#Doran Godwin

[historicalreusedcostumes]

This pale purple evening gown is worn on Doran GodwinEmma Woodhouse in Emma (1973) and later worn on Marsha Fitzalan as Caroline Bingeley in Pride and Prejudice (1979)

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

March: Pink Redux

Emma (1972) / Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse

Emma wears this ermine-trimmed pink cloak to the Christmas party that ends with the supremely awkward carriage ride home with Mr. Elton. It also graced the cover of the VHS tape I used to have of this program.

The cloak appears to have what's known as a calash hood, with some sort of stiffening to make it stand up. They were developed in the 18th century to protect the tall hairstyles that were in fashion at the time. The ermine trim makes it look luxurious and also is a simple enough design to stand out even on a small television screen.

[austenreusedcostumes]

This Fuzzy beige coat is worn on Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse in Emma (1973) and later worn on Marsha Fitzalan as Miss Bingley in Pride & Prejudice (1979)

[recycledmoviecostumes]

This lovely blue regency-inspired gown, accented with flowers around the neckline, was likely created by Joan Ellacott for the 1972 BBC adaptation of 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒂, where it debuted on Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse.   In 2003, the costume was spotted being worn by an extra in 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒏: 𝑴𝒚 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒍𝒆.   Finally, in 2023, it was worn by Crystal Clarke as Georgiana Lambe in the third and final season of 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒏.   Discover what other production used this costume! Bit.ly/RegRom205  

[thatscarletflycatcher]

16 and 24, for the Austen asks?

16.Least favorite film adaptation

If we are including all movie/miniseries adaptations, it's Emma 1970. I know it has its defenders, but to me it was half too weird and uncomfortable, half very, very dull. I haven't seen Doran Godwin in anything else, but she never blinks (on that note, "actor never blinks" would somehow be a relatively accurate rating of worst to best XD)

If it is only movie adaptations, that crown MUST go to Persuasion 2022. Boring answer, but what can I say.

If it is only movie adaptations that screened in cinemas, then it goes to Mansfield Park 1999. I've talked about this movie before, and it is widely known how much it departs from book canon, and how much that breaks it in the end. That's a factor. But I'm picking it mostly because it never ends. Somehow those are the two longest hours of one's life.*

*It is worth mentioning, however, that people that say stuff like "it is as bad as the Netflix Persuasion" are being unfair. At the very least Patricia Rozema put THOUGHT in what she was doing, and research. Where the Netflix Persuasion has Lady Russell doing sex tourism in continental Europe DURING THE NAPOLEONIC WARS in a story in which the navy features prominently, Rozema goes the length of including a bit where Maria and Julia play the glass harp -for which at that time there had been claims that it caused madness in those who played or listened to it much- to serve her extended transformative concept of Mansfield as a place of corrupted psychology instead of the book's corrupted morality. As much as it might pain me, they are not the same XD

24. Favorite supporting character

Tough one! I'll go for captain Harville this time, because he's underrated.

From this ask game.

[lands-of-fantasy]

Emma

Classic and loose adaptions from 1972, 1995, 1996 (x2), 2009, 2013, 2020

The fourth of Jane Austen’s novels, first published in 1815, has had many adaptions over the years. The ones pictured above are detailed below:

Emma (1972 Miniseries)

6 episodes x 45min Written by Denis Constanduros, directed by John Glenister

Starring Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse, John Carson as Mr. George Knightley, Debbie Bowen as Harriet Smith, Timothy Peters as Mr. Philip Elton, Robert East as Frank Churchill,  Ania Marson as Jane Fairfax, among others

Clueless (1995 Film)

Loose adaption set in modern Beverly Hills, USA Written and directed by Amy Heckerling

Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz (Emma), Paul Rudd as Josh Lucas (Knightley), Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport, Brittany Murphy as Tai Frasier (Harriet), Jeremy Sisto as Elton Tiscia, Justin Walker as Christian Stovitz (Frank), among others

