Jane Eyre 175 Years -- October 19, 2022

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175 years ago today, Charlotte Brontë, using the male pseudonym Currer Bell, published her most popular novel, Jane Eyre. 

About a year ago, we saw that the story had been adapted into silent movies many times:

Big V Riot Squad: Jane Eyre -- September 13, 1921

This time I will write about some of the talking picture adaptions. 

Akron Beacon-Journal, 04-August-1934

The first talkie that I could find was Jane Eyre, made in 1934 by Monogram. Virginia Bruce played Jane, Colin Clive played Edward Rochester and Claire Du Brey played Bertha Rochester. Christy Cabanne directed. 

Boston Globe, 28-July-1934

Monogram was known for making relatively high-quality B pictures on relatively modest budgets. The success of a costume picture made on such a low budget attracted the attention of other studios.

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In 1943, Val Lewton was in the midst of producing a series of excellent but low-budgeted horror films for RKO. Jacques Tourneur directed I Walked with a Zombie, which borrowed much of its plot from Jane Eyre. Frances Dee played a Canadian nurse who was hired to be caregiver for the sick wife (Christine Gordon) of a wealthy plantation owner (Tom Conway). Things rapidly go sideways. It is always nice to see and hear Calypso singer Sir Lancelot in a Lewton film.

Also in 1943, Robert Stevenson directed the first big-budget sound adaption, which was written by John Houseman and Aldous Huxley. Joan Fontaine played Jane, Orson Welles played Edward Rochester and I don't know who played Bertha. The film was produced and distributed by 20th Century-Fox. Welles played Rochester several times on the radio.

Detroit Free Press, 18-July-1943

Also during 1943, movie star Sylvia Sidney toured the nation with her husband, Luther Adler. Helen Jerome wrote the stage adaption.

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In 1970, George C Scott played Edward Rochester in a made-for-television movie. It was released in theaters in Europe. Susannah York played Jane. Scott did several movies like this in that period, including adaptions of A Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast and Oliver Twist. The later productions were sponsored by Armour Star Ham.

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Director Franco Zeffereli made an adaption in 1996. Charlotte Gainsbourg was Jane, William Hurt was Rochester and Maria Schneider was Bertha Rochester.

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In 1997, director Carey Fukunaga made another adaption. Mia Wasikowska was Jane Eyre, Michael Fassbender was Rochester and Valentina Cervi was Bertha.

Perhaps another time, I will write about non-English language versions or television adaptions.

Booth Tarkington 150 -- March 14, 2018

Time, 31-December-1929

Indiana author Booth Tarkington was born 150 years ago, on 14-March-2018.  I don't think people read his stories and novels much today.  When I was a kid, the only thing I knew about him was that he wrote the novel that Orson Welles used as the basis for The Magnificent Ambersons.  I was already in college when I learned that F Scott Fitzgerald was a great admirer of Tarkington.  Inspired by this, I went to the Anza Branch Library and took out Penrod: His Complete Story, a collection of stories about a boy who grows up.

Seattle Star, 23-January-1915

Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson wrote a play called Cameo Kirby.  It has been filmed several times.  Dustin Farnum, who had played the role on stage, starred in the 1914 version.  John Gilbert played the part in a 1923 version directed by John Ford.  Irving Cummings directed a 1930 version which starred J Harold Murray.  I have never heard of him, either.

Motion Picture Magazine, February, 1922

As far as I can tell, 1922's Penrod, starring Wesley Barry and directed by Mickey Neilan, was the first movie based on a Penrod story.  Ben Alexander played Penrod in a 1923 adaption of Penrod and Sam, also directed by Mickey Neilan.  Ben Alexander played Jack Webb's first partner on the television version of Dragnet.

Billy Mauch played Penrod in three talkies, Penrod and Sam (1937), Penrod and His Twin Brother and Penrod's Double Trouble, both in 1938.

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Monsieur Beaucaire was a play by by Booth Tarkington and Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland.  Rudolph Valentino and Bebe Daniels starred in a 1924 version.  Bob Hope and Joan Caulfield appeared in a 1946 adaption.

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In 1942 Orson Welles based his second feature film on The Magnificent Ambersons, but the movie got butchered by the studio after he left for another project.  There was also a television adaption in 2002.

Orson Welles 100 -- May 6, 2015

Broadcasting, July 15, 1937

Happy 100th birthday to Orson Welles, star of stage, movies, magic, wine commercials and radio.  I wrote a little bit about his movies on my other blog:
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/2015/05/orson-welles-100-may-6-2015.html

This story describes his first job writing and directing for the radio, an adaption of Les Miserables for Mutual.  The "New Drama Technique" was narration. 

Broadcasting, January 15, 1938

Welles played The Shadow in 1937 and 1938.  This article describes it expanding to the Pacific Coast Done Lee network, which was affiliated with Mutual.  It was on a sustaining (unsponsored) basis because sponsor Blue Coal didn't sell its products on the West Coast. 

Broadcasting, June 1, 1938

Welles produced many of his stage successes under the aegis of the Mercury Theater.  When he got a regular radio show on CBS, he called it The Mercury Theater of the Air. 

Broadcasting, August 15, 1938

By August, CBS was touting Wells as a major drama player/director/writer.  For a short time, the show was called First Person Singular. 

Broadcasting, September 15, 1938

Welles participated in a course at Columbia University with several other major radio stars. 

Broadcasting, September 15, 1938

CBS carried the show on into the fall and winter. 

Broadcasting, November 15, 1938

That fall, on 30-October-1938, Welles produced an adaption of The War of the Worlds by HG Wells.  The first half of the show was presented as a news broadcast.  Stories vary, but some people took it seriously.  I did not include the continuation of the article, but it is worth looking up. 

Broadcasting, November 15, 1938

In part because of The War of the Worlds, the show gained a sponsor and became Campbell's Playhouse. 

Broadcasting, November 15, 1938

The fake news broadcast raised some issues. 

Broadcasting, December 15, 1938

The FCC decided not to do anything about The War of the Worlds.

I received a cassette recorder when I was 11 or 12 and used it to record my own radio shows.  One of my first productions was an imitation of "The War of the Worlds," which I had heard on Gene Nelson's old radio show on KSFO.  My father patiently served as the announcer.