Silent Dickens

Through a series of propositions and a concluding case study of three silent versions of David Copperfield (1849–50), this essay untangles the complex nature and inheritances of Dickens adaptations, from brief sketches to feature-length films, during all phases of the silent era, 1895–1928. The propositions centre on: the specific aesthetics and the audience expectations of silent-film Dickens; national and international production; emphases on character and setting (at the expense of plot and ‘faithfulness’); the importance of childhood reading in developing the ‘Dickensian’ qualities of many film directors (often most powerfully expressed in films which are not Dickens adaptations); and the relationship between silent film adaptation and the Dickens of the magic lantern show, the illustration (especially posthumous Dickens illustration), theatrical adaptation, and the music hall sketch.