The reason I first read Anne was because I could get the audiobook legally for free. The public domain is a beautiful thing. Copyright law is kinda weird, especially with movies. Now, all books prior to January 1923 are in the public domain (with a few exceptions--
It's Like This, Cat 1964). Movies are different. I don't know if it's because no one person owns the rights to a movie...but there are PLENTY of movies made past 1923 that are in the public domain. One such movie is the 1934
Anne of Green Gables by Radio Pictures.
In the early days of Hollywood, books were the most common source of movie scripts. In fact, in 1919 there was a silent Anne movie, though it's mostly been lost to time. The earliest intact movie, though, dates from 1934. I watched it a few years ago, because I was desperate for Anne media, and proceeded to roll my eyes for over an hour. It was terrible. While the acting is stilted and awkward, the story is also bizarre. Queens turns into a four year university (I think) and Gilbert becomes a doctor before Anne can finish her degree at Queens. Beyond that, I have three main complaints: (1) Diana is a blonde, (2) Gilbert talks like he's a New York street urchin (the actor was from NYC), and (3) Matthew's ending in the book is completely reversed. I don't want to drop spoilers, because I know that there are people out there who have not read
Anne of Green Gables, but for those who have read, remember what happens to Matthew, and flip it. Let that sink in.
If you want to watch it (because no bad review could have kept me from watching it in the first place), I've embedded it in this post. You can also download it on the
Internet Archive legally and for free, so that you can burn it onto a DVD or store it on your iPod for repeat viewing.
Download your own copy
here.
