Or on de fences...? ;-)

Bath to stage Jane Austen festival A festival to mark the bicentenary of Jane Austen's stay in Bath aims to recreate the fictional world of her books. The first Bath Jane Austen Festival will run from September 28 to the 30. Actress Amanda Root, who starred as Anne Elliot in the BBC film Persuasion, will attend the screening of Persuasion to open the festival. Festival goers will be able to take guided walks around Bath, watch plays and films adapted from Jane Austen's work and attend talks on 18th century life. More information can be found at the festival website. http://www.janeaustenfestival.com/ [I bet they'd get a huge turnout if Mr Darcy were there instead...]

Here's another tidbit on Jane's income -- from 'The Friendly Jane Austen, A Well-Mannered Introduction to a Lady of Sense & Sensibility' by Natalie Tyler What Jane Austen Earned from Her Books During Her Lifetime Tho' I like praise as well as anybody, I like what Edward calls Pewter too. Jane Austen -- Letter, November, 1814 ~~~~~~~~~~ 1803: 10 pounds from Richard Crosby for the manuscript of Susan (eventually Northanger Abbey). 1811: 140 pounds from the publisher Thomas Egerton for Sense and Sensibility. 150 pounds from its profits. 1812: 110 pounds for Pride and Prejudice. 1814: 450 pounds from the publisher John Murray for the copyrights to Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park. Austen made a total of about 700 pounds in her lifetime. In terms of today's value, that could range from about $14,000 to $35,000 or even up to about $120,000 according to the most generous estimates. For a lifetime of work she was lamentabley underpaid.

From _Irish Chain_ by Earlene Fowler (a great book if you like mysteries in the style of Linda Evanovich): "The minibus from Oak Terrace [the retirement home] arrived at nine sharp, and within half an hour everyone was situated around the quilt rack, mouths and fingers moving a mile a minute. ... I listened with amusement to the women's high, silvery voices as they compared the successes and foibles of their children and grandchildren. The sound of their voices relaxed me, bringing back childhood memories of long summer visits down South to Dove's only sister, my great-aunt Garnet. In Sugar Tree, Arkansas, quilting bees were a twice-a-week habit with the Women's Missionary Union of her church. A good deal of my sex education was acquired by faking sleep on Aunt Garnet's scratchy Victorian sofa and listening to the quilting ladies refer obliquely to the trouble the new wives of the Darcy brothers had due to the rather oversized proportions of their 'maleness' or how 'that' was never satisifed, no matter how often it happened. Always, just as it started to get detailed and my seven-year-old imagination went wild t ying to picture exactly how it all fit with what my obnoxious thirteen-year-old Uncle Arnie told me one of Daddy's Black Angus bulls would do to my sweet-faced little heifer, Dossie, Aunt Garnet reprimanded them in her tight, hard-shell Baptist voice. "Little pitchers have big ears, ladies."

OMG, the Darcy men are overly endowed ? I knew, it I know it.( To quote one of my fellow droolers ) Dance of joy now commences. Wait a minute....there is more than one Darcy brother ? Does that mean there are enough, so that we all can have one ? I know which one I want.

Hehe, well, in Rachael's universe there's at least two, Will and Mark... I think we should clone them so we can all have one. :)

Can I call my one Dolly ? Well Hello Dolly...da da da Dolly

I'm just reading 'The Bar Sinister', the P&P sequel and the writer goes into, um, great detail about Darcy's manhood being a bit too generous. Forgive me for saying this, but I am really enjoying this book!

The Bar Sinister cracked me up, especially the sex scenes. They were a bit strange, too (the actions involved weren't strange, just the writing of it). It seems like you can't really do the erotic thing without being somewhat anachronistic, and if you're going to anachronistic you might as well go whole hog, imo. Hrm, back to Darcy Drool. How close do you think Darcy and Bingley really were, as friends? Do you think they shared confidences of a sort when they were alone (i.e. not pictured in the book)?