Emma (1996 Film)

Written and directed by Douglas McGrath

Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma Woodhouse, Jeremy Northam as Mr. George Knightley, Toni Collette as Harriet Smith, Alan Cumming as Philip Elton, Ewan McGregor as Frank Churchill, Polly Walker as Jane Fairfax, among others

Emma (1996 TV Film)

Written by Andrew Davies, directed by Diarmuid Lawrence

Kate Beckinsale as Emma Woodhouse, Mark Strong as Mr. George Knightley, Samantha Morton as Harriet Smith, Dominic Rowan as Mr. Philip Elton, Raymond Coulthard as Frank Churchill, Olivia Williams as Jane Fairfax, among others

Emma (2009 Miniseries)

4 episodes x 58min Written by Sandy Welch, directed by Jim O'Hanlon

Starring Romola Garai as Emma Woodhouse, Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. George Knightley, Louise Dylan as Harriet Smith, Michael Gambon as Mr. Henry Woodhouse, Blake Ritson as Mr. Philip Elton, Rupert Evans as Frank Churchill, Laura Pyper as Jane Fairfax, Jefferson Hall as Robert Martin, among others

Emma Approved (2013-14 Webseries)

95 episodes x 4-8min, available on Youtube Loose adaption set in modern US, told in a vlog format

Created by Bernie Su, from Pemberley Digital

Starring Joanna Sotomura as Emma Woodhouse, Brent Bailey as Alex Knightley, Dayeanne Hutton as Harriet Smith, James Brent Isaacs as Bobby Martin, Paul Stuart as James Elton, Stephen A. Chang as Frank Churchill, Tyra Colar as Jane Fairfax, among others

While the series is a follow-up to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, it stands on its own.

Emma (2020 Film)

Written by Eleanor Catton, directed by Autumn de Wilde

Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse, Johnny Flynn as Mr. George Knightley, Mia Goth as Harriet Smith, Bill Nighy as Mr, Woodhouse, Josh O'Connor as Mr. Philip Elton, Callum Turner as Frank Churchill, Amber Anderson as Jane Fairfax, among others

*****

Personal favorite: 2009 But also: 1996 (Theatrical Film), Emma Approved

P.S.: 2020′s pretty popular, from what I’ve seen. I’ve enjoyed it myself, but it’s not among my favorite.

[reusedaccessoriesjewellery]

This Blue shawl with silver leafs on it is worn on Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse in Emma (1972) and worn again on Jean Anderson as Belle Lafcadio in Campion: Death of a Ghost (1989) and many years later worn on Rosanna Lavelle as Lady Middleton in Sense and sensibility (2008)

Credit: iphpbb

[britneyshakespeare]

there are some rsc productions i've watched that i had mixed feelings about but others that hit them right out of the park and i've noticed it has little to do with how much i like the play itself (in the tempest 2017 dir. gregory doran i found that to be a hindrance to my enjoyment, liking the version in my head when i read it much more) (whereas with antony and cleopatra 2017 dir. iqbal khan i think it's just about a perfect realization about what i enjoy the play in so much and josette simon's performance is one of my favorite things i've ever seen on stage). but i've been watching two gentleman of verona 2014 dir. simon godwin/robin lough and it's just so fucking funny. the play itself is, well no one argues it's shakespeare's strongest and it has some obvious flaws in the ending (if you've read it you know what i mean by that) but i do think its premise is still wildly entertaining and interesting, there's some good jokes and beautiful poetry, it's just overall not the strongest character-driven comedy. this production though might just be the best possible version of the play. the song they give turio to sing to silvia is so good and then the performance is so hammy and camp in a way i didn't expect it to be. the original music is amazing and i think the modernized clothing and set pieces are really well done. like bravo

[fictionturnedherbrain]

Emma (1972)

Doran Godwin, John Carson

Ah, the original 1970s BBC production! Truly a labour of love – six episodes running at forty-five minutes each, filled with minimalist sets, an ageing cast and drawn out scenes. Screenwriter Denis Costanduros and director John Glenister were old hands at churning out period dramas, but tastes have definitely changed. This is a very sluggish series, for the devoted fan only. Closest to the novel in dialogue and decorum, Janeites must be satisfied, but any Austen apprentices might be scared off by the stiff acting and slow pace.

