David Copperfield (1974 TV serial)
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David Copperfield is a British six-part television serial of the 1850 Charles Dickens novel adapted by Hugh Whitemore, directed by Joan Craft and first shown on BBC 1 in weekly parts from 1 December 1974 to 5 January 1975.[1] It was a co-production with Time-Life Television Productions.[2] It is the earliest BBC adaptation to exist in its entirety. The 1956 adaptation is completely lost, whilst only four of the 1966 adaptation's episodes are known to exist.
Plot
For a detailed plot, see David Copperfield (novel).
Cast
- Jonathan Kahn as David Copperfield (child)
- David Yelland as David Copperfield (adult)
- Martin Jarvis as Uriah Heep
- Arthur Lowe as Wilkins Micawber.
- David Troughton as Ham Peggotty
- Ian Hogg as Dan Peggotty
- Timothy Bateson as Mr. Dick
- Patience Collier as Betsey Trotwood
- Anthony Andrews as Steerforth
- Patricia Routledge as Mrs. Micawber
- Pat Keen as Peggotty
Critical reception
This version was generally well received.[3] In Clive James review for The Observer he wrote: "David Copperfield is as good as everybody says. Steerforth's flaw is well conveyed by Anthony Andrews, and Uriah Heep, played by Martin Jarvis, is a miracle of unction: to hear him talk is like stepping on a toad long dead. But Arthur Lowe's Micawber is better than anything. He follows W. C. Fields in certain respects, but is graciously spoken; and his gestures are as delicate as Oliver Hardy's. Not that his performance is eclectic - it is a subtle unity like everything he attempts."[4]
References
- ^ "David Copperfield". 1 December 1974. p. 35 – via BBC Genome.
- ^ "David Copperfield Part 6 (1975)". BFI.
- ^ "David Copperfield (1974) - Joan Craft | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie" – via www.allmovie.com.
- ^ Clive James Visions Before Midnight, p.112. Fields played Micawber in the 1935 film version.