Of a sort, yes. But e.g. Bingley didn't know about Georgiana's being a silly filly. On the whole, Bingley tended to look up to Darcy - naturally - and Darcy felt a little paternal towards B. This is particularly stressed in the film, when B. asks Darcy's blessing before proposing to Jane.

Laura, in my universe Will and Mark are cousins but I could always create another universe where there are some brothers? :-) and some cousins as well, and some good looking mates .... how many would you guys like?

I want them all. Of course.

brothers, cousins, friends. as long as they're male and hetereosexual, it's all good. ;)

or how 'that' was never satisifed, no matter how often it happened An insatiable Darcy whose "maleness" is of "oversized" proportions!!!!!! How in the world do you expect me to sleep with that image in my mind? Mercy! how many would you guys like? Rachael, if you could clone such Darcys to order, you'd have an impossible task to keep them in stock. . . ;-)

An insatiable Darcy whose "maleness" is of "oversized" proportions Hang on a minute - can we have this model slightly customized here? ;-) We don't want Darcy turned into one of those endlessly fornicating Georgian/Regency males who readily shagged anything that moved (and anything motionless in between) - do we???

Luckily dear JA left that to our imagination too. Now he can be pretty much whatever you want him to be. I'll take a regular, please, no ice but with a straw. Thanks for the "is she or isn't she Lady Ann" info above, ladies. I'm not sure where we know Sir Lewis is a knight but it sounds good. I'll take it. (Laura) How close do you think Darcy and Bingley really were, as friends? Do you think they shared confidences of a sort I think Bingley told Darcy everything and Darcy told Bingley nothing.

I'll take a regular, please, no ice but with a straw. LOL! That's better. I'll have mine with a dash. (Of what? I'll leave that to our imagination.) I'm not sure where we know Sir Lewis is a knight I'm not sure what you mean, but the title "Sir" used with the first (Christian) name is the indication of his being a knight. Bingley told Darcy everything and Darcy told Bingley nothing. Excellently put.

Well Darcy told Bingley of his success after the second proposal. Remember, he shakes Lizies hand the next day "with great warmth" and conveniently suggests the walk to Oakham Mount would be too much for Kitty. So Bingey knows this, but none of Lizzie's own family do, except Jane. I think when Darcy is happy and has good news to tell, he would take Bingley into his confidence. However, when something bad is bothering him, I'd say he tells no one and bottles it up in his usual repressed, tormented manner. I mean, if he was able to vent about his passion/anger/love/lust for Lizzie, to Bingley....he really wouldn't be that repressed, brooding hunk of manliness that we all know and love so well, would he ?

Yes, I think he talks to those he trusts about Lizzie, mainly because he can't help himself--he's a man in love. He has obviously been talking to Col. Fitzwilliam about her before they arrive at Rosings. I've been wondering if they just happened to arrive at Rosings and found out Lizzie was at the parsonage, or if Darcy heard that Lizzie was visiting and hotfooted it there immediately, dragging Fitzwilliam with him and telling his cousin all about this perfect woman there. I got the impression that it was the latter. Then the poor baby has to suffer through Lizzie being charmed by Fitzwilliam's easy manners and address. I can just picture Darcy (in private) trying to get Fitzwilliam to buzz off so that he can have a chance. And then Fitzwilliam (who seems to me to be the type to tease his cousin unmercifully) obviously refuses to yield the field. Poor Darcy is probably having nightmares worrying that she'll end up married to his cousin! But he bears his suffering so heroically. He is such a complex, intriguing character. You can speculate at length about his thoughts in any given scene. And CF gives you so many fleeting, varying expressions to ponder. How can anyone think of Darcy as "expressionless" when CF is playing him? Emotions follow each other so quickly across his face that you almost have to use slo-mo to spot them. Can't wait for the DVD so that my slo-mo quality is good enough for his performance. Sigh.

