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character of Micawber

In Wilkins Micawber
In a 1935 film adaptation directed by George Cukor, American actor W.C. Fields gave a memorable performance as Micawber.
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“David Copperfield” - novel

In David Copperfield: Analysis
…of David Copperfield included a 1935 film starring Freddie Bartholomew, Basil Rathbone, Lionel Barrymore, and W.C. Fields; a 1970 British television movie featuring performances by Ron Moody, Ralph Richardson, Michael Redgrave, and Laurence Olivier; and a well-regarded 1999
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discussed in biography

In George Cukor: The films of the mid- to late 1930s
…Selznick to MGM, Cukor directed David Copperfield (1935), arguably one of the best adaptations of a Charles Dickens novel ever brought to the screen, with a delightful cast that included W.C. Fields, Basil Rathbone, Edna May Oliver, and Elsa Lanchester. Like Little Women, it was nominated for an Academy Award…
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

In Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.
…successes as Grand Hotel (1932), David Copperfield (1935), The Good Earth (1937), The Women (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Gaslight (1944), and The Asphalt Jungle
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Selznick

In David O. Selznick
…of literary classics, such as David Copperfield (1935), Anna Karenina (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938). However, he is best remembered for Gone with the Wind (1939), an adaptation of Margaret
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Freddie Bartholomew

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Freddie Bartholomew

British-born American actor

Also known as: Frederick Llewellyn Bartholomew

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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In full:: Frederick Llewellyn Bartholomew

Born:: March 28, 1924, Dublin, Ire.

Died:: Jan. 23, 1992, Sarasota, Fla., U.S. (aged 67)

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Freddie Bartholomew (born March 28, 1924, Dublin, Ire.—died Jan. 23, 1992, Sarasota, Fla., U.S.) was a child actor who epitomized Hollywood’s vision of a proper little English boy in such Depression-era films as Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and Captains Courageous (1937).

Bartholomew was reared by his aunt, Millicent Bartholomew, who found small stage and screen roles for him in Britain before taking him to Hollywood, where he became an overnight star with his first major role, as the title character in David Copperfield (1934). His popularity soared with films such as Anna Karenina (1935), Kidnapped (1938), Swiss Family Robinson (1940), and Tom Brown’s School Days (1940). At the peak of his short film career, he was the highest-paid child star after Shirley Temple. His fame and rising income brought out his long-absent parents, who filed an unsuccessful and expensive lawsuit to wrest custody from his aunt. After serving in World War II, he briefly returned to acting. In the early 1950s, he moved to New York City and became an advertising executive.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

David Copperfield

Learn about this topic in these articles:

character of Micawber

“David Copperfield” - novel

discussed in biography

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

Selznick

Freddie Bartholomew