate to be odd man out on this but I was expecting a much better film. It was Dickens "Hollywoodized" and smacked of that Anglo-American pinkies-in-the-air of Jolly Olde England that so many Americans swallow as the way England is or was at some time in the past. Given the size and richness of the book, the film had to be episodic and leave out many pertinent details in the plot. This, I think, was handled quite well, but the Disney-like sets and accents strong enough to curdle milk didn't work for me. David Lean would have trimmed off the excesses in no time. I wonder if the Brits trying to imitate the Americans would have fallen into so many holes?

Curtis Stotlar

Depressing

[glenno-42453 · 5/10 · 19 December 2020]

A story in which you of course pull for the plucky and honest Mr. Copperfield. But one in which almost no one ever makes the right decision. .

Thoroughly frustrating.