(LouiseJ) You can speculate at length about his thoughts in any given scene. Yes indeed, and here's mine. :-) This scene at the Collins' is one of my favorites (acually I love the 3 scenes that take place in that room, probably my favs of the whole series). Like you, I think Darcy found out that Lizzie was going to be there and he hotfooted it! But I don't think he was ever jealous of his cousin. I think Darcy was admiring the ease of conversation between Lizzie and the Colonel, hoping that the Colonel would approve of his dear Lizzie. I don't think Darcy felt threatened, and I thought his discomfort came from the fact that he wanted some face-time with his honey and he was tongue-tied. Not so much frustrated with his cousin for hogging the conversation, but more frustrated with himself. I thought the Colonel recognized that Darcy was quite smitten, as Darcy apparently was much more at ease around other people. It really was perfectly played by everyone. Such a gem of a scene.

Correcting my own response, LOL. I think Darcy may have been jealous of his cousins' ease of conversation, but not the jealousy or anxiety stemming from feeling threatened by competition.

Yes, now that I think about it, Darcy had to have known his cousin well enough to know he would never take his girl. But he sure envied him his ability to sit there and amuse Lizzie with his "lively conversation". I also loved Lizzie's inquiring look when Fitzwilliam said that Darcy was "lively enough in other places." It gave her (and us) just a hint of the real Darcy that his family knew.

And she flirts unmercifully with both of them.

And the piano scene at Rosings--when Lizzie threatens to reveal something about Darcy that "may shock his relations"--Lizzie's look at him made me wonder if she was thinking of saying something else about his behavior but changed her mind after he said "I am not afraid of you." One of the things I enjoyed the most about JE's performance was the way she would look at him after he said something that made her wonder if she was reading him right. Little looks of puzzlement and frustration--like she was thinking "If I didn't dislike you so much I would find you very intriguing." Which of course she does.

she was thinking of saying something else about his behavior but changed her mind What could it be, can you possibly imagine?

Sir Lewis a knight. Of course, my bad. I think I've had enough of title, coronets and kings and won't even get into Sir William Lucas. ;-) (Beth) Darcy told Bingley of his success after the second proposal. True. He couldn't keep that joy a secret though I picture it said as they were returning on horseback from Longbourn that day. Something said with a smirk like, "Oh by the way, Miss Elizabeth Bennet has accepted my proposal of marriage" and then let Bingley do all the exclaiming. ;-) conveniently suggests the walk to Oakham Mount would be too much for Kitty. As an aside, we've moaned about this before but if only this scene had been filmed...big sigh. I mean, if he was able to vent about his passion/anger/love/lust for Lizzie, to Bingley....he really wouldn't be that repressed, brooding hunk of manliness that we all know and love so well, would he ? LOL. And I think Darcy would be embarrassed to admit he had those feelings for Lizzie. She was so beneath him.;-) (Louise) He has obviously been talking to Col. Fitzwilliam about her before they arrive at Rosings. What does the Colonel say? "I've heard much of you and none of the praise has been exaggerated, I assure you." That was manufactured by Davies, it's not in the book. An interesting thought, nonetheless. From whom would the colonel hear about Lizzie? We'd naturally suspect Darcy but how would he have said such a thing? I've been wondering if they just happened to arrive at Rosings and found out Lizzie was at the parsonage, or if Darcy heard that Lizzie was visiting and hotfooted it there immediately, dragging Fitzwilliam with him and telling his cousin all about this perfect woman there. In my mind it's both. He and his cousin make an annual courtesy call to the old battleaxe, usually around Easter (in the book), but this year when they arrive they're told of the visitors to the parsonage. Then Darcy makes up an excuse for paying a call there which normally would never be done so soon and gets his cousin to come along by saying some nice things about Miss Bennet. Quick wit? Fine figure? How can anyone think of Darcy as "expressionless" when CF is playing him? Boggles the mind. (Donna) This scene at the Collins' is one of my favorites (acually I love the 3 scenes that take place in that room, probably my favs of the whole series) My absolute favorite series of scenes are (1)the Rosings piano scene; (2)Darcy calling on the parsonage and finding Lizzie alone; and (3)the proposal scene. All come in quick succession with just a bit of filler in between. And he looks just so damn good. I think Darcy was admiring the ease of conversation between Lizzie and the Colonel, hoping that the Colonel would approve of his dear Lizzie. I agree. He's more jealous at how easy and relaxed his cousin is around Lizzie. I still don't think he's expecting to propose to Lizzie but perhaps his cousin's "approval" would affirm to himself that she isn't unsuitable for his admiration. Thank God her family's not there too. (Evelyn) And she flirts unmercifully with both of them. And they're both lapping it up. I love it.

