Dark Darcy & Lizzy

"But then, you can't really smolder with blond hair; you'd probably just look petulant" ___________ No wonder we types with literary pretensions like Firth so. He seems so clever and well spoken. Maybe his dad writes his interview bites for him.

Ouch! Sae ye dinna believe tha laddie t'be quick 'n tha noggin, eh? tsk, tsk, Amy. Actually, his mother is the English and comparative religions instructor, I hear, and father's in history. Let's give mum the credit. And, just to demo how slow-witted I am tonight. I thought Zimei's header (1 dark darcy and lizzy) was going to be about turkey meat, dark or light? Time to head for the loft and some shut-eye. 'Night all.

The Making of P&P mentioned that people all thought Lizzy should be "dark" too. Is there any reference of Lizzy's being Brunette in JA book? All the book says is that she has dark eyes; that make's brunette more likely, but not certain as both Ehle and Firth demonstrate. JA in her letters did say that Lizzy's favourite colour was yellow; in my opinion this make it likely that she was a brunette. But then I would; so am I...

In my first copy of P&P (given as a school prize when I was 14) there are illustrations (pen and ink drawings) by C.E. Brock. They show Lizzie as blond and Jane as dark, Darcy as very dark, tall and slim, and Mr. Collins as dark, tall, heavy in the middle with very spindly legs which makes him look like an overgrown chicken. But all this is probably just up to the illustrator. Mrs. Bennet is drawn as very plump, whereas I thought Alison Steadman was perfect in the role.

Anna: Who published that book? Those pictures sound familiar. Yes, Mrs. Bennet should be pretty - or at least look not many years removed from prettiness. I am sure I remember Mr. Collins with the spindly legs.

In P&P2 Lizzy seems to resemble Mrs. Bennet the most, I wonder if this is a coincidence or, it is to implie, as Anna pointed in another thread, that Lizzy combines the best of her father (intelligence, taste and wit) with the best of her mother (energy, looks). Zimei

I talked about the pictures by C.E. Brock. They were in P&P published by Thomas Nelson & Sons, Ltd. - no publication date. My copy is small, in leather, with gold leaf on the top edge pages. I feel like I sound like the bookseller in 84 Charing Cross Road!

Zimei, I think it's just a happy coincidence, since they auditioned many actresses for the part of Lizzie before choosing JE for her stage acting experience. I don't know for sure, but I'd think they'd have chosen Alison Steadman for the role without auditioning other people. Another thing I love about P&P2 is that the entire cast is so perfect in every role. Even the minor parts, like Hannah or Hill, are perfect.

Inko, Marlene Sidaway who played Hill in P&P2 was also wonderful in a small role in one of the Brother Cadfael episodes on BBC/PBS's Mystery. Talk about period pieces - this one is set in 12th Century Shrewsbury. Derek Jacoby plays Cadfael and is superb. Carol

Carol, I saw four Cadfael episodes last summer when our PBS showed them. I love them and can't wait to see more of them when they finally get over here. Jonathan Firth (CF's younger brother) was in one episode - the one about the leper who'd fought in the crusades with Cadfael.

Inko, I have Ted-Turneresque "Colorized" versions of these illustrations on my web-page at http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~churchh/ppbrokil.html

I didn't know they were tinted later. Then I shall not be hesitant to do my own tinting of them. Indeed, from this day, I shall not!

Please don't make Lizzy's hair minty green!

Or even worse, the shade of green Anne Shirley managed to dye hers. Inko, I enjoyed watching the Cadfael series as well. Have read all 20 novels :)

In my copy, there is only one picture and it is a black hair and green eyed Lizzy.

Someone here mentioned a contemporary novel called KATE which is a modern retelling of P&P, by an author called Elizabeth Sands. Tried searching amazon.com (the online book vendor) and found nada. Does anyone have another clue as to how I can find this? THANKS.

amy2, I never read that book but I heard about it, and I think the name of the Author is wrong, it's not Elizabeth Sands, It's Elizabeth Sanders. Hope it helps, Ayelet

Thank you!

You're welcome.

Actually, when looking for the above mentionned novel, I found Kate Saunders who wrote "Wild Young Bohemians", Arrow Books, Random House,1996. Here is a shorten descriptive text of it (on backcover): This Gothic novel of lust, greed and wealth presents Ernestine Bennet, mild and practical, and her cousin Melissa Lamb, obsessive, as part of the Wild Young Bohemians(title) an exclusive dining club at Oxford for the beautiful and ambitious..., including Frank Darcy, a wealthy American, the too good and rich ill, best friend of Frank, Johnny Ferrars, the promiscuous vilain, and others. I have to say I read it. Let's say, after this, a whole new image of Darcy comes to mind, and needless to say of the other characters. Did I like it? It's definitily NOT JA. Not a litterary jewell. But entertaining. It will take a while and lots of P&P2 viewing to discart this Darcy image. And I do not believe myself to be prude.

Missing phrase : the too good and rich Will,

There is another modern, reworked version of P&P which I picked up in England last summer. It's "Lions and Liquorice" by Kate Fenton and it turns P&P upside down with the females as Darcy and Bingley and two males as Lizzie and Jane. It's about filming P&P in Yorkshire and the Darcylike female is the director. It's quite fun and an interesting 90's look but it's definitely NOT P&P. Inko P.S. I'm back from 12 days away from any computer and am still trying to catch up with all the postings here. It seems to take for ever to work my way through it all.

Inko, welcome back, we have missed you!

Where have you been, Inko?

Just to bring this thread back on track......... JA does not say that Lizzie is dark. What she says is that Darcy, having "decided that she had hardly a good feature in her face than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes." Likewise, she does not say that Darcy is dark, only that he has a "fine, tall person, handsome features and noble mein." I therefore conlude that everyone wants them to be dark for some reason, maybe because of their intelligence- after all, Jane is a blonde,and not as bright as Lizzie, and Bingley is fair,rather naive and trusting. I would also disagree with CF about Blond men smouldering. The rare combination of Blond hair and dark eyes,or red hair and dark eyes can create a heck of fire!

Yes, look at Conan -- black hair & blue eyes! One thing I was noticing while rewatching the show -- in some scenes, JE's eyes seem a dark blue; in others, they are brown. I wonder if they made her wear contact lenses. . .