Austen and Romance

Though not the most accurate version of Jane Austen 's classic tale, the 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice is my second favorite after the 1995 BBC Miniseries. One of the reasons for this is because the 1940 version has an excellent cast of characters, in particular my favorite actress in the role of Elizabeth Bennet , Greer Garson. This version of the film, with a script primarily written by novelist Aldous Huxley , is more of a combination of Pride and Prejudice along with another Austen novel, Emma.

I won't bore you with the details of a story we all know so well, but I will point out Garson's excellent fellow cast mates in this film. Mr. Darcy is played by the illustrious actor Sir Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland is Mrs. Bennet, Edna May Oliver is Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Edmund Gwenn is Mr. Darcy, Maureen O'Sullivan is Jane Bennet and Ann Rutherford is Lydia. Though the film is not accurate, it is still a treat to see so many wonderful screen greats at their craft.

A lot of criticism arises over how the film does not follow along with the book and how the costumes do not match the period. The film was made in 1940, during the Great Depression when the US still was not recovering entirely because World War II was just beginning. The costumes were reused from epic Gone with the Wind, because MGM did not have the money to make new ones. They also did not have money to shoot some of the location scenes, which is why the Pemberly scene is missing. Keeping up with its Gone with the Wind leftovers, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable were both considered for lead roles in this film.

The film has been remade several times since this inception and will probably continue to be redone. Still, I prefer the book version, if I have to choose. For those that are interested, here is a trailer for the film: