David Copperfield (1935)

David Copperfield (1935)

aka The Personal History Adventures Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1935)

A terrific telling of Charles Dickens’s classic tale featuring an all star cast! The film follows the trials and tribulations of the title character beginning as a boy (Freddie Bartholomew) whose father dies and mother (Elizabeth Allan) remarries the strict Mr. Murdstone (Basil Rathbone). Though he lives briefly with nursemaid Peggotty (Jessie Ralph and Lionel Barrymore & Una O’Connor) at the beach he later lives with his mother Murdstone and his equally stern sister (Violet Kemble Cooper). When his mum dies he is sent to work in London where he lives with Micawber (W.C. Fields) a naturally humorous gentleman who’s heavily in debt. When Micawber is arrested he walks to his Aunt Betsey’s (Edna May Oliver) house in Dover where he is welcomed with love. After living with her he is sent to learn from Mr. Wickfield (Lewis Stone) and his assistant Uriah Heep (Roland Young) not just the name of a rock and roll band in Canterbury. When Copperfield has grown (Frank Lawton) he becomes acquainted with Dora (Maureen O’Sullivan) and aware of Heep’s treachery. Elsa Lanchester & Arthur Treacher (uncredited) among others also appear. Directed by George Cukor the film received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture & Editing (the first Oscar nomination for Robert Kern); additionally Joseph Newman was nominated in the now defunct Assistant Director category as he had been for San Francisco (1936). Produced by David O. Selznick.

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