A Thanhouser Co. advertisement in the 14 Oct 1911 Moving Picture News proclaimed Little Em'ly and David Copperfield as "Second of the series from the novel by Charles Dickens. The story of simple Little Em'ly and the persons who live around is resonant with dramatic force and surcharged with tragedy. Laughter sometimes penetrates through the tears, which only intensify the pathos."
       Released on Tuesday, 24 Oct 1911, Little Em'ly and David Copperfield was preceded a week earlier by The Early Life of David Copperfield (17 Oct 1911) and followed a week later by The Loves of David Copperfield (31 Oct 1911) [see entries].
       The 11 Nov 1911 Moving Picture World ran the following review: "Second in the series of Dickens' great novel. This, of course, is a seaside picture. It has the good qualities of the first film. It is a sadder story and was harder to act convincingly. It is, however, very successful and effective. Some of its scenes are very highly commendable. Little Em'ly is charming, and the other characters are very well portrayed."
       The 4 Nov 1911 Moving Picture World ran the following review of all three of Thanhouser's "David Copperfield" films, which were often screened together (see below): "Such a picture as this depends largely on characterization, and also on the atmosphere that is given by costumes and settings. In both, the Thanhouser Company has been very successful and is worthy of high praise. The story is well acted and made clear; how could it help being interesting? It is a masterpiece. Perhaps Aunt Betsy is most praiseworthily pictured, but all of the parts are well done. (Second part) This, of course, is a seaside picture. It has the good qualities of the first film. It is a sadder story and was harder to act convincingly. It is, however, very successful and effective. Some of its scenes are very highly commendable. Little Em'ly is charming, and the other characters are very well portrayed. (Third part) A very great deal of matter is crowded into this part. It doesn't grip quite so powerfully as the first two parts, but that isn't saying that it is weak. It is very interesting and good. Taken as a whole, the three reels are very much worthwhile. The novel has been done before. No comparison is needed. Spectators may prefer this character as portrayed in one and that character as portrayed in the other. But most will be very much pleased and delighted with these other motion pictures of our best novel."
       According to the 30 Sep 1911 Moving Picture News, "The smoothness and finesse of the entire performance [in all three movies] is evidence of the attention the Thanhouser directors paid to details. The reproduction of the quaint Dickensian atmosphere made the demands on the directors exacting. They did their share of the work creditably. This production can well be featured as 'An Evening with Dickens.'" The 30 Sep 1911 Moving Picture World noted, "The scenes showing the wreck of the vessel on which Steerforth was a passenger, the desperate efforts of Ham and Peggotty to find a path through the stormy waves and save a life, the drowning of both Ham and Steerforth and their floating bodies in the surf challenge the best displays of realism in a photoplay."
       See also Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's David Copperfield (1935).