Favorite Videos of Classic Novels
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spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 23, 2024 04:55 PM)
I haven't seen all on your list, but I would definitely agree with you about
Great Expectations, The Red Bad of Courage, The Heiress, Anne of Green Gables
(love, love, love that one), and
Little Women
(though I prefer the 1994 version). I have also read all of those novels.
I would add these favorites of mine – Oh, wait! You want classic novels; I'll have to think about that and get back to you. Novels to film is one of my favorite subjects.
@PygmyLion
Okay, maybe it's all right to have somewhat newer novels (though not contemporary), so I'll go ahead and add these favorites, all of them coincidentally period films. And I've read them all.
East of Eden
(1955) - film - James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey - from the novel by John Steinbeck.
The Grapes of Wrath
(1940) - film - Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine - from the novel by John Steinbeck.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1939) - film - Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Cedric Hardwick - from Victor Hugo's novel.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
(1945) - film - Dorothy McGuire, Peggy Ann Garner, James Dunn - from the novel by Betty Smith.
To Kill a Mockingbird
(1962) - film - Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Philip Alford - from the novel by Harper Lee.
The African Queen
(1951) - film - Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn - from the novel by C.S. Forester.
Sense and Sensibility
(1995) - film - Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant - from the novel by Jane Austen.
Dr. Zhivago
(1965) - film - Omar Shariff, Julie Christie, Alec Guiness, Geraldine Chaplin Rita Tushingham - from the novel by Boris Pasternak.
Old Yeller
(1957) - film - Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk - from the novel by Fred Gipson.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1959) - film - James Mason, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Diane Baker - from the novel by Jules Verne.
That's enough for now. Thanks for the most interesting thread, PL. I love it and will add more "classic" novels when I have time to think about it. -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 23, 2024 05:52 PM)
As you know, I haven't read any Dicken's novels, and I have only read the first novel - "The Warden" in the Barchester series by Trollope. Otherwise, I have read them all.
I agree with you that the 1994 version of
Little Women
with Winona Ryder is pretty good. I don't go much for the 1948 version though.
"Wives and Daughters" is one of my favorite novels, it is a romance that takes place in the 1840s, when science is becoming of interest. I have read it several times. Further, Justine Waddell is one of my favorite actresses.
Classics Novels can run into the early twentieth century. Like "Grapes of Wrath" by Steinbeck. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 23, 2024 06:20 PM)
Thanks, PL. Good to have that latitude, though I'll have to delete a couple that I added. I'll leave "East of Eden," however, because the novel runs from the 1860s to WWI America, which is when the film takes place.
And I haven't read a lot of Dicken's novels, but "Great Expectations" was the first of his that I did read – when I was in the sixth grade! It was a real effort, to say the least, but very much worth it. I loved it.
And I'm not not familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell's "Wives and Daughters," though I loved the mini-series adaptation of her novel, "Cranford." I've heard so much praise about her works, but have yet to read any of of them. Probably need to remedy that. -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 23, 2024 10:21 PM)
I think most of your novels are alright. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is 1960. It wasn't a classic when I was a kid, but probably is a modern classic now.
I've read "East of Eden", as you mention the film only considers the last portion of the book around WWI. So it is sort of a partial rendition, but worthy of being on the list.
I've never read "The Grapes of Wrath", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", or "The African Queen", but they are all outstanding movies and probably belong on the list.
Another movie I would add:
All Quiet on the Western Front
(1930) - Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 12:17 AM)
Oh, yes,
All Quiet on the Western Front
. I liked the novel, but I absolutely love the film! It's a masterpiece, in my opinion.
Thanks again, so much, for this great topic, unex. I'm still working on titles to suggest, probably from novels that I have not read. That will make things easier for me, I think. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(August 01, 2024 07:59 PM)
Anne of Green Gables 1985 - miniseries - Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, Richard Farnsworth - from L.M. Montgomery's novel. The sequel Anne of Avonlea 1987 is quite outstanding also.
Don't know how I missed this the first time around, PL, but I love, love, love both of these, and especially Megan Follows in them. Follows is an amazing actress, who held her own every inch of the way with Colleen Dewhurst first and later Wendy Hiller. I wish these beautiful gems would re-run sometime soon, but that's not likely, sad to say. -
ZolotoyRetriever — 1 year ago(August 12, 2024 10:04 PM)
The casting choices for Anne have an interesting back-story:
[From Wiki]
During filming of the original movies an open casting call was held throughout Canada in order to find a young actress to play Anne Shirley. Katharine Hepburn recommended that her great niece, Schuyler Grant, play the role of Anne Shirley. Director Kevin Sullivan liked Grant's performance and wanted to give her the role. However, broadcast executives were resistant to cast an American as a Canadian icon. Schuyler Grant ended up playing Anne's best friend, Diana, and Anne Shirley was ultimately played by Megan Follows.
In her first audition, Megan Follows came highly recommended, but she was quickly dismissed by Kevin Sullivan. For her second audition, after a turbulent morning leading up to her audition, a frantic Megan made a much better impression and was given the role. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(August 13, 2024 01:55 PM)
Interesting back-story, indeed. I can't imagine why Sullivan would have dismissed Megan so quickly, but I'm glad he was smart enough to cast her on the second go-round. I've worked with Megan, and I'm telling you she is truly an amazing actress. She would have been a big star, I think, if she had a more glamorous look.
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ZolotoyRetriever — 1 year ago(August 13, 2024 03:42 PM)
I actually have never seen this 1985 miniseries,
Anne of Green Gables
, but since you and PygmyLion highly recommend it, I will definitely give it a watch. I looked at the trailer on YouTube and it looks like it was a top-quality production. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(August 13, 2024 04:39 PM)
Oh, it's a beauty – cast, script, locations – the best version ever made. I love both it and the 1987 miniseries,
Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel
aka
Anne of Avonlea
, in which Wendy Hiller appears. I hope you do enjoy the first, and, who knows, maybe the sequel, too.