On rewatching the DVDs, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the four and a half hours flew by – only two sittings – and how enjoyable John Carson’s portrayal of Mr Knightley can be. My dislike of Doran Godwin in the role of Emma Woodhouse remains unaltered, however. She really brings the whole series down, with her forced elocution and rigid posture. I know certain amateur historians like to measure Austen adaptations by the ‘ladylike’ lack of natural expression and movement displayed by actresses, but Doran takes the Botox Method of acting to a whole new level. She delivers her lines like Lady Penelope and moves about the set like a dalek. Apparently, John Glenister saw Emma Woodhouse as being ‘disturbed/slightly unstable’, and cast Doran because she looked the part: ‘Slightly neurotic, a beautiful voice, and a natural grace’. (Well, two out of three ain’t bad.) Plus, Miss Godwin was only twenty-two at the time, the closest in age to Emma Woodhouse of all those who have played the character on screen, yet she looks at least ten years older. Helpfully for her, John Carson was forty-five, instead of Mr Knightley’s ‘seven and thirty’, and Meg Gleed, playing Isabella Knightley, looks older still! A most mature cast indeed.

Plus points for me include John Carson, a most gentle, likeable and cheerful Mr Knightley, Fiona Walker owning the role of the very vulgar Mrs Elton, and a funny if rather frail Mr Woodhouse (Donald Eccles). Carson is far too old for the part, and thanks to the combination of his added eight years and Doran’s very proper portrayal of Emma, the romance between them never really catches on, but they have great screen chemistry on a purely platonic level. Mr Knightley is shown laughing with Emma (‘I wonder what you would do without someone like me to tease, Emma?’), joking with Mr Weston, and behaving like a gentleman with Miss Bates and Harriet Smith. Carson has a cheerful smile, sounds like James Mason, and carries off the Regency tailcoats and top hats with style. If only he were younger, he would be the perfect Mr Knightley! I know that some readers imagine the character to be a grumpy old man, but he’s really not – casting older actors like Carson, or dark, brooding types like Mark Strong, only serves to cement this common misconception about one of my favourite heroes. Fiona Walker is also perhaps slightly too old to play Augusta Elton, but who cares? She is fantastic, truly ill-mannered and ridiculous. I love the scene where she is playing up to Emma, offering her a plate of shortbread, then telling ‘Miss Smith’ to help herself from the tea tray with a dismissive sneer. In response, Doran’s haughty glare – possibly the one expression she truly mastered – is a sight to behold. Mr Woodhouse is perhaps more of a Dickensian caricature than Austen intended in this production, but Donald Eccles dodders and bleats for all his worth, and Costanduros gives old Mr Rumbleguts  a few classic lines too (‘Poor Mrs Churchill. Took cold, no doubt, moving from one room to another’). The only scene that jars is his reaction to Emma’s news of her engagement, which borders on a demented tantrum.

Less inspired casting choices, apart from Doran, include Debbie Bowen, who turns Harriet into a gushing simpleton (‘Oh, Miss Woodhouse!’), Ellen Dryden as a buxom but far from maternal Mrs Weston, and Ania Marson’s exotic and angry Jane Fairfax, who actually bellows at her poor aunt in one scene.

