Pride and Prejudice (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.

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Plot Keywords:

pride | flute | looking out a window | garden | marriage engagement | 

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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!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 July 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Más fuerte que el orgullo

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Melvyn Douglas was considered for the role of Darcy.

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Goofs

In the first "Ball" scene, right after Elizabeth says to Jane, "My goodness, he does have an air about him.", the camera pans onto the dancers. If you watch the 4th girl from the camera (17: 50 minutes), when the women curtsy, #4 almost tips over and shoots a worried glance toward the director.

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Quotes

Elizabeth Bennett: Oh, if you want to be really refined, you have to be dead. There's no one as dignified as a mummy

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Referenced in Century of Cinema: A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

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Soundtracks

Charlie is My Darling
(uncredited)
Traditional Scottish folk song

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