JANE EYRE (1943), JANE EYRE (2011)

Jane Eyre 1847

Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (the novel) is written in dense, wordy detailed prose. The narrative is in first person and does seem to divide readers on whether or not they like the style. Personally, I think it is so expertly written that Bronte can get away with going into such excruciating detail. The audiobook version I listened to clocked in at a robust 22 hours!

But how do you make it into a film? The style of a movie is vastly different than a book, maybe more so in this case. For example, you can't, or don't need to describe a person's appearance over and over again in a movie because we can see what they look like!

You also have to decide how to structure the plot.

I break down the plot of the book into these sections:

1) Jane's childhood and her unhappy upbringing from Sarah Reed, her miserable Aunt.

2) Jane's time in Lowood school (mostly at age ten), often under the guidance of the tyrannical Mr. Brocklehurst.

3) Eighteen-year old Jane leaves the school to play governess at Thornfield Hall. The master of the house is Edward Rochester, whose complicated relationship with Jane slowly blossoms into love.

4) But before we get to the love part, Sarah's Aunt is on her death bed and Jane has to leave Thornfield and go tend to her for awhile.

5) After returning to Thornfield, Rochester proposes and the couple declare their love for each other and are about to get married, but...it is exposed that Rochester has a crazy wife who has been living in the attic the whole time!

6) Jane decides she can't stay and wanders on a journey that almost kills her. She winds up in the house of St. John and her sisters. It goes well for awhile, until St. John wants to marry her and take her to India with him on a missionary trip. Jane won't stay under those circumstances and leaves.

7) Jane returns to Thornfield and finds much of the estate damaged by fire. It turns out that Rochester's wife tried to set the house on fire before jumping to her death. There are no other casualties, though Rochester was blinded during the fire. Jane and Rochester reconcile and get married.

 Orson Welles and Joan Fontaine in

Jane Eyre 1943

So how does the 1944 version of Jane Eyre (screenplay by Aldous Huxley and John Houseman) run the plot?
Part 1 we have. Jane (Peggy Ann Garner) has to deal with her Aunt (Agnes Moorehead) before being sent off to Lowood.
Part 2 we have. Jane has to deal with the travails of the school, but does have one friend named Helen (a young Elizabeth Taylor) who tragically dies during Jane's stay at the school. Fast forward to Jane at eighteen (now played by Joan Fontaine) and she makes the decision to break away from the school and become a governess.
Part 3 we certainly have. Jane becomes entrenched as the governess of the little French girl at Thornhill. We meet Mrs. Fairfax and of course the complicated Edward Rochester (Orson Welles). This is the main part of the movie and this section ends with the crazy wife and Jane leaving. The difference is we have Part 3 followed by Part 5. We then got to part 4 as Jane only goes to her Aunt's deathbed after the wedding debacle.
After than we go to part 7 and the finale. Section 6 with St. John is eliminated  from the story all together.

Michael Fassbinder and Mia Wasikowska in

Jane Eyre 2011

The 2011 version (screenplay by Moira Buffini) actually starts out with Jane's wanderings at the beginning of Part 6! We then go through the movie in flashback starting with Part 1. The rest of the sequences in the movie are pretty faithful to the book, though at under two hours, we do get abbreviated versions.

This version features Michael Fassbinder as Rochester, Mia Wasikowska as Jane. Judi Dench plays Mrs. Fairfax, the head housekeeper at Thornhill.

Both of these versions are in fact under two hours. I haven't watched any other adaptations, but there is a 2005 mini-series (3 hours, 50 minutes), and a 1983 BBC adaptation (4 hours).

And there are plenty of other versions of Jane Eyre out there, including an opera and a Broadway musical!

Still from the lost Jane Eyre silent film from 1910 

TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS (1940), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (2001)

The ultimate model for Harry Potter is "Tom Brown's School Days" by Thomas Hughes, published in 1857. The book depicts the Rugby School presided over by the formidable Thomas Arnold, remembered now primarily as the father of Matthew Arnold, the Victorian critic-poet. But Hughes' book, still quite readable, was realism, not fantasy. Rowling has taken "Tom Brown's School Days" and re-seen it in the magical mirror of Tolkein. The resultant blend of a schoolboy ethos with a liberation from the constraints of reality-testing may read oddly to me, but is exactly what millions of children and their parents desire and welcome at this time.-Harold Bloom, Yale

Harold Bloom's negative review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at least made me think of revisiting Tom Brown's School Days, a movie I haven't seen in decades. I'm talking of the 1940 version, though the book has been adapted to the screen and television several other times.

