Dacid Copperfield (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Director George Cukor's involving, painstaking, beautifully mounted 1935 MGM production of Charles Dickens's beloved novel 'David Copperfield' is a wonderful entertainment that offers a plethora of memorable acting turns, to boot. Most films from this era, while well-intentioned, were stuffy. Sure, this film is lengthy & contains those typical dead spots. But on the whole, I was enamored.
After the death of his mother, a young orphan named David Copperfield (Freddie Bartholomew, adorable) escapes from the clutches of his cruel stepfather (Basil Rathbone) & step-aunt (Violet Kemble Cooper), and goes to live with the convivial family of kind, but chronically debt-ridden Mr. Micawber (the great W.C. Fields); when Micawber is sent off to debtors' prison, young David makes his way towards the home of his prickly, but loving Aunt Betsey (Edna May Oliver, superb) & her eccentric friend, Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle) -- there is a fantastic living room scene involving Aunt Betsey & David's stepfather that made me want to fist pump the air; she absolutely RIPS into him -- you go, Auntie!
Upon growing up, David (now Frank Lawton) falls in love with a rather ditzy, but lovely girl named Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan), not realizing that his long-time friend Agnes Wickfield (Madge Evans) - whose father (Lewis Stone) is being manipulated by a sycophantic, blackmailing clerk named Uriah Heep (Roland Young) - is clandestinely in love with him. Light drama ensues.
Charles Dickens' 8th novel was admirably condensed into 133 min. of run time, here. As mentioned above, there are some dead spots. But the film did well at the box office; especially during Christmastime. I would say that the editing makes plotlines feel a touch episodic and/or melodramatic for its own good. And I would imagine that diehard fans of the novel could pick apart the screenplay, here. But I did not read the novel, nor plan to, so I don't rightly care about that, personally.
Good thing that the beloved characters have been brought to life by fine actors - MOST notably Edna May Oliver as the succinct, hard-nosed, yet refreshingly kind-hearted Aunt Betsey. As mentioned before, the way she tears into David's stepfolks is SO good that I had to rewind the scene to watch it again... twice. It is a shame that the Best Supporting categories were created one year later, because I believe Edna May Oliver would have won that category for 1935 in a walk.
Freddie Bartholomew is very good as our sensitive, young David. Basil Rathbone is suitably vicious as stepdad, Mr. Murdstone. Roland Young is stellar as the oily Uriah Heep. Lennox Pawle enchants as the rosy-cheeked, lovably befuddled Mr. Dick. Maureen O'Sullivan is a touch precocious here, but nonetheless, angelically beautiful as Dora -- David's frivolous, ill-fated wife. Good 'ole Lionel Barrymore ably plays Dan Peggotty.
Lovvved Jessie Ralph as Nurse Peggotty. Stalwart character stars like Elsa Lanchester & Una O'Connor make impressions as Clickett & Mrs. Gummidge. And of course, W.C. Fields is pretty iconic here as Mr. Micawber. If there is someone who doesn't register AS strong as some of the others, I actually call out Frank Lawton as adult David; who lacks some charisma. Ordinarily, that would spell disaster for a film if the lead adult character lacks 'something'. But he is good enough. Overall, this cast is incredible and, likely would have won the Screen Actors Guild award if it were in existence back then.
'David Copperfield' is not one of Dickens' darkly atmospheric offerings that many people tend to love. But director George Cukor gives us this unique, sentimental/poignant classic in its own right. From top to bottom {David O. Selznick's wry producing, Cukor's direction, Oliver T. Marsh's crisp black-&-white cinematography, Cedric Gibbons elaborately-detailed period sets, the gorgeous costumes, etc.}, 'David Copperfield' - despite some issues here & there - is a quality film & an enjoyable treat that wins over those who've seen it for nearly 90 years.
After the death of his mother, a young orphan named David Copperfield (Freddie Bartholomew, adorable) escapes from the clutches of his cruel stepfather (Basil Rathbone) & step-aunt (Violet Kemble Cooper), and goes to live with the convivial family of kind, but chronically debt-ridden Mr. Micawber (the great W.C. Fields); when Micawber is sent off to debtors' prison, young David makes his way towards the home of his prickly, but loving Aunt Betsey (Edna May Oliver, superb) & her eccentric friend, Mr. Dick (Lennox Pawle) -- there is a fantastic living room scene involving Aunt Betsey & David's stepfather that made me want to fist pump the air; she absolutely RIPS into him -- you go, Auntie!
Upon growing up, David (now Frank Lawton) falls in love with a rather ditzy, but lovely girl named Dora (Maureen O'Sullivan), not realizing that his long-time friend Agnes Wickfield (Madge Evans) - whose father (Lewis Stone) is being manipulated by a sycophantic, blackmailing clerk named Uriah Heep (Roland Young) - is clandestinely in love with him. Light drama ensues.
Charles Dickens' 8th novel was admirably condensed into 133 min. of run time, here. As mentioned above, there are some dead spots. But the film did well at the box office; especially during Christmastime. I would say that the editing makes plotlines feel a touch episodic and/or melodramatic for its own good. And I would imagine that diehard fans of the novel could pick apart the screenplay, here. But I did not read the novel, nor plan to, so I don't rightly care about that, personally.
Good thing that the beloved characters have been brought to life by fine actors - MOST notably Edna May Oliver as the succinct, hard-nosed, yet refreshingly kind-hearted Aunt Betsey. As mentioned before, the way she tears into David's stepfolks is SO good that I had to rewind the scene to watch it again... twice. It is a shame that the Best Supporting categories were created one year later, because I believe Edna May Oliver would have won that category for 1935 in a walk.
Freddie Bartholomew is very good as our sensitive, young David. Basil Rathbone is suitably vicious as stepdad, Mr. Murdstone. Roland Young is stellar as the oily Uriah Heep. Lennox Pawle enchants as the rosy-cheeked, lovably befuddled Mr. Dick. Maureen O'Sullivan is a touch precocious here, but nonetheless, angelically beautiful as Dora -- David's frivolous, ill-fated wife. Good 'ole Lionel Barrymore ably plays Dan Peggotty.
Lovvved Jessie Ralph as Nurse Peggotty. Stalwart character stars like Elsa Lanchester & Una O'Connor make impressions as Clickett & Mrs. Gummidge. And of course, W.C. Fields is pretty iconic here as Mr. Micawber. If there is someone who doesn't register AS strong as some of the others, I actually call out Frank Lawton as adult David; who lacks some charisma. Ordinarily, that would spell disaster for a film if the lead adult character lacks 'something'. But he is good enough. Overall, this cast is incredible and, likely would have won the Screen Actors Guild award if it were in existence back then.
'David Copperfield' is not one of Dickens' darkly atmospheric offerings that many people tend to love. But director George Cukor gives us this unique, sentimental/poignant classic in its own right. From top to bottom {David O. Selznick's wry producing, Cukor's direction, Oliver T. Marsh's crisp black-&-white cinematography, Cedric Gibbons elaborately-detailed period sets, the gorgeous costumes, etc.}, 'David Copperfield' - despite some issues here & there - is a quality film & an enjoyable treat that wins over those who've seen it for nearly 90 years.