Couldn't resist resurrecting Darcy Drool as I just received my P&P2 DVD. Hurrah! Those lips, those eyes, that curly hair. My drool runneth over! No more time. Must go back and replay again. Anyone care to join me??

Don't have the DCD yet, but I'm always up for a spot of Darcy....er... resurrecting.

Louise, how is the dvd? better than the tapes by far, or do you think it's ok to wait for Xmas to justify the purchase??

I love the DVD, mainly because my VHS tape is so worn in the "good" (i.e., Darcy) parts. The picture clarity is, of course, much better. You can see many details that disappeared into the background before (designs on clothes, mute colors, etc). And the sound is much better quality stereo. I did have to adjust the color on my TV set. I had reduced the color and tint because my vcr always seemed to make people too red in the face. The DVD doesn't do this, so I had to put some color back. I also love being able to go directly to the scenes you want without waiting for rewind. They have also added some new snippets (someone on another thread mentioned that they added in Darcy's looking down at Elizabeth during the wedding scene--this is a very much needed enhancement, IMO--can't figure out why they ever cut it from the tape version.) I am still looking for other additions. I'll let you know if I find any. If you can wait until Christmas, you have more will power than I.

Drool is kicking off its Annual Fund-Raising Drive. Spring needs money in order to operate and we appreciate whatever people can send to help keep this place online every single day of the week, barring screw-ups by Terry when he's trying to make untested changes on a live server. ;-) This year, I've made arrangements with Tracy in the UK to collect funds, which she can then easily send on to me. For other countries, we have alternatives that have worked fine in the past. Our Drool boards are a source of enjoyment for many people, participants and lurkers alike. So if you'd like to make a contribution, please contact me for information, as no addresses will be posted on this board.

Hey, odd little question, which I can't seem to answer w/ a flipping through of P&P - did Fitzwilliam Darcy have a middle name?

It doesn't appear so. (It is not mentioned.)

There is no mention of a middle name, in either the book or the TV series. Speaking of names...did anyone else think it odd/noteworthy that Darcy is the only central male character in all of Jane Austen's books, that has a slightly unusual name ? I mean, her books abound in lots of Charles, Henrys, Edwards, Williams etc, etc. Maybe she felt from the get go, that as he was a one of a kind man, he needed a one of a kind name.

Oops, by the way, I mean a slightly unusual first/Christian name of Fitzwilliam...there is nothing all that unusual about Darcy.

Yes, Fitzwilliam might sound unusual today, but years ago names like Fitzherbert, Fitzhugh, Fitzwilliam were extremely fashionable. The "rage" was in the fact that the prefix "Fitz" denoted an illegitimate offspring of royalty in some distant past... With time, these names have become associated with titled families. In a nutshell, the family name starting with "Fitz" usually means that the family is descended from a royal bastard. These royal bastards normally received titles and land (nowadays it's called alimony) and went on to head respected aristocratic clans. Darcy's mother was supposedly a daughter of an earl (English count) whose family name was Fitzwilliam (and there really was such an aristo family during Jane Austen's times!) - and she named her son Fitzwilliam to honour her family. It would be a good bet that FD's sons would eventually all bear the middle name Fitzwilliam after some other first name.

