USA,
1935, 130 min
Shown in 1966
CREDITS
- dir
-
George Cukor
- prod
-
David O. Selznick
- scr
-
Hugh Walpole, Howard Estabrook
- cam
-
Oliver T. Marsh
- editor
-
Robert Kern
- mus
-
Herbert Stothart
- cast
-
Freddie Bartholomew, W.C. Fields, Edna May Oliver, Roland Young, Basil Rathbone, Lionel Barrymore, Frank Lawton, Maureen O’Sullivan
- prod co
-
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
-
COMMENTS
In the Two Cinema Classics program. Honored in the 1966 Craft of Cinema retrospective, George Cukor appeared in person.
OTHER
An enduring masterpiece that revived world interest in the novels of Charles Dickens as the basis for film narrative. The novelist Hugh Walpole adapted this massive work into a faithful, highly entertaining picturization of a young boy's growth to manhood in 19th-century England. The famous gallery of characters is vividly brought to life, enacted by an almost perfect cast. The young David, played by Freddie Bartholomew, is one of those master strokes of casting that occurs very seldom in the history of cinema. And after 31 years, Bartholomew is still one of the very great child performers of the screen. The tragic circumstances of David's boyhood are brightened by the presence of the inimitable W.C. Fields, playing Mr. Micawber as if Dickens had him in mind a century before. The episodes involving Aunt Betsy Trotwood and Mr. Dick are marvels of cinematic recreation, for they seem to be Phiz's original illustrations brought to life. Although Basil Rathbone may have enjoyed his long career up to now, there is no doubt his portrait of authoritarianism in the form of Mr. Murdstone is his best charade of villainy, while Roland Young's Uriah Heep is the epitome of character-acting genius. David Copperfield is a part of history now, but still fresh, exciting and forever great.
—Albert Johnson
FACTOID #61
The first repertory film screened at Festival was The Bluebird (1940), based on Maurice Maeterlinck’s play, showed October 23, 1965, with Shirley Temple Black in person to discuss her role in the film.