First the book-Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes came out in 1857 and depicted a fictional account of the author's days at a boys school in England. The book was very popular and helped to increase the sport of Rugby in jolly ole England. The sequel Tom Brown at Oxford was less influential. 

Tom Brown's School Days

The movie stars Jimmy Lydon as Tom, a new student to Rugby school who has trouble adapting, mostly thanks to hazing and bullying by some of the other students, especially the head bully named Flashman, who Tom eventually does stand up to. All seems well when Flashman is expelled, but when word gets out that Tom ratted out Flashman to the Headmaster (A false accusation) he is ostracized. Telling tales is something you don't do to a student no matter what! The school is looked over by the strict but revered Dr. Arnold (Cederick Hardwicke).

This brings us to a little book published in 1997 titled Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. I won't get into the unprecedented popularity of the books in this series and subsequent movies, but I did want to ask the question, "Is Harry Potter just Tom Brown with magic?" The answer is: not really, even though I call it that in front of my wife if I want to get her to roll her eyes at me.

Harry Potter is an orphan raised by the evil Dursley family. Tom Brown comes from a nice home.

Harry goes to Hogwarts school, which has a beloved headmaster named Dumbledore.

Tom has Dr. Arnold. Dr. Arnold does die at the end of the film, though not at the hands of an evil sorcerer.

Harry has a best friend named Ron. Tom has a best friend named East, who turns on Tom when he thinks he's a snitch.

Speaking of Snitch, Harry does have a Rugby/Cricket-like game called Quidditch. I did see a similarity there.

Hogwarts is of course co-ed, so there is no Hermione equivalent in Tom Brown's world.

The teachers at Hogwarts are very colorful characters. The teachers at Rugby are a bit stuffy, but they do provide some comical moments.

Hogwarts has a bully named Draco. Rugby has the bully named Flashman.

There doesn't seem to be the stigma at Hogwarts for "telling-tales" that Rugby has.

So despite some similarities, I have to disagree with the esteemed Mr. Bloom. There will always be some common threads in a similar setting, but Harry Potter is officially absolved (at least on this blog) of being Tom Brown with magic.

I did enjoy visiting both again, though I am more likely to revisit other Harry Potter movies than watch other versions of Tom Brown in the future.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I got to thinking about Harry Potter when I was at the place where you can't help but think of Harry Potter the most...And that is The Wizardy World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida. 

At Harry Potter World, you get to visit a recreation of Diagon Alley (the picture at the bottom) and ride a ride through the Gringott's bank with goblins included (below). You can drink the Butterbeer drink of your choosing and dine at the Three Broomsticks or The Leaky Cauldron. Don't forget about all the shops right out of the movie, such as Ollivander's Wand Shop the Weasley's Magic Store! And you'll certainly have fun on the Hogwarts Express or the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. And if you want to buy a Harry Potter robe or broomstick, there's plenty of places to get one. No, I didn't buy a Harry Potter robe, but it's nice to know I could if I wanted to. If you don't go there as a Harry Potter nerd, you may leave there as one. So watch yourself!

I hear a new Hagrid ride will be opening soon. I may have to go back!

Gringott's Bank at Universal Studios, Orlando

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Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, Orlando

MARY POPPINS (1964), ZORBA THE GREEK (1964)

1964

An Interesting thing looking back at movies from the early to mid-60's is that a lot of the Award winning dramas from that era were still in black and white, whereas lighter musicals and comedies were in vibrant technicolor.

Mary Poppins

And you can't get more colorful than Mary Poppins, the Disney musical fantasy which I hadn't seen in many years, though I did see it on stage just last year. Seeing the movie again, I recognize how engaging Julie Andrews is as Mary. Dick Van Dyke is good too, despite his often criticized English accent. The songs, such as Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, have stayed with us all these years later. If you have kids, get the DVD, they'll watch it again and again I guarantee you!

The 2013 hit film Saving Mr. Banks was about the making of Mary Poppins, but I'd also recommend watching Harlan Ellison's commentary about this film on YouTube before you watch!