Yup, I know Fitz-whatever was/is a very common last name.....but as a first/Christian name its pretty unusual, isn't it, even if Lady Anne gave it to her son to honour her side of the family. I have heard that theory before, about Fitz's being descended illegitimetley ( sp ?) from royalty, but I dunno. Fitzmaurice, Fitzpatrick, Fitzgerald etc etc are all very, very common names in Ireland, mainly coz we too were colonized by the Normans in the 1100's. They are just as common as names like Murphy and Kelly. So we can't ALL be descended from royalty now can we ? O no wait a minute, yes we can.....I have a Fitzherbert great grandfather...LOL.. Does this mean ya'll have to bow down before me ? Please don't, I'd blush.

Fitzmaurice, Fitzpatrick, Fitzgerald etc etc are all very, very common names in Ireland, mainly coz we too were colonized by the Normans in the 1100's. I'm not sure how different that may be in the case of Ireland... I'd venture a guess that in the 1100's the Norman ruling classes were commonly regarded as royalty - thus the explanation may still be valid both in England and Ireland. But perhaps not all Fitzes managed to remain closely associated with nobility over the centuries.

I recalled reading somewhere that "fitz" is just the Irish equivalent of "son of". I put it into Google and came up with the following: as a variation on the patronymic. "Fitz", in modern times considered distinctively Irish, grew out of the French "fils", meaning "son". The French part must have come from the Normans' occupation of Ireland. No mention of any "royal" connection. However, I also vaguely remember that the morganatic wife of at least one of the George III's sons was called "Mrs. Fitz" something. I seem to remember "Mrs. Fitz. . ." being given to more than one of the sons' wives, so maybe this was a euphemism for "royal mistress" since technically, they weren't legally married due to the Royal Marriage Act (or whatever it was called). One of you history experts, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Could not Fitzwilliam be Darcy's middle name, and not his first name?

It could, but it's not by any means certain... while the custom of using certain surnames as first (Christian) names goes back to the 18th century in the English custom - for example, the son of the poet S.T.Coleridge, Hartley Coleridge, born in 1796, was named after David Hartley, the philosopher. The prefix Fitz is not exclusively Irish, it is a shared feature. Until early medieval times there were no surnames as such. The most common way of naming a person was his/her first name followed by his/her place of origin. The name of the father (patronymic) was also used to identify people - particularly handy if they shared the same first name. "Filius" = "son" in Latin - "fils" in French - then "fiz" and eventually "fitz" in English. So - the name Darcy is an example of the first source of modern family surnames: being the anglicized medieval French reference to someone coming from - "de" - Arcy in Northern France: "de" + "Arcy" = D'Arcy = Darcy; while "son of William" = Fitzwilliam - is an example of the second one. (Williamson is a vernacular, but somehow less interesting, version of the same name.) Bingley and Wickham are actually English place names (the preposition "from" having simply been dropped). Collins suggests a past connection with someone originally called Nicholas and probably also of French origin, while Bennet comes from the Christian name Benedict (Latin "benedictus" = blessed). Other surnames were based on people's characteristics, skills, occupations, nicknames, dwelling places and suchlike. The Republic of Pemberley site has excellent links to historical research sites with an in-depth knowledge of the subject.

Patas, I doubt if Fitzwilliam is Darcys middle name. Why sign your middle and lsat names to a letter, and totally leave out your first name ? Wouldn't that be a bit odd ? Also, earlier in the book when Wickham is telling his sad little tale of woe to Mrs Gardiner, she refers to Darcy as "Fitwilliam Darcy"...so that pretty much confirms that his first name is Fitzwilliam and his last is Darcy.

Not yet! But it could be. This is the final week of our Annual Drool Fundraising Drive. Please contact me to get information on how to make your contribution. If you haven't received an acknowledgment from me, then I haven't received it yet. There are still quite a few people who emailed me, but from whom I haven't received anything yet. So, if it's slipped your mind, now is the time to get that checkbook out. We are nowhere near the $1,300 raised last year. We all find Spring's Drool boards very entertaining and some even consider them an important part of the day. What if they wasn't there anymore? Every little bit helps.

