David Copperfield (1935)

David Copperfield: Directed by George Cukor. With Edna May Oliver, Elizabeth Allan, Jessie Ralph, Harry Beresford. A gentle orphan discovers life and love in an indifferent adult world.

“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 u0026amp; true. He will grow to be a man made strong by adversity, but still wondering if heu0026#39;ll turn out to be the hero of his own life. He is DAVID COPPERFIELD.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCharles Dickensu0026#39; masterpiece comes to marvelous life in this triumphant translation from literary classic into film. Enormous care was taken by MGM to get the look u0026amp; 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.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe all-star cast is remarkable:u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFreddie 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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eReplacing 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.u0026#39; (You might think Fieldsu0026#39; American accent u0026amp; mannerisms would tend to be grating, but he turns in what is arguably his finest performance. Fields had loved Dickensu0026#39; 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.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLionel Barrymore, as the old fisherman Danu0026#39;l Peggoty, adding yet another exceptional portrait to his gallery of character parts.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEdna May Oliver is unforgettable as the stern, yet loving, Aunt Betsey, forever chasing donkeys off her property – fiercely defensive of those she cares for.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBasil Rathbone as Mr. Murdstone, dark u0026amp; dangerous, full of passions u0026amp; fury.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMaureen Ou0026#39;Sullivan as darling Dora, sweet u0026amp; doomed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRoland Young as an oily Uriah Heep, sniveling u0026amp; devious.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eLewis Stone, Elizabeth Allan, Una Ou0026#39;Connor, Lennox Pawle, Elsa Lanchester, Violet Kemble Cooper, Madge Evans, Frank Lawton – all perfectly cast.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e(Look for E. E. Clive, Lionel Belmore u0026amp; Arthur Treacher in tiny uncredited roles. Sir Hugh Walpole, the celebrated English novelist who adapted the novel for the screen, appears as the Vicar.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSavor this wonderful film again u0026amp; again.”