In fact, so many prestigious actors are enrolled from MGM studios for the supporting roles that the two actors who play the lead, David Copperfield, are listed way down in the credits at the Plus more great British actors than you can shake a caneĪt, brought in to play all the quirky characters. Not to mention Lionel Barrymore, Elsa Lanchester and Maureen O'Sullivan. Fields, whose blustery, ne'er-do-well persona perfectly fits Mr. Trotwood, Basil Rathbone as the cold-hearted Murdstone, and comedian W.C. & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger, George Cukor's 1935 movieĪlso features Edna May Oliver as the eccentric aunt Betsey Originally released as The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, Fields, Edna May Oliver, Basil Rathbone, Lionel Barrymore Compressed but grand Dickensĭavid Copperfield (1935): Also called The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger director George Cukor writer Hugh Walpole, Howard Estabrook featuring Freddy Bartholomew, W.C.

Numerous adaptations have been made of Charles Dickens's most autobiographical work, the best to my knowledge being the BBC miniseries of 1999 with Daniel Radcliffe, the future Harry Potter, as young David.īut for a long time, before we got long-form treatments, the 1935 black-and-white Hollywood movie with child star Freddy Bartholomew in the title role has been considered the classic version of David Copperfield-and for good reason. Young Freddy Bartholomew pulls the veteran cast together in David Copperfield.

David copperfield writer