I just didn't know where to post this: Not really OT... Don't miss a continuing story of a contemporary Elizabeth Bennett and William Darcy on Fan Fic: UNDER MY SKIN FF #130 Chapter 1 message 1942 " Chapter 2 message 1987 Written by our own Lisa L. she promises us a chapter every Friday. I normally don't read contemporary P&P stories, but this one has a Hong Kong setting which is interesting to me, and v. well written. I recommend it. Thanks Lisa

(lisa -from 162)Elizabeth count me "in" on that project. All other comments will be at 112 Karen. Promise. (Have many thoughts on the boob issue.) LOL -okay Lisa, start sharing - what are your thoughts on the boob issue? :-)

I'm not Lisa but I'll share in the meantime. I did a bit of research on this project the night before last (combined with a study of Karen's "right vs. left" list), but I couldn't remember all of the incidents people had mentioned. The only one I could remember was the Rosings piano scene, and I did see a subtle downward eye flicker on Darcy's part. I also found one scene that I think is worth a look. When Lizzy sweeps past Darcy at the Meryton assembly, after his "She is tolerable..." remark to Bingley, Darcy glances down as she goes past. I can't tell if he's inspecting her charms or if it's just an embarrassed reaction to her cheeky attitude. But she passes very near him, so he's in a perfect position to get an eyeful. The poor dear boy - his mortified look as Lizzy and Charlotte laugh at his remark makes me want to take his hand and say, "There, there, it all turns out just fine towards the end of the second DVD." My favorite "staring at the chest area" moment is not Darcy's, but Lizzy's, when her eyes drop from his face to his wet shirt. JE's expression is priceless, and I love that it happens as Lizzy is saying "I did not expect to see you...." Indeed - I should imagine not! :-D

(Rika)My favorite "staring at the chest area" moment is not Darcy's, but Lizzy's, when her eyes drop from his face to his wet shirt. A universal favorite ;-D And such a lovely chest it is *sigh* JE's expression is priceless, and I love that it happens as Lizzy is saying "I did not expect to see you...." Indeed - I should imagine not! :-D i always think that she's about to say "I did not expect to see you so wet" but breaks off before the "wet" bit. i vagely remember the glance at the Meryton assembly. will have to re-watch to form an opinon :-)

LOL.. the fact that my son's game has suddenly taken on a following has thrilled him beyond words.. his take on it is that Darcy does, indeed, look down her bodice as she walks by him with that "poop eating grin" on her face at the Meryton Assembly. He also says there's a quick glance at the end of the scene when Darcy comes by the parsonage and rattles on about Lizzy's like or dislike of living near Longbourn. My son loves to heckle and do the voices and such.. you should hear him do Bingley rapping. You really haven't lived until you hear him say in his Bingley voice "Girl, you are stupid fly!". Anyways, when Elizabeth walks by at the Meryton Assembly he does CF's Darcy voice "Oh, m'GAWD BOOBIES!.. What have I done???" Also, it's always "Miss Boobies.. I mean Bennet" when Darcy addresses her.

Note to self: Do not read Jeanie's posts while drinking beverages, as danger of Pepsi Syndrome-like event is too great. Jeanie, have you ever seen the Rocky Horror viewing instructions for P&P2? We should have your son create one of his own!

LOL! Jeanie your son sounds like a riot -lucky girl! :-)

I was amused to see a little something relevant to our current project in a story over at DWG. It's called "Your Honesty is Refreshing", and in it Professor Snape from Harry Potter visits the Netherfield Ball and spikes the punch with a potion that causes all those who drink it to blurt out their inner thoughts. This leads to a lot of unusual encounters between characters. The one of interest here is when Darcy, who has sampled the punch, decides to ask Lizzy to dance (she hasn't had any yet, but wonders why people are behaving so oddly). He approaches her, and: "Yes, Mr. Darcy?" Those eyes, he thought. How they sparkle and flash! "Miss Bennet, I wonder if I might lick your cleavage."

LOL (but HP is never relevant IMO) ;-D However, I was just running an errand in our Indian neighborhood and sign caught my eye for a place called Maboobs and thought of Jeanie's son immediately. (But the one at the grocery store, offering a free gallon of milk with the purchase of a whole goat, I found LOL hysterical.).

