By Doug Gerbino
DAVID
COPPERFIELD (1911) Produced by THANHOUSER COMPANY
What
a terrific little gem of cinema history this is. I just viewed this wonderfully
restored DVD of a 1911 3-reel version of Charles Dickens’ DAVID COPPERFIELD.
Now, before you chuckle at the thought that a Dickens story as long as David
Copperfield can be condensed into three 10-minute reels, I am reviewing this as
a treasure from the early days of the art of cinema. This is like a “Cliff Notesâ€
version (or more like Classic Comics version) of DAVID COPPERFIELD.
The
visual quality of this transfer is very good. Films of this vintage are often
many generations away from the original elements. Aside from being a fun little
condensation of the Dickens original, it is a wonderful, charming look at how
movies were presented in the early part of the 20th century. This ambitious adaptation was filmed
in three installments. Each 10 minute reel was released over three successive
weeks, much like a chapter serial.
The
DVD is a joint venture of The Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc. and
Museo Nazionale Del Cinema of Turino, Italy. It comes with a booklet informing
you of the history of the film and of the techniques utilized in the
preservation process. Optional English subtitles are offered, as is a commentary
track by Dickens scholar Joss Marsh. There is also a Dickens biography, image gallery
and, most impressively, Thanhouser’s 1912 2-reel version of NICHOLAS NICKLEBY.
All of this is lovingly presented by Ned Thanhouser, heir to the original
film company’s founder. This charming DVD presentation is a true work of love.
To order go to:
http://www.thanhouser.org