Orgulho e Preconceito (1940)

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs. Bennet is especially eager to find suitable husbands for them. When the rich single gentlemen Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come to ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

Aldous Huxley (screen play), Jane Murfin (screen play)

Stars:

Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Mary Boland

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greer Garson	...	Elizabeth Bennet
Laurence Olivier	...	Mr. Darcy
Mary Boland	...	Mrs. Bennet
Edna May Oliver	...	Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Jane Bennet
Ann Rutherford	...	Lydia Bennet
Frieda Inescort	...	Miss Bingley
Edmund Gwenn	...	Mr. Bennet
Karen Morley	...	Mrs. Collins
Heather Angel	...	Kitty Bennet
Marsha Hunt	...	Mary Bennet
Melville Cooper	...	Mr. Collins
Edward Ashley	...	Mr. Wickham
Bruce Lester	...	Mr. Bingley
E.E. Clive	...	Sir William Lucas

Storyline

Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five unmarried daughters, and Mrs. Bennet is especially eager to find suitable husbands for them. When the rich single gentlemen Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come to live nearby, the Bennets have high hopes. But pride, prejudice, and misunderstandings all combine to complicate their relationships and to make happiness difficult.

---

Plot Keywords:

pride and prejudice | pride | flute | looking out a window | garden | 

---

Taglines:

The Gayest Comedy Hit of the Screen! Five Gorgeous Beauties on a Mad-Cap Manhunt! With the Stars of "Mr. Chips" and "Rebecca"...and a Superb Cast!

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because so many English people worked on the picture, 4:00 p.m. tea breaks were a daily ritual.

---

Goofs

When Mrs. Bennet is seen steaming open the letter to Jane from Caroline Bingley, the envelope is a modern day gummed envelope fit for stationery letters. The year the film takes place is 1815, letters would have been folded in and sealed with a wax seal.

Gummed envelopes would not be invented for another 100 years; therefore it should have been impossible for Mrs. Bennett to steam open a letter that had been sealed with a wax seal.

---

Quotes

Lady Catherine de Bourgh: You must learn, Mrs. Collins, to draw a firm line between the deserving poor and the undeserving.

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: It happened in OLD ENGLAND . . . . in the village of Meryton . . . .

---

Connections

Featured in Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940)

---

Soundtracks

Flow Gently Sweet Afton
(1786) (uncredited)
Music by Alexander Hume
Lyrics by Robert Burns (1786)
Performed by Marsha Hunt

User Reviews

The original is the best

Pride and Prejudice is a familiar story - if not read in high school literature class, one can see the theme in dozens of other films: A meddling mother tries to marry off her daughter(s) to "suitable" man, the man and woman fight and all turns out at the end with mayhem ensuing between the first and final acts.

There have been several versions of Pride and Prejudice, two of which I had seen before this film and after viewing the 1940 version starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier it is clear that this is the standard. Is there a better actor than Olivier in these period dramas? And Greer Garson is radiant as Elizabeth. Their performances and the pace of the film is such that while I knew the story I was still sucked into the romance and laughter - not an easy task for a hard-core cynic like me. This movie garnered 4 stars and for good reason - if you are looking for a charming, witty and romantic film, this is a must-see.

--Shelly

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 1941 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Orgulho e Preconceito

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1