Six years had passed since child star Dawn O'Day made an impression in RKO's adaptation of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES (1934). The actress became identified with the Anne Shirley character created by Canadian writer Lucy Montgomery, and she changed her stage name to reflect this strong connection.
By 1940 she had matured into a fine young adult actress. During the intervening period, she'd ascended the ranks at the studio. After Katharine Hepburn's abrupt departure from RKO in 1938, Miss Shirley was basically the lead ingenue. She starred in many productions until her early retirement in 1944. Most of these pictures did boffo business with audiences.
It is no surprise that RKO execs were keen to do a sequel. And I think it is to their credit they did not rush the sequel. The wait allowed the actress to grow up, and for her to improve her skills. Now several years older, it is believable that she could play Anne who at this point in the narrative leaves Prince Edward Island to venture far from home to begin her teaching career.
In some ways Montgomery's plucky heroine is similar to Louisa May Alcott's Jo March in Little Women and Little Men, also a teacher. Many adventures take place when she arrives by train in a remote location called Pringleton. The village is run by the founding family, the Pringles. For reasons not initially clear, the Pringles are rather inhospitable. This causes her to find lodging at a home known as Windy Poplars, which is reminiscent of Green Gables.
At Windy Poplars she is taken in by a kind caretaker (Henry Travers) and his wife (Elizabeth Patterson). They work for an eccentric woman (Minnie Dupree) who is happy to have additional companionship.
Subsequent scenes introduce us to an assortment of colorful characters. Some of these folks are amusing, others are a bit tragic. Shades of Norman Rockwell meets Thornton Wilder. The first student we meet is a young orphan girl (Joan Carroll), whose wild imagination makes her seem like a throwback to Anne's own early days.
During the various introductions that occur, we get a sense of the community as a whole, including the way the local school is operated. Most of this seems innocent but there are secrets, too. We have an interesting scene where old matriarch Hester Pringle (Ethel Griffies) gathers her brood and learns that outsider Anne Shirley is staying and has taken up residence at Windy Poplars. She is not pleased.
In typical Montgomery fashion, there is a romantic friendship. While we see Gilbert Blythe (Patric Knowles) at the beginning, he is absent for much of the first half of the movie. He remains away finishing his studies as a doctor. Meanwhile, Anne settles in to life in Pringleton, and she befriends a handsome member of the Pringle family (James Ellison). Ellison's character has a drinking problem, because he's in love with someone else that he can't have at the moment.
Gilbert shows up for a Christmastime visit in the middle of the story, and it's clear that he and Anne will soon be married...especially when they kiss under the mistletoe. Their bond is made even more unbreakable when Joan Carroll's character takes ill and she is treated by Gilbert. This paves the way for the couple to adopt the girl.
This is a story about new beginnings, small town prejudices and fortitude. It is also a fish out of water tale. Main character Anne Shirley as an adult is repeating the previous situation of coming to a new community; of being disliked and unwanted...then, gaining acceptance. It's a nice motion picture and a worthy follow-up to the original.
By 1940 she had matured into a fine young adult actress. During the intervening period, she'd ascended the ranks at the studio. After Katharine Hepburn's abrupt departure from RKO in 1938, Miss Shirley was basically the lead ingenue. She starred in many productions until her early retirement in 1944. Most of these pictures did boffo business with audiences.
It is no surprise that RKO execs were keen to do a sequel. And I think it is to their credit they did not rush the sequel. The wait allowed the actress to grow up, and for her to improve her skills. Now several years older, it is believable that she could play Anne who at this point in the narrative leaves Prince Edward Island to venture far from home to begin her teaching career.
In some ways Montgomery's plucky heroine is similar to Louisa May Alcott's Jo March in Little Women and Little Men, also a teacher. Many adventures take place when she arrives by train in a remote location called Pringleton. The village is run by the founding family, the Pringles. For reasons not initially clear, the Pringles are rather inhospitable. This causes her to find lodging at a home known as Windy Poplars, which is reminiscent of Green Gables.
At Windy Poplars she is taken in by a kind caretaker (Henry Travers) and his wife (Elizabeth Patterson). They work for an eccentric woman (Minnie Dupree) who is happy to have additional companionship.
Subsequent scenes introduce us to an assortment of colorful characters. Some of these folks are amusing, others are a bit tragic. Shades of Norman Rockwell meets Thornton Wilder. The first student we meet is a young orphan girl (Joan Carroll), whose wild imagination makes her seem like a throwback to Anne's own early days.
During the various introductions that occur, we get a sense of the community as a whole, including the way the local school is operated. Most of this seems innocent but there are secrets, too. We have an interesting scene where old matriarch Hester Pringle (Ethel Griffies) gathers her brood and learns that outsider Anne Shirley is staying and has taken up residence at Windy Poplars. She is not pleased.
In typical Montgomery fashion, there is a romantic friendship. While we see Gilbert Blythe (Patric Knowles) at the beginning, he is absent for much of the first half of the movie. He remains away finishing his studies as a doctor. Meanwhile, Anne settles in to life in Pringleton, and she befriends a handsome member of the Pringle family (James Ellison). Ellison's character has a drinking problem, because he's in love with someone else that he can't have at the moment.
Gilbert shows up for a Christmastime visit in the middle of the story, and it's clear that he and Anne will soon be married...especially when they kiss under the mistletoe. Their bond is made even more unbreakable when Joan Carroll's character takes ill and she is treated by Gilbert. This paves the way for the couple to adopt the girl.
This is a story about new beginnings, small town prejudices and fortitude. It is also a fish out of water tale. Main character Anne Shirley as an adult is repeating the previous situation of coming to a new community; of being disliked and unwanted...then, gaining acceptance. It's a nice motion picture and a worthy follow-up to the original.