Anne of Green Gables (1934)

It is not the easiest thing to judge a movie impartially when I have seen other versions made long after this black and white effort from over 80 years ago. The script seems to have ages well and the small cast does a credible job. Standing on its own, it isn’t bad. But Meagan Follows and the Canadian production from the 1980s cast a long shadow, and this movie can’t quite emerge from under it. I don’t know whether it was to hold to the very short run time of 78 minutes, or if it was just ti keep the plot simpler, but I think the decision to combine the Rachel Lynde and Diana Berry characters was an unfortunate move. The woman had almost nothing in common, both contributed to the stories in their separate ways, so the plot lost some of its depth in the process. The ending came in a rush, as though the director had his thumb on the fast forward button. Every adaptation of a book or whatever make their own changes and usually I am fine with that. This time: not so much.

A few liberties have been taken with L.M. Montgomery's original book - not least that "Anne" is quite a lot older, but that doesn't really matter as Anne Shirley finds herself adopted by the kindly "Matthew" (O.P. Heggie) and his outwardly curmudgeonly sister "Marilla" (Helen Westley) at Green Gables - despite the fact that they really wanted a boy. The story depicts her adolescent years as she grows to womanhood, discovering her true love "Gilbert Blythe" (Tom Brown) along the way. The script is very wordy, and at times trips over itself; but Shirley and Westley deliver well paced, characterful and often lightly comedic performances with this gentle coming-of-age story that sees both children and adults mature in their own way. It's simple story well executed and equally well worth a watch if your faith in human nature needs a little shoring up.