English author Charles Dickens was long dead by 1935, but he had suddenly become the most popular novelist in Hollywood. That year, three different studios produced four films adapted from Dickens. Paramount filmed "A Christmas Carol" as Scrooge. Universal tackled The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Dickens last work and one that he was unable to finish.

MGM had the most lavish and successful adaptations, A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield. Both films were produced by David O. Selznick, and shared many of the same cast and crew. They had different directors, however, with George Cukor in the chair for David Copperfield.

The story begins with the famous sentence, "I am born." David is already half an orphan, his father having died six months before his birth. His lovely, gentle mother (Elizabeth Allan) dotes on him, however, as does his middle-aged, uneducated nurse Peggotty (Jessie Ralph).

David's luck turns for the worse when his mother marries proud, exacting Mr. Murdstone (Basil Rathbone). Murdstone rules the household with an iron fist, along with his equally harsh sister (Violet Kemble-Cooper).

Eventually David has to leave home, living first with heavily indebted Micawber (W.C. Fields), then staying with her eccentric Aunt Betsey (Edna May Oliver). Betsey's eternal house guest is the even more eccentric Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle). David is sent to a good school by Betsey's kindly friend, Mr. Wickfield (Lewis Stone). Wickfield's legal assistant is the 'humble', scheming Uriah Heep (Roland Young).

David grows into a young man, and is now played by Frank Lawton. With his school chum Steerforth (Hugh Williams) in tow, David courts sweet but completely immature Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan). David and Steerforth also visit Peggotty, whose generous fisherman brother Dan (Lionel Barrymore) manages an adopted family. Steerforth interferes in the romance between Ham (John Buckler) and Emily (Florine McKinney), putting the family through turmoil.

David Copperfield was an outstanding vehicle for supporting actors, as Dickens had stuffed his novel with memorable, colorful characters. Basil Rathbone is particularly good as David's detestable, abusive stepfather. Edna May Oliver's tantrums are often hilarious, while Allan is sweetness personified as David's mother. All three of these actors were in A Tale of Two Cities with similar characters.

Lionel Barrymore was the biggest name in the cast, but his character has only a small part. In his heavy 'old fisherman' makeup, he is almost unrecognizable. W.C. Fields is a surprise in the role of Micawber. His distinctive drawl is dropped in favor of an adopted British accent, but his comic timing remains intact. Fields was a late arrival to the cast, replacing Charles Laughton who felt inadequate for the comic role.

Writer Hugh Walpole, who helped adapt the novel to the screenplay, makes the only acting appearance of his career. He plays the Vicar.

David Copperfield is a great film, but not a perfect one. Sometimes it is overly sentimental, and little Fay Chaldecott (playing Emily as a child) wasn't much of an actress. (I guess it would have been too expensive for MGM to contract Shirley Temple from Fox.)

Still, given the quality of the cast, script, story, and production, it is one of the best films of the mid 1930s. But not the best film from 1935, as Mutiny on the Bounty deserved won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year. David Copperfield was nominated for that and two other awards, Best Assistant Director (Joseph Newman) and Best Film Editing (Robert J. Kern). (88/100)



Recommended: Yes