The Barretts of Wimpole Street

[mrsl]

So, there I was this morning watching the early news (which is just a rehash of yesterday), waiting for The Barretts of Wimpole Street, and lo and behold, 6:00 a.m. comes and the TV switches channels but comes up in color!!! Since Elizabeth is one of my favorite Norma Shearer roles, I was surprised to see the name of Jennifer Jones come on screen. I wasn't even aware that this version existed! Every time I've seen The Barretts . . . it was always the B&W Norma/Fredric March version.

Naturally I preferred Bill Travers as Mr. Browning since you can take Fredric March and Charles Boyer and roll them up in the same ball and toss them back out the door, but Jennifer just didn't have it for this one. She didn't seem weak or ill at all, of course, Elizabeth really wasn't that bad off, her father was the sick one, but Norma made her seem more frail. Speaking of her father, Sir John Gielgud was certainly a match for Charles Laughton here. He was equally as menacing although in a different way. Laughton used fear, but Gielgud seemed evil.

Bill Travers, although I'm not real familiar with him, I can recall him in other roles, but for the life of me, I can't name them. However, he did carry the part of the charismatic poet to a charming height. Also, in this version, all the brothers and sisters were more lively than in the original. Although they were'nt in too many scenes all together, they all exhibited the family feeling very well.

Did anyone else see this version this morning? and did you know about it?

Anne

[rainingviolets21]

Yes I saw it, too and I remembered Travers from Born Free and noticed the script for both the Shearer version and Jones version were identical, now a question about the father, didn't he want any of his children to marry? Why was his relation to Elizabeth rather scary? I much prefer Charles Laughton in the father role, and Shearer was more believable...

[Ann Harding]

I have never seen the 1957 remake made by the same director. I only know the original 1934 picture. I stands in my mind mostly through Laughton's performance as E. M. Barrett. He gave the part an incestuous slant providing some electricity in his scenes with Shearer.

I know Bill Travers mostly for his part in Cukor's Bowhani Junction (1956) where he plays an Anglo-Indian (with blackface) in love with Ava Gardner.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've only seen the Jennifer Jones version as it was sent me by a friend. I didn't know this version existed. I knew of the Norma Shearer Charles Laughton film but have never seen it.

I agree Jennifer Jones did seem to be enjoying good health throughout the film. John Geilgud was extremely scary and I thought the relationship had incestous leanings from the father's point of view. Why did he want none of te children to marry? I wasn't at all keen on Bill Travers in this film. I'd rather take Frederick March anyday. I like him and Charles Boyer