Jane Eyre (1934 film)
Encyclopedia
Jane Eyre is a 1934
American romantic drama film
directed by Christy Cabanne
, starring Virginia Bruce
and Colin Clive
. It is based on the 1847 novel of the same name
by Charlotte Brontë
, and is the first adaptation to use sound.
orphan
who secures a position as governess
at Thornfield Hall
. She falls in love with her employer.
gave the film 2 stars (out of four), describing it as a "[t]hin version of the oft-filmed Bronte novel, produced by Monogram
, of all studios[...] Still, it's not uninteresting as a curio."
1934 in film
-Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...
American romantic drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Christy Cabanne
Christy Cabanne
Christy Cabanne , born William Christy Cabanne, was an American film director, screenwriter and silent film actor. Christy Cabanne was, along with Sam Newfield and William Beaudine, one of the most prolific directors in the history of American film.-Biography:Cabanne graduated from the U.S...
, starring Virginia Bruce
Virginia Bruce
Virginia Bruce was an American actress and singer.-Career:Born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she went with her family to Los Angeles intending to enroll in the University of California when a friendly wager sent her seeking film work. She got it as an extra in Why Bring That...
and Colin Clive
Colin Clive
Colin Clive was an English stage and screen actor best remembered for his portrayal of Dr...
. It is based on the 1847 novel of the same name
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. with the title Jane Eyre. An Autobiography under the pen name "Currer Bell." The first American edition was released the following year by Harper & Brothers of New York...
by Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
, and is the first adaptation to use sound.
Plot summary
A VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
who secures a position as governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
at Thornfield Hall
Thornfield Hall
Thornfield Hall is the home of the male romantic lead, Edward Rochester, in the 1847 novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Thornfield Hall is also where a large part of the action takes place....
. She falls in love with her employer.
Differences from novel
- Only two Reed children appear.
- Lowood School/Institution is instead Lowood OrphanageOrphanageAn orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
For Girls. - Juian Severn is not revealed in this version
- Miss Temple cuts Jane's hairHairHair is a filamentous biomaterial, that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Found exclusively in mammals, hair is one of the defining characteristics of the mammalian class....
as soon as Jane arrives at Lowood. - Helen Burns does not appear.
- Jane is dismissed as teacher from Lowood for interfering when Mr. Brocklehurst is disciplineDisciplineIn its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
ing a girl for making a caricatureCaricatureA caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
of him. Ms. Temple expresses her concerns but Jane comforts her saying she'll manage because of a small inheritance her uncle left her. - Jane meets Mr. Rochester, and scares his horse, for the first time before arriving at Thornfield Hall.
- Adele's surname is Rochester, and Mrs. Fairfax says Mr. Rochester is her uncle. No reference to a past in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or the name Varens is given. - The death of Mrs. Reed is cut, so Jane does not return to Gateshead Hall.
- Mr. Rochester and his guests at Thornfield Hall do not play charadesCharadesCharades or charade is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by pantomiming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to...
and Mr. Rochester does not disguise himself as a Gypsy woman. - When Mr. Rochester returns from a trip to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he gives Adele a puppy dog and Jane a bookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
with the Sonnets of ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. Adele calls the dog FridayFridayFriday is the day between Thursday and Saturday. In countries adopting Monday-first conventions as recommended by the international standard ISO 8601, it is the fifth day of the week. It is the sixth day in countries that adopt a Sunday-first convention as in Abrahamic tradition...
"because he's black, and that's the day uncle Edward came home." - Rochester says the marriage to Bertha Mason has been annulled.
- When Jane leaves Thornfield Hall, Rochester takes off after her by horse. He does not find her and when he returns to Thornfield Hall the building is on fire.
- Jane does not work as a teacher but serves soupSoupSoup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
to poor people in a missionMission (station)A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
. It is not revealed how she came to that position. - Jane's relationship to John Rivers is comprised to a single scene where he asks her if she has definitely decided to go to IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with him. She has, but when he asks her to become his wife she wants to think it over. She composes a note "Tomorrow I marry John Rivers. Then — India, to work — and forget. Forgive me, Edward. I love you, and always will." - When serving soup she recognizes Sam Poole who reveals what happened at Thornfield after Jane left.
- Mary and Diana do not appear and Jane's kinship to them and John Rivers is not revealed.
- Rosamond Oliver does not appear.
- Jane does not inherit a fortune.
