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| listal.com |
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:
This time I will write about some of the talking picture adaptions.
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| 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.
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| 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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| listal.com |
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.
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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.
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| 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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| listal.com |
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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| listal.com |
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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| listal.com |
In 1997, director Carey Fukunaga made another adaption. Mia Wasikowska was Jane Eyre, Michael Fassbender was Rochester and Valentina Cervi was Bertha.
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