Costanduros adheres fairly faithfully to Austen’s novel, but even this lengthy adaptation indulges in dramatic licence on occasion, trimming the edges and bending the characters to fit. Emma and Mr Knightley’s argument over Harriet Smith and Robert Martin is cut short, John Knightley is written out of Emma’s party for Mrs Elton, and both Mr Elton and, crucially, Jane are absent from the Box Hill picnic. One particularly unnecessary revision which baffled me is the background to Jane’s stay in Weymouth – suddenly Mr and Mrs Dixon are new acquaintances looking to hire a governess, instead of Jane’s best friend and her husband. Yet Frank still uses Mr Dixon’s name to tease Jane and throw Emma off the scent – only why would Jane be avoiding her potential employer? Another confusing scene is the pianoforte duel between Emma and Jane at the Coles’ party – Jane sings and plays badly, after having her arm twisted by Frank, and Emma does neither! Finally, after insulting Miss Bates at Box Hill, Emma apologises directly to her the next day, which would never happen. But hey, at least the line most beloved by the Janeites – ‘Brother and sister? No, indeed! – is paraphrased, even if ‘Badly done, Emma’ is cut instead.

The scene in the nursery, with Emma and Mr Knightley making friends while holding Isabella’s baby, is well done, although the very lively child is more of a distraction than the patently fake dolls used in other versions. Harriet meeting the gypsies is also portrayed accurately, maintaining more of Austen’s ironic description than any other take I have seen – the gypsy children beg for money and frighten Harriet, but don’t physically attack her. Instead, she falls over while trying to run away, which is not very dramatic but far less offensive than a mob of feral gypsies manhandling a young woman and stealing her purse. Apart from these hidden gems, however, most of this adaptation is taken up with trivial scenes, like Frank Churchill buying gloves at Ford’s, and not the moments that really matter to the story. The ball is underplayed, cutting Mr Knightley’s strangely energetic choice of a dance with Emma, and the ‘proposal’ scene is very, very flat.

Comparing adaptations, I found the 1972 and the 2009 series to be similar at times, from small details like Emma’s chintz gown and the exterior of the house used for Hartfield, to the added emphasis on Emma and Mr Knightley’s companionship. Perhaps Sandy Welch was influenced by the BBC’s previous production? If so, she did well to choose a livelier leading lady and a younger Mr Knightley! Austen herself warned that Emma Woodhouse would be ‘a heroine whom no one but myself will much like’, and Doran Godwin certainly chose to play her that way. Doran’s Emma is dismissive of Miss Bates and sharp with her father. She drones out the dialogue without expression, while speaking through clenched teeth in a clipped accent. There is absolutely no charm or humour to the character at all, to the point where Mr ‘Knight-e-ley’s reluctant declaration of love is quite understandable. Sorry, but she ruined the story for me.

Would I recommend this adaptation? Yes, to those who have read the novel and seen all the other adaptations, but are still greedy for more, like myself.  No, to those who want a flavour of what the novel is about – try Gwyneth Paltrow’s film for a short and sweet summary, or the 2009 miniseries with Romola Garai for a longer but no less entertaining screen translation.

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Week Challenge

November: Purple

Emma (1972) / Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse

I'm very fond of this adaptation of one of my favorite Austen novels, as it's the only one that's long enough to get in a lot of the nuances. It's also possibly the only one that has the guts to actually make Harriet prettier than Emma, as she is supposed to be. And despite the fact that it's was pretty clearly made on a small budget, the costumes look great.

It's been pointed out to me that television productions of this era were not designed with high-definition screens in mind, so the lines tend to be a bit simple and bold. This may be the reason for the choice to emphasize the bodice and the swagging on the skirt with piping. In the close-up picture, you can see that the fabric has a very subtle texture and that the sheer sleeves are faintly polka-dotted.

[mariocki]

Storyboard: Snakes And Ladders (4.2, Thames, 1989)

"I take it you didn't exactly see eye to eye?"

"No, not exactly, no! He drank all me whiskey, and then told me what Marx said about capital. I asked him which Marx he was talkin' about, Groucho or Chico. He didn't think that was very funny."

"Well it's not."

[kwebtv]

Doran Godwin and Peter Bowles in “The Irish R.M.”