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Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Jane Eyre 1957 With Joan Elam and Patrick McNee

We're all in for a treat today! Thisbeciel has found the 1957 Jane Eyre with Joan Elam as Jane Eyre and Patrick McNee as Mr Rochester, and it is really very 'interesting' and... interesting. Yes, I think interesting or 'scary' might describe this well if not just plain funny. Here are a few selected screencaps:

Our plain heroine arrives at Thornfield and hears a terrible scream. ha! Crazy wind you have here, Mrs. Fairfax! Sometime later Mr Rochester gets drunk and frisky.

Missing his Boy Scout days, he built a little campfire on his bed then fell asleep.

And Jane is so devastated here, being preferred to Blanche at the party and all- oh, and she is so sad about being plain.
Mr Mason stumbles down with a knife but it's okay, absolutely nothing is going on.

I know how you all must be anxious to see this version. Thankfully Thisbeciel also uploaded a clip from the scary little second interview (when Rochester gets drunk and frisky).

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's vote for the worst Rochester ever :)

Anonymous said...

John Steed (aka The Avengers) as Rochester!?! Who'd have thunk it!

Anonymous said...

really scary. -_-*

Brontëana said...

to siansaksa:

...Let's hold off on that for a few hours. We do have to see from Heston, of course. :)

Brontëana said...

to amandaj:

In the world of JE adaptations, almost anything is possible.

Brontëana said...

to le_ssa:

...Very. Very scary.

Dr. Mabuse said...

That is the most absurd Jane and Rochester I've ever seen in my life. She's not scared? With this drunken oaf pawing her? Then she's an idiot. I can't imagine Jane being so stupid as to pick a moment like THAT for a Sunday sermon. I think I'll limp back to my 1973 version dvd and cleanse my palate.

Brontëana said...

A good idea! He's basically on the brink of raping her on the stairs and she's still composed enough to clamly delineate the immorality of his drinking habits.

I'm sorry to say there might be more horrors ahead.

mysticgypsy said...

Oh!!! Disturbing indeed!
And she seamlessly allows him to lay that walking stick (or pole) on her bust in such a way! He is by far the sketchiest Rochester I have seen!! Quite a horror really.

Brontëana said...

Hmn, yes. I'd say he IS the sketchiest Rochester. I've seen a lot of minxy Rochesters in my travels but none quite so ...predatory? James Barbour just kept rubbing his chest, and things like that. And McCarthy was not one to respect personal space... And Hinds was very... excitable?

Considering the rest of the film, this probably is the 'horror' element of the production ;)

Dr. Mabuse said...

I hope we'll see more of this trainwreck - I'm strangely eager to see the whole thing now. I was thinking, if this is how Rochester is portrayed, what must they do with Bertha? I can't get over how oblivious Jane is in this scene; could he be any plainer? "'Excuse me, Sir, but I don't understand you,' said Jane, as Mr. Rochester grabbed her boobs." I showed this to my husband last night, and he immediately launched into his very best "drunken pig" impression, complete with belching and scratching his belly. Oh, if only MST3K had found this first!

Brontëana said...

Thank you for your kind words, Victoria!

Brontëana said...

to dr.mabuse:

I've just posted a new clip here.

As I understand it Bertha is sexed up as well. There's a screencap of her attacking Rochester and it looks more like they are doing the tango, or something. She looks like she is dipping him and giving him a kiss. According to thisbeciel she was also 'moving provocatively'' just before. Good grief...

Anonymous said...

I must admit I watched the video clip open mouthed, hardly able to believe my eyes. And yet, there is something less ridiculous about McNee as Rochester than there is about Elam as Jane. Although the script is ridiculous, he does manage to convey something of Rochester's tortured nature. Jane's reaction is bizarre.

Lynne

Brontëana said...

to Lynne:

It is difficult to imagine which is less ridiculous, really. The script is ridiculous, and I wonder how an actress could make the scene seem at all normal. She certainly is an idiot, but so is he if he can't keep his hands to himself no matter how much brandy he has had! I do wonder where they came up with this idea!