Anne of Green Gables (1934)

Very Amusing

In "Anne of Green Gables" (1934), Marilla Cuthbert (Helen Westley) and Matthew Cuthbert (O.P. Heggie), middle-aged siblings who live together at Green Gables, a farm in Avonlea, on Prince Edward Island, decide to adopt a boy from distant orphanage to help on their farm. But the orphan sent to them is a precocious girl of 14 named Anne Shirley (Dawn Evelyn Paris-a veteran of Disney's series of "Alice" shorts who later would adopt her character's name).

Anne was only 11 in Lucy Maude Montgomery's source novel but the same actress could not credibly go from 11 to college age during the course of the story. As in the book, Anne is bright and quick, eager to please but dissatisfied with her name, her build, her freckles, and her long red hair. Being a child of imagination, however, Anne takes much joy in life, and adapts quickly to her new family and the environment of Prince Edward Island.

In fact this Anne is the original "Teenage Drama Queen" and the film's screenwriter elected to focus on this aspect of her character. Which transformed the basic genre from mildly amusing family drama to comedy. A change that delighted audiences and that continues to frustrate reader purists.

Since the comedy is very much in the spirit of the Montgomery's story I can see no reason to take issue with the changes, but let this serve as fair warning to anyone expecting a totally faithful adaptation. The comedy element is the strength of the film as it is one of the earliest self-reflexive parodies of Hollywood conventions. The actress Anne Shirley was one of Hollywood's all- time beauties and the film is in black and white. So much of the amusement is in seeing the title character's endless laments about her appearance and hair color contradicted by what is appearing on the screen. Anne regularly regales her no nonsense rural companions with melodramatic lines like: "If you refuse it will be a lifelong sorrow to me". Perhaps the funniest moment is when she corrects the spelling of her name on the classroom blackboard.

Tom Brown does a nice job as Anne's love interest Gilbert Blythe and Sara Haden steals all the scenes in which she appears as the Cuthbert's pompous neighbor.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. October 13, 2008

OK if you don't read the books first

I love the Anne of Green Gables books and have seen the BBC miniseries as well as the more famous Kevin Sullivan version. I was very excited to see this movie, the original. I enjoyed the wagon ride with Matthew and Anne and how closely the events and dialogue followed the novel. I could live with the fact that they blended Mrs. Rachel Lynde with Mrs. Barry. Once it gets to the scene where Gilbert rescues Anne on the pond, it is all downhill from there. The plot goes off into left field so unnecessarily--the story told in the book is so beautiful that changing it into a tired and predictable star crossed lovers plot is very frustrating to watch. Also, it seems a sacriledge that they say that Gilbert's father stole Matthew's sweetheart when they were younger. A trademark characteristic of the shy endearing Matthew created by L.M. Montgomery is his timidity and fear of members of the fairer sex. However, I did enjoy Tom Brown's overall portrayal as Matthew, and in this version more than any of the others does he seem to be a true kindred spirit to the young Anne. I did NOT like how Helen Westley portrayed Marilla. Marilla is stern and somewhat curt or sarcastic at times, but Ms. Westley portrays her as domineering and mean. She is constantly glaring at Anne with squinted eyes. When Matthew mentions Anne's queer ways and Marilla responds, "I loved her for them," the line is delivered in a beautiful and touching manner than I wish was present in the rest of the movie. Also, the time passing seems rushed and uneven. This is not a bad movie, but it is a shame that the film makers did not continue to stay true to the story that so many people love. May 18, 2008

The Good Old Version of Anne

We've been hunting everywhere for this old version of Anne of Green Gables - this is the one my mother remembers and keeps telling me about. How delighted she was to see it again. Excellent literary humor.
Carolivia Herron August 29, 2007

Loved It!

I'm a huge fan of the books and of The Canadian mini series but I also love this old b/w version from 1934. It's really very charming! January 22, 2006

A Fan Of The Books Who Loved This Movie!

I love the Anne Shirley books by L.M. Montgomery and this is the 1934 black and white version of Anne Of Green Gables and while the 1986 Canadian miniseries remake starring Megan Follows is definitely better this is also a great movie! I read that actress Dawn O'Day found the character of Anne Shirley so charming and delightful and a kindered spirit that she changed her name to Anne Shirley, not sure if she legally changed it to Anne Shirley or just used it as her stage name but all I know is that she was splendid in this movie and really captured the charm and spunk of Anne that L.M. Montgomery created in her superb novels! The actress who played Marilla though giving a fine performance wasn't quite as good as Colleen Dewhurst but then who could possibly be a better Marilla then her? This movie is definitely recommend to fans of the novels and of the Anne movies that star Megan Follows. I willl definitely have to think about getting this movie on DVD! October 18, 2005

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