To summarize, the tally so far is four, and I believe there are probably more. Meryton assembly (I'd call Jeanie's son an expert observer here) Lucas Lodge party Desk at Netherfield, letter writing Piano at Rosings (an oversupply of whole goats AND the presence of MB in the vicinity? Coincidence or convergance? )

Doesn't he quickly size up the rear-view while guiding her to Netherfield [Nether -end??]after her long walk?

...and I actually saw MB today by accident filming on Oak St.

(Karen)(But the one at the grocery store, offering a free gallon of milk with the purchase of a whole goat, I found LOL hysterical.)....and I actually saw MB today by accident filming on Oak St. Eh, with all due respect, boss, sounds like you've been sampling some of the HP potion. (KJ)Doesn't he quickly size up the rear-view while guiding her to Netherfield [Nether -end??]after her long walk? So it would seem, however, I have sized up his rear-view several times.

(Karen) But the one at the grocery store, offering a free gallon of milk with the purchase of a whole goat, I found LOL hysterical.).and I actually saw MB today by accident filming on Oak St. Ok, now it's my turn to shower the monitor with pepsi.. too bad the spray came from my nose.. LOL.. oh, and what or who is "MB"? (KJ)Doesn't he quickly size up the rear-view while guiding her to Netherfield [Nether -end??]after her long walk? "Nether-end" ROFL!!! Oh, and the all-knowing, all-seeing Sam says, "Yup.. He's definitely checking out her backside" (Linda) So it would seem, however, I have sized up his rear-view several times yep, me too.. oh, and after doing a great deal of my own research I have surmised that "the little drill sergeant" generally resides on HWM's left, methinks. (check out the fawn colored britches in the "Elizabeth visits Pemberley" scene.. I think there's more there than a mere wrinkle.. LOL)So, SALUTE! (No, I didn't share that observation with Sam) =P

(Jeanie).. oh, and what or who is "MB"? An MB is someone who totally annoys the boss of this place. And I'm putting it mildly. Lets just say he was connected with L. However, any further descriptions of MB as regards to character, physical characterists, acting/directing abilities, and whether or not he should be in the who or what catagory should be directed to Karen. I think you are beginning to catch the drift.

(Jeanie)"the little drill sergeant" generally resides on HWM's left, methinks. Oh, God. Here we go again. Methinks, though it has resided on the right on a few occasions. Would love to be in his boot camp. Left, right, 234

(Linda) An MB is someone who totally annoys the boss of this place. True, but he annoys critics nationwide. ;-D Jeanie, MB is the writer, director, and star of L'dum. We don't spell out his name or the name of the film due to search engines. You should go back on the Spoiler topic to read what we said about the film. Some of the funniest stuff ever...am recalling our lexicon with a chuckle. ;-)

We even gave it an award;-D

(LindaK, responding to Jeanie's speculation about the right-or-left question) Oh, God. Here we go again. But of course! From what I've seen in the archives, this subject has resurfaced periodically ever since the first airing of P&P. And as Karen pointed out recently, DVD players make it a lot easier to do this type of research, what with zoom capabilities and all. Jeanie, if you haven't yet seen Karen's listing of left-vs.-right observations from P&P, check out response 1148 in this topic. The Lefts do indeed predominate, but she notes some exceptions. It's well worth verifying these sightings for one's self, I assure you! (Evelyn) We even gave it an award;-D Yes, indeed they did - in fact, one not entirely unrelated to the subject above, if memory serves. :-0

ROFL.. Karen, I've never known a more thorough research expert on crotchology!

P&P: The Game. Has anybody seen this? or own it? i was thumbing through the latest (Oct) issue of Victoria Magazine last night and noticed a write up on it at the bottom of page 14 (for those of you who have a copy handy) ;-) it's $30 plus $6 S&H -and this is the address to send away for it if anybody is interested. Ash Grove Press PO Box 