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spiderwort — 1 year ago(August 13, 2024 06:57 PM)
Just wanted to add this, Zolo: Megan actually had a role after
Ann of Green Gables
that was up to her talent, the series,
Reign
(2013) in which she played Catherine de' Medici. I wasn't much of a fan of the show – it was a little soapy for me – but Megan was great and, now that I think of it, she was even glamorous.
Boy, time flies! -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 03:49 PM)
I'll add to my list
Lorna Doone
2000 - TV Movie - the main flaw of this movie is that the hero, John Ridd is supposed to be a rather large, strong man, while actor Richard Coyle is average sized. Coyle does a nice job of being bold and daring to make up for it. Amelia Warner is quite stunning as Lorna Doone, and Aiden Gillin is quite despicable as Carver Doone. John Ridd's sisters are played by Honeysuckle Weeks and Joanne Froggart. You have a host of other good British actors filling out the cast like Barbara Flynn, Peter Vaughn, Anton Lestor, Martin Clunes, Michael Kitchen, … Takes place in the late 1600s in Exmoor from the classic novel by R.D.Blackmore -
ZolotoyRetriever — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 04:30 PM)
I seem to recall
White Fang
(1991), based on the 1906 novel by Jack London, was pretty good, though TBH it's been so many years since I've seen it, and even more years since I read the book, that I can't say with certainty whether it did a "pretty good job" with the novel. But I do remember it was well-acted and nicely filmed on location in Alaska, with some great wilderness scenery. -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 06:12 PM)
I was really into the animal stories when I was young, and read both "White Fang" and "Call of the Wild" (along with other stories like the "Wahoo Bobcat" and "The Incredible Journey"). That was like 50 years ago, so I wouldn't do too well with the story either.
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spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 07:14 PM)
A few more:
Moby Dick
(1956), from the novel by Herman Melville, which I've read and loved, but I also love the film.
Huckleberry Finn
, from the novel by Mark Twain, which I've also read and loved. My favorite film version is the 1939 one starring Mickey Rooney and Rex Ingram.
The Magnificent Ambersons
(1942), from the novel by Booth Tarkington and directed by Orson Welles. I enjoy it more than his masterpiece,
Citizen Kane
, made the year before.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
, from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. My favorite film version is probably the 1931 one, starring Fredric March, though I enjoy the 1941 version starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner, too.
The Time Machine
(1960), from the novel by H.G. Wells. A childhood favorite that holds up pretty well.
House of Mirth
(2000), from the novel by Edith Wharton. I just saw this version last year and loved it! Beautifully directed by Terence Davies with a superb performance by Gillian Anderson.
(More to come. . .) -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 24, 2024 11:50 PM)
I guess
Moby Dick
(1956) has to be on the list. I've read it a few times and the movie is good too. My brother was watching a version of
Billy Budd
(1962) that he thought was quite good but I haven't seen it yet.
Huckeberry Finn
is another film that needs to be on the list. I've read the book a few times, but haven't seen the Mickey Rooney film version in a long time. I was watching a decent version of Twain's "Prince and the Pauper" from 1937 just a few months back.
I haven't seen the 1931 version version of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
in a long time. I have recently seen the 1941 version which has Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman in it. Ingrid is great to watch. One also has the 1934 version of "Treasure Island" by Stevenson with Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper.
I've never heard of the
House of Mirth -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 25, 2024 01:48 PM)
Oh, I re-watched
Billy Budd
recently, and I highly recommend it! Haven't read the novel, but love the film.
Haven't seen or read
Prince and Pauper
, so can't comment on that.
And I know what you mean about the 1941 version of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
, because the cast in that one is so engaging, especially Bergman. She's the woman you simply cannot watch and love.
Treasure Island
is, of course, an excellent choice. Haven't seen it in ages, but I remember really enjoying it. Jackie Cooper was a wonderful child actor, the first to receive an Oscar nomination as best actor for his role in
Skippy
when he was only nine years old!
And about
The House of Mirth
: I only knew it as the Edith Wharton novel, which I haven't read. Then I chanced upon the Terence Davies' film version of it, and because I love his work and liked the cast I watched it and loved it. It's about a socialite in the early 20th century who risks losing her chance of happiness with the only man she has ever loved. Gillian Anderson is terrific, and she has a great supporting cast. -
PygmyLion — 1 year ago(June 27, 2024 02:49 AM)
I watched the 1931 version of
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
. It was definitely a step up from the 1941 version. Being pre-code was a plus. Frederic March won the academy award for Best Actor, and is really good in the role. -
spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 27, 2024 12:03 PM)
Yes, I agree with you. It's definitely the better of the two, darker and better directed. And March gives a really outstanding performance, much more realistic and frightening. The 1941 version is more entertaining, I think, and the cast is enjoyable. But the 1931 version is closer to Stevenson's vision. Haven't seen in a long while, but now you've got me wanting to see it again. When director Rouben Mamoulian was good, he was very good.
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spiderwort — 1 year ago(June 25, 2024 02:03 PM)
Adding a couple more, both from novels by E.M. Forster Haven't read the novels, but love the films.
Howard's End
(1992) and
Room with a View
(1985), both set in the Edwardian era, if I'm not mistaken, and both directed by James Ivory.
Oh, and then there's this one that I also love, but haven't read,
The Go-Between
(1971) from the novel by L.P. Hartley and directed by Joseph Losey.