Zorba the Greek

Zorba the Greek is a black and white drama based on the Nikos Kazantzakis novel about an Englishman who begins a business in Greece aided by his bigger than life associate, Zorba (Anthony Quinn). There's a lot here about local Greek culture (much of which is very unpleasant) and the trials of starting a shaky business venture in a remote area...and then there's the dancing (pictured above)! Zorba is actually not in the 1001 book, but I like it enough to put it in mine. Here's to good ole' black and white cinematography!

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Like Zorba the Greek, there are many films from the year 1964 that didn't make the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list. Here are some that I've seen...

Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, The Incredible Mr. Limpet...Two of my childhood favorites.

Dr. Lao is the George Pal mystical adventure starring Tony Randall as the mysterious doctor and features Barbara Eden as the sexy librarian. And let us not forget these wise words: 

The whole world is a circus if you look at it the right way. Every time you pick up a handful of dust and see not the dust, but a mystery, a marvel, there in your hand, every time you stop and think, "I'm alive and being alive is fantastic!" Every time such a thin happens, Mike you are a part of the circus of Dr. Lao."

One of the 7 Faces of Dr. Lao

The Incredible Mr. Limpet is the one where the milquetoast  Don Knotts falls into the sea and turns into a cartoon fish! Well, I thought it was cool back in the day.

The cartoon face of
The Incredible Mr. Limpet

Becket, Hamlet

A couple of heavy dramas with the master of heavy thespians, Richard Burton. This version of Hamlet is basically a stage version of the play, but worthwhile for Hamlet completists. (But can one ever actually complete all film versions of Hamlet?)

Alas, Poor Yorick...Burton as Hamlet

The Best Man, Fail Safe, Black Like Me

More of those black and white dramas from the era. All three are worthy of a rewatch...

Fail-Safe, the nuclear Armageddon movie from 1964
that wasn't Dr. Strangelove

Disorderly Orderly, The Patsy

...whereas Jerry Lewis vehicles of the era were in living color.

Hey, Jerry! in The Disorderly Orderly

Viva Las Vegas, Kitten With A Whip, The Pleasure Seekers

Definitely a notable year for that saucy vixen, Ann-Margaret.

Anna and The King in Viva Las Vegas

World of Henry Orient, The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark

Good year for Peter Sellers as well

Inspector Closeau in the lead role in A Shot in the Dark

Flipper’s New Adventures, The Time Travelers

Movies that led to series...Ah, Flipper.I grew up watching the adventures of Bud, Sandy, Porter Ricks and the world's smartest dolphin!

I think Flipper's trying to tell us something!

The Time Travelers-It's a stretch to link this movie to the mid-60's series The Time Tunnel from Irwin Allen, but I so loved the Time Tunnel!...But enough TV remembrances for now...

Okay, this picture is actually from the series The Time Tunnel, 
but it really use to freak me out when they
went down that swirly thing!

For Those Who Think Young, Bikini Beach, Looking for Love

Some lighter beach entertainment with Frankie, Annette, Connie Francis and Bob Denver etc. I have to admit that sometimes I wasn't overly picky about movies I watched on television growing up. Oh, well. They were harmless enough and kinda fun.

For Those Who Think Young
I think during this period, Bob Denver was
sort of a weird transitional hybrid between
Maynard G. Krebs and Gilligan.

Hey There It’s Yogi Bear, Misadventures  of Merlin Jones, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Some more kid stuff. I really liked Yogi's feature film debut, though I have little motivation to revisit it at this point. As far as Merlin Jones, I'm pretty sure I watched this on the Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney and more than likely in two parts over two weekends. I had to include Rudolph on this list because it's only the greatest yearly Christmas special ever!

The inhabitants of the Island of Misfit Toys try to
keep the faith in Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer.

Hush , Hush, Sweet Charlotte, Lady in a Cage, Strait-Jacket

This was also a period of what was known as Grande Dame Guignol (and began with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) featuring a veteran actress (Joan Crawford, Bette Davis or Olivia de Havilland) either being tortured of being a torturer. I remember particularly being disturbed by Lady in a Cage on late night TV during the 70's

Olivia de Havilland contemplating kicking James Caan's ass
in Lady in a Cage

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Goodbye, 1964. Time to get my nose out of a
book and go parading!