Cast
- Virginia BruceVirginia BruceVirginia Bruce was an American actress and singer.-Career:Born Helen Virginia Briggs in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she went with her family to Los Angeles intending to enroll in the University of California when a friendly wager sent her seeking film work. She got it as an extra in Why Bring That...
as Jane Eyre - Colin CliveColin CliveColin Clive was an English stage and screen actor best remembered for his portrayal of Dr...
as Edward Rochester - Beryl MercerBeryl MercerBeryl Mercer was a Spanish-born American-based actress of the 1920s and 1930s.Born to British parents in Seville, Beryl Mercer was best-known for her motherly roles in film and regularly appeared as a grandmother or cook or maid in some high profile films...
as Mrs. Fairfax - David TorrenceDavid TorrenceDavid Torrence was a Scottish-born film actor. His birth name was David Tayson. He appeared in 104 films between 1913 and 1953. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame....
as Mr. Brocklehurst - Aileen PringleAileen PringleAileen Pringle was an American stage and film actress during the silent film era.-Early life:Born Aileen Bisbee into a prominent and wealthy San Francisco, California family and educated in Europe, Pringle began her acting career shortly after her 1916 marriage to Charles McKenzie Pringle, the son...
as Lady Blanche Ingram - Edith FellowsEdith FellowsEdith Marilyn Fellows was an American actress who began her professional career at age 6.-Personal life:When she was a year old, she and her father and grandmother moved to Charlotte, North Carolina...
as Adele Rochester - John RogersJohn Rogers-Europeans:*John Rogers , editor and part translator of the Matthew Bible, and the first English Protestant martyr under Queen Mary...
as Sam Poole - Jean DarlingJean DarlingJean Darling is a former American child actress who was a regular in the Our Gang short subjects series from 1927 to 1929. She remains the last surviving cast member from the silent era.-Career:...
as Jane Eyre as a Child - Lionel BelmoreLionel BelmoreLionel Belmore . When he was born, Wimbledon was in Surrey. He was an English character actor and director on stage for more than a quarter of a century, appearing with Wilson Barrett, Sir Henry Irving, William Faversham, Lily Langtry and other famous actors. He entered in films from 1911...
as Lord Ingram - Jameson ThomasJameson ThomasJameson Thomas was an English film actor. He appeared in 82 films between 1923 and 1939.He was born in London and died in Sierra Madre, California, it is said from Tuberculosis....
as Charles Craig - Ethel GriffiesEthel GriffiesEthel Griffies was an English actress of stage, screen, and television....
as Grace Poole - Claire Du BreyClaire Du BreyClaire Du Brey was an American actress. She appeared in over 200 films between 1916 and 1959.She was born in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho and died in Los Angeles, California, aged 100 years, 11 months....
as Bertha Rochester - William Burress as Minister
- Joan StandingJoan StandingJoan Standing was an English actress. She appeared in 63 films between 1919 and 1940.She was the daughter of Herbert Standing Jr. and granddaughter of Herbert Standing . Her uncles were Wyndham Standing, Sir Guy Standing, Percy Standing, Jr. and Jack Standing...
as Daisy - Richard QuineRichard QuineRichard Quine was an American stage, film, and radio actor and film director.Quine was born in Detroit. He made his Broadway debut in the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Very Warm for May in 1939 and appeared in My Sister Eileen the following year...
as John Reed - Gretta Gould as Miss Temple (uncredited)
- Anne HowardAnne Howard (actress)Anne Howard , was an American actress. She is the grandmother of Rachel Snow.Anne Howard was born on March 18, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was married to Leonard Caulfield and they had one daughter, Vicki Caulfied. Anne retired from acting in 1966, then became active in civic affairs...
as Georgianna Reed (uncredited) - Olaf HyttenOlaf HyttenOlaf Hytten was a Scottish film actor. He appeared in over 280 films between 1921 and 1955.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and died in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack...
as Jeweler (uncredited) - Gail Kaye as Mary Lane (uncredited)
- Edith Kingston as Lady Ingram (uncredited)
- Desmond Roberts as Dr. John Rivers (uncredited)
- Clarissa Selwynne as Mrs. Reed (uncredited)
- Hylda Tyson as Bessie (uncredited)
- William WagnerWilliam Wagner (actor)William Wagner was an American character actor. He appeared in over 50 films between 1931 and 1948.-Film:Born in New York City, New York, Williams is best rememebered today for his role as the cranky father paired with Leonard Kibrick as the father/son villain team in the Our Gang films For Pete's...
as Halliburton (uncredited)
Soundtrack
- Adele sings the "Bridal ChorusBridal ChorusThe "Bridal Chorus" "Treulich geführt", from the 1850 opera Lohengrin, by German composer Richard Wagner, is a march played for the bride's entrance at many formal weddings throughout the Western world...
" from the opera LohengrinLohengrin (opera)Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
, by Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
. - Adele sings "My Bonnie Lies over the OceanMy Bonnie Lies over the Ocean"My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean" is a traditional Scottish folk songwhich remains popular in Western culture.-History:The origin of the song is unknown, though it is often suggested that the subject of the song may be...
".
Critical response
Critic Leonard MaltinLeonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
gave the film 2 stars (out of four), describing it as a "[t]hin version of the oft-filmed Bronte novel, produced by Monogram
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
, of all studios[...] Still, it's not uninteresting as a curio."