Anne here, responding to a question from one of our readers. JaneAnn asked, "Why can't we see more books go to TV movies? Although I predominately read, I do like a good movie —generally after I have read the book. TV stinks so my nose is always in a book of one kind or another. I like them all, if well written. Live to read and read to Live." ( JaneAnn will receive a book for the question)
JaneAnn, it's an interesting question. Of course, authors aren't the ones who make the decision about whether to turn a book into a movie, but it's also an issue that's been niggling at me lately. Quite often contemporary romances get made into movies, but I don't know of many (any?) historicals — and given the current popularity of costume dramas, I think that's a pity. Is it maybe because movie producers don't know about the wealth of stories out there, or are there too many to look at, so they don't look at any?
I love Jane Austen, but lately I've been wondering how many more Jane Austen movies, remakes and spinoffs can we bear? Don't get me wrong — I've enjoyed every version of Pride and Prejudice I've seen, from the old black and white version with Greer Garson as Lizzy and Sir Laurence Olivier as a wonderfully stiff Darcy, to the Colin Firth wet shirt series and I even enjoyed the Keira Knightly / Matthew Macfayden version with the peculiar pig-wandering-through scene (what were they thinking of?) I've liked them each for each for different reasons, though the series was the only one that could live up to the book, simply because of its length. And that's just from one title. But really, I think it's time to give Austen a little rest — look around, movie makers and TV producers — there are many more wonderful books out there that would make wonderful costume dramas.
For instance, Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, North and South (with Richard Armitage, sigh,) and more recently, Cranford have all been excellent.
But I would love producers and directors to look wider afield, not just at nineteenth century novelists, but at some more recent novels set in historical times.
In particular, I would dearly love to see Georgette Heyer's books made into movies. Her books are superb — witty, fast paced, well plotted, with brilliant characters. There have been just two of her books filmed, as far as I know — a German version of Arabella, about which I know nothing, and a British adaptation of The Reluctant Widow in 1950 which was so bad that Heyer was reportedly horrified and refused to allow any more of her books to be turned into films.
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I've seen that film — it turns up on late night tv reruns from time to time. It was made as a gothic adventure and the hero was acted by a tall, cadaverous fellow with long gangly legs and a very strange hairdo. Not my image of a hero at all! And the movie heroine was a helpless wimp, not at all like Heyer's Elinore, who was a woman of humor and character. The script writers had no understanding of the appeal of the novel, so they culled all the humor, characterization and subtlety from the book, keeping only the bare bones of the mystery plot. So I can understand Heyer's distress and her subsequent ban.
But fifty years has passed since that debacle, and as far as I am concerned the time is ripe for Heyer books to be filmed, hopefully by the people who did such a superb job of the Gaskell books, or the people who made P&P the series (cue to wet shirt) and not by screen adaptors who don't understand the appeal of the original.
But it's not just Heyer, there are dozens more, probably hundreds of historical romances I can think of that have the qualities necessary to make great movies — action, lively, sparky dialogue and a rattling good yarn, and written by (gasp!) living writers.
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I'd love to see Elizabeth Lowell's 3 connected medieval historicals (Untamed, Forbidden and Untouched) made into movies. Amanda Quick's stories would easily adapt to the screen, I think. Mary Jo Putney and Jo Beverley's books are so meaty and complex they'd make brilliant mini series. I'd love to see Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm made into a movie, and Eva Ibbotson's books would, I think make excellent films. And I would probably kill to see Loretta Chase's Mr. Impossible in a movie, though I'm not sure who'd play Rupert...
And the list goes on as more and more titles spring to mind...
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So if you had the power to make just one historical into a movie or TV series, what would it be, and why?
And if you were able to cast a movie for Mr Impossible, who would you choose to play Rupert?
And if you know any movie producers, please, hand them your favorite historical romance.
I'd like to see Jo Beverley's Malloren series made into a movie series. Possibly George Clooney as Lord Rothgar.
Posted by: Louis | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation books could go on for several seasons (I don't watch TV, but would tune in for that!). I think Rufus Sewell could actually do justice to Rupert, one of my all-time favorite heroes. What a fun blog post.
