David Copperfield (1935 film) David Copperfield (1935 film) David Copperfield is a 1935 American film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer based upon the Charles Dickens novel "The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger". A number of characters and incidents from the novel were omitted – notably David's time at Salem House boarding school, although one character he met at Salem House (Steerforth) was retained for the film as a head boy at the school David attended after his aunt Betsey Trotwood gained custody of him. The story was adapted by Hugh Walpole from the Dickens novel, and the film was directed
Charles Dickens to rumours they had been lovers. That the two had a son who died in infancy was alleged by Dickens's daughter, Kate Perugini, whom Gladys Storey had interviewed before her death in 1929. Storey published her account in "Dickens and Daughter", but no contemporary evidence exists. On his death, Dickens settled an annuity on Ternan which made her a financially independent woman. Claire Tomalin's book, "The Invisible Woman", argues that Ternan lived with Dickens secretly for the last 13 years of his life. The book was subsequently turned into a play, "Little Nell", by Simon Gray, and a 2013 film.