Jane Eyre (1943)

'Jane Eyre' is a classic film adaptation of a classic novel. The original novel was written by Charlotte Bronte and published in 1847. The 1943 movie was directed by Robert Stevenson and stars Orson Welles as Edward Rochester and Joan Fontaine as Jane. Of the many adaptations made of the novel for cinema and TV, this is regarded as one of the finest.

Plot

Joan Fontaine plays the adult Jane Eyre who was brought up in a cruel manner by her unpleasant aunt, played to the hilt by Agnes Moorhead. She is engaged by Mr Rochester, played by Orson Welles, to be governess for his 'ward', Adèle Verans, played by Margaret O'Brien. Mr Rochester and Jane gradually fall in love, but he has a secret which he and Jane have to overcome. If you don't know the secret, I won't spoil the movie or the novel by revealing it here. -but it certainly makes for a riveting story line.

Production

The screen rights to the Charlotte Bronte novel were originally purchased by David Selznick who sold them on to 20th Century Fox., after encouraging John Houseman,, Aldous Huxley and Robert Stevenson to work on the screenplay.. Huxley's most important contribution was to make the character of Mrs. Rochester unseen, thus making her more threatening in the imagination of the audience. It also avoided future problems with British censorship laws about the depiction of insanity. The script cleverly reflects the repressive Victorian attitude to bringing up children.

The movie began production on February 3 and continued up to mid-April 1943. It was shot almost entirely in the Fox studios.

Orson Welles received $100,000 for his work on the film. He had already adapted the novel and played Rochester twice for radio.and as his contract with RKO had ended in December 1942 he was looking for a new source of income.

The cast is of high quality and contributes greatly to the drama of the movie.