David Copperfield (1935) review

Selznick and Cukor tackle Dickens in the too-well-known story of an unwanted waif who learns about life by relying on people and learning judgment-making skills. Cast extremely well - everyone raves about W.C. Fields as Micawber but usually neglect to mention the intentionally wrathful Basil Rathbone playing Mr. Murdstone. Still, despite the written source, it's an overblown production, and the acting is far too melodramatic for me to deal with. Cukor never really establishes a rhythm, aiming entirely for the key points of the book. I couldn't help but think about how David Lean would have directed the movie, considering the grand achievement Great Expectations (he also made Oliver Twist, which I haven't seen yet) was.