When the Hollywood studio system of the 1940s decided to make Pride and Prejudice, they did so with a fairly low opinion of the intelligence and taste of its audience.

Quite apart from their belief that all old-time ladies dressed in hoop skirts like southern belles, the studios were quick to remove the edge of Jane Austen's social rapier, and to introduce some very 1940s values and explanatory dialogue.

The stories of the courtships of the three of the daughters is squeezed into a short film, making Pride and Prejudice a bit of a headlong rush to the altar. For aficiandos, some of the best scenes and finest lines are missing from this version.

For contemporary audiences, with access to the 1990s BBC miniseries version, this film is more like a quick overview of the highlights than a true bringing to screen of one of the most famous love stories in literature.

However, this is a good film for its type and day, and well worth a viewing.

by Ali Kayn For credits and official site details, see below Search Festivale for more work by the film-makers below. See also: Autumn 2010 Reel Life: The Jane Austen Movie Club .

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Just the facts: Title: Pride and Prejudice (1940) Written by: Jane Austen (novel); Aldous Huxley, Victor Heerman uncredited, Helen Jerome dramatisation, Jane Murfin Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard running time: rating: The Players: Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland, Maureen O'Sullivan, Ann Rutherford Official website: IMDb entry For session times of current films, use the cinema listings on the Movie links page. For scheduled release dates, see the coming attractions section. For more information about this movie, check out the internet movie database. For the latest additions to Festivale, check out the change history section.