Posted by: Maggie Robinson | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I love all the Carsington brothers; their stories would make a wonderful mini-series.
As for who could best play Rupert, I adore Simon Baker in The Mentalist, he has so much fun playing the part of Patrick Jane. He always has a twinkle in his eye, just as I picture Rupert. He isn't quite tall enough, but I could get past that minor problem!
Posted by: Patty | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 01:37 PM
Costume drama is expensive to make, which means they generally only make them when the story is so well known as to guarantee an audience--hence, Austen and the Brontes.
British tv does more with classic period drama, partly because television there is great (I basically stopped watching tv when I returned to the US because it was so inferior compared to Brit TV), and also the historical sets are a lot cheaper when there are so many old houses around. :)
Film tends to be a plot driven medium, which a lot of the best romances are more interior, so romances that are filmed tend to have good strong plots, like Nora Roberts' romantic suspense novels. But a lot of the subtle emotional development that we romance readers love doesn't translate well to the screen.
Georgette Heyer would make fabulous tv, and it's jolly well time the BBC gave it a shot. That said, The Reluctant Widow is far from my favorite Heyer, and Elinor was rather tedious. But I'd love to Bath Tangle! Or most any other Heyer.
Ah, who to play Rupert. I find that my mental image of him bears a definite resemblance to Brendan Fraser--big and burly and funny, and smarter than he looks. :)
Mary Jo, who had one book optioned twice, but kept her expectations low, fortunately
Posted by: Mary Jo Putney | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Anne, what a fun blog. I've watched all of the P&P productions and loved the recent Cranford series. Wonder if Gaskell wrote anything else that we haven't seen yet.
My vote for Ruper of Mr. Impossible is Ioan Gryffud. Ooooh! Just the thought....
I would've cast Liam Neeson as Rothgar; I would adore seeing her Mallorens on the screen. The Bridgertons (JQ) would be fn, too.
JoBev, who do you see as Rothgar?
Posted by: Keira Soleore | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 02:13 PM
If you are anywhere near Chicago, the Lifeline Theater has done three productions of Georgette Heyer books and has brought some of them back. I saw all of them and enjoyed them immensely.
http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/about/production_history.shtml
Posted by: romsfuulynn | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 02:15 PM
Louis and Keira, I agree, I think the Mallorens would make an excellent series.
Patty, yes Simon Baker does have that twinkle -- I could imagine him as a Heyer hero (aka Heyro), actually, but does he have the brawn of Rupert? And does Ioan Grifith?
Brendan Fraser has the brawn, you're right, Mary Jo.
It's so difficult to cast heroes when you've got them so firmly fixed in your mind, isn't it?
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 04:20 PM
Maggie, I haven't read the Pink Carnation series -- must look it up.
A Carsington series would be brilliant, wouldn't it? And yes, I could see Rufus in the Rupert role, too.
Keira, Elizabeth Gaskell did write some other books, but those three are her best known. That said, given the success of the productions so far, I wouldn't be surprised if they did mine the rest of her literary output.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Mary Jo I agree, so many romances are conducted in thoughts and feelings. I watched a contemporary movie once, made from a romance book, and it felt very slow. But if a lot of the romance is conducted verbally, dialogue with spark and verve is instantly accessible and appealing. I think that's why Austen is still so widely popular compared to some of her contemporaries-- so much of P&P for instance is carried by dialogue and it instantly brings her characters and their world to life.
I should have mentioned the snob value to adapting a nineteenth century text -- a "classic of English literature" sounds so much better than a best-selling romance.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 04:33 PM
I agree completely about the Heyer books making great movies or mini series; Arabella would be hillarious as would Frederica. I would also love to see the Mallorans as a mini series but please no more Americans playing English country gents!
I could see Colin Firth as Rothgar actually, he would good in tights.
Posted by: Sue | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 06:22 PM
I can totally see David Tennant as Viscount Sheringham (or one of his doofus friends) in Friday's Child or especially as Freddy Standen in Cotillion. He has a great light comic touch. Tall & skinny heroes would suddenly be the vogue!
Posted by: Janice | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 07:06 PM
Sue, yes, both of those are delightful books, and would make excellent movies. I'd love to see The Unknown Ajax, and also The Grand Sophy, also Frederica, with the balloon. I wonder if venetia would make a good movie -- there's not a lot of action, but some excellent dialogue...
Janice, mmm, David Tennant, mmmm. ;)
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 09:56 PM
I would love to see Lord of Scoundrels made into a movie. The dialogue always makes me laugh every time I reread it. Who to play Sebastian? I have to think some more about it
Posted by: Louise | Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 12:08 AM
Now I wish I lived in Chicago so could have seen the Lifeline Theatre's production of Heyer's "The Talisman Ring", one of my favorites. I found the younger heroine an annoying cliche (although to give Heyer her due, she might have created this character type and so it wouldn't have been a cliche at the time), but I adored the older couple -- so smart and funny. Perhaps Lifeline can license its production to a theater here in Washington (at least I can hope).
As for actors/actresses, Kate Winslet does well in historical roles. Her face would be considered lovely in many eras, plus she's so smart and that comes through as well. As for men, it's a bit harder, because some faces just won't work in an historical. Dwayne Johnson (the Rock) has the body for Dain but definitely not the look or voice. I do like the Ruperts (Sewell and Everett) and also Richard Armitage (who appears in TV and movies far too infrequently IMHO).
Posted by: Susan/DC | Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 09:22 AM
I have often wondered why historical romances aren't grabbed up for films. And yes, yes, Mallorens on film!!! Wow, would those books make great ones! I don't know what's the matter with the film industry - why don't they get it? I could see Joseph Fiennes as Rothgar. (We seem to be discussing Rothgar, rather than Rupert) I also would love to see Bridgertons (Julia Quinn) As for Mary Jo's books, how about The Diabolical Baron and The Rake. I have imagined the sword fight in the Diabolical Baron between Richard and Reggie as one of those great film moments. Thunder and Roses and the Marriage Spell would also make great films. Many of the books the Wenches write are great possibilities for film. They are not so interior-- there's dialogue and action -- in fact fairly dramatic action in many of the books, humor, drama, love, dialogue, swordfights, sex-- what could make better films?
BBC has done many things well, but they really didn't get Dorothy Sayers. In the version of "Gaudy Night" (I think it was BBC) they left out the romance, the psychological growth, they left out the humor, and focused on the mystery plot-- which I think was a complete mistake. I would hope if TV or films were made of some of my favorite books, that it would be done by someone who gets that plot is only a structure around which character and humor are built, not the centerpiece. (If you know what I mean) (I'm not a writer,nor have I formally studied literature, so I hope I'm not saying something terribly wrong,here.) The fools in Hollywood don't know what they're missing.
Merry
Posted by: merry | Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 07:37 PM
I have a copy of the movie of The Reluctant Widow, and I concur, it is truly a wretched movie. Clearly the people making it had No. Clue. as to what makes people love Heyer's books. I picture Georgette at the screening making a dignified retreat to the rest room, followed by anybody else in the audience who had read even one of her books, because it is truly a vomitous production on every level. And it wasn't her fault. She wrote a good book with a tight plot, and some of the actors had some ability, but the filmmakers threw in a lot of rubbish plot embellishments, not to mention a vat of Brylcreem on the leading man's greasy locks.
It's so vile I keep it as a curiosity.
The Germans made a film of Arabella called Bezaubernde Arabella, but I haven't seen it, and nobody I know has either. Carlos Thompson played the leading man and it was set in Edwardian times, for some reason.
Posted by: Janice | Friday, March 27, 2009 at 06:41 PM
In addition to the titles we have discussed, Mary Jo's "Shattered Rainbows" would be a great miniseries.(I read it every year and have worn out at least three copies) Mary Balough's "Beyond the Sunrise" would be a great film. If Persuasion can be made into a good movie then I would think almost any of the Heyer's you have mentioned would also
Posted by: MizWaller | Monday, March 30, 2009 at 05:57 AM