Part 2: Pride and Prejudice on Broadway, 1935
On 5 November 1935, Pride and Prejudice: A Sentimental Comedy in Three Acts opened at the Music Box Theatre in New York. Producer Max Gordon was known for investing in promising plays to test whether they might become Hollywood films, and this one proved a winner. Pride and Prejudice ran for 219 performances, embarked on a national tour, transferred to London’s West End and inspired a hit film – MGM’s Pride and Prejudice (1940).
The lavish production was mounted on a scale previously unseen in Austen adaptations. Expensive sets, props, music, and a flurry of costume changes made it a feast for the eyes, yet what defied expectations was the play’s witty, fiery script.
Pride and Prejudice: A Sentimental Comedy by Helen Jerome.
Published by Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc. New York, 1935. First Edition.
Reception
‘no knowledge of any book called Pride and Prejudice is needed for enjoyment of this very attractive play.’ – The Tatler, 18 March 1936
Critics said the script by playwright Helen Jerome (1883-1966) made the Regency seem modern. In fact, the play was largely faithful to the novel, although Jerome did make some startling changes in order to fit it neatly into a two-hour stage play – most notably reducing the Bennet sisters to three (cutting Mary and Kitty) and telescoping the plot, including omitting Lizzy’s trip to Pemberley. However the play’s most significant contribution to Austen’s legacy was arguably creating the first hot, amorous Mr. Darcy.
Handbill for Pride and Prejudice at the Harris Theatre, Chicago, 1936.
This was the original Broadway production, on a US tour.
Sexy Darcy part 1: the script
Previous Pride and Prejudice adaptations had featured rebellious Elizabeths and cardboard Darcys. After a series of stilted interactions, a climactic reveal would show both Elizabeth and the audience that their first impressions of Darcy were mistaken. Jerome jettisoned that formula.
Her Darcy comes on very strong. Reviewers noticed his strut. After his disastrous first proposal, he is seen pacing and holding out his hands. He tells Elizabeth that his love for her consumes him. He’s also given the play’s smouldering last line, as Elizabeth’s head rests on his shoulder: “My cruel—my kind—oh my lovely Elizabeth!”
Publicity stills from Pride and Prejudice (New York, 1935), showing Colin Keith-Johnston and Adrienne Allen.
Photos by White Studio. Reproduced from the collection of Devoney Looser.
Sexy Darcy part 2: the actor
But it was not only the script that helped to create this new, sexy Darcy. The casting also played a big part. In the American production, heartthrob Colin Keith-Johnson played Darcy. (Yes, he was also named Colin!) His Darcy’s signature stance involved a proto-Elvis hip thrust with one knee jutting forward. His powerful stage-presence and smouldering sexuality carried the production. Thanks to his performance and Jerome’s script, the hero of Pride and Prejudice became irresistible eye-candy for female audiences – a position the character holds on stage and screen to this day.
Photograph of Colin Keith-Johnston. Publicity still from Pride and Prejudice (New York, 1935).
Photo by White Studio. Reproduced from the collection of Devoney Looser.