David Copperfield
A scene from David Copperfield (1911)
Directed by	Theodore Marston
Based on	David Copperfield 1850 novel by Charles Dickens
Distributed by	Thanhouser Film Corporation
Release date	October 17, 1911 (1911-10-17)
Running time	3 reels
Country	United States
Language	English

David Copperfield is a 1911 American silent short drama film based on the 1850 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. It is the oldest known film adaptation of the novel.

Overview

The film was made by the Thanhouser Film Corporation, an independent company located in New Rochelle, New York founded by Edwin Thanhouser.^[1] The film has been credited to Theodore Marston,^[2] but recent research points to George O. Nichols as director.^[3]

Plot

David Copperfield consists of three reels and as three separate films, released in three consecutive weeks, with three different titles: The Early Life of David Copperfield, Little Em'ly and David Copperfield, and The Loves of David Copperfield.^[4]

Cast

• Flora Foster as David Copperfield as a boy.
• Ed Genung as David Copperfield as a man.
• Marie Eline as Em'ly as a Child
• Florence La Badie as Em'ly as a Woman
• Mignon Anderson as Dora Spenlow
• Viola Alberti as Betsey Trotwood
• Justus D. Barnes as Ham Peggotty in part one
• William Russell as Ham Peggotty in part two
• William Garwood Ham Peggotty in part three

Status

A print of the film still exists and is currently in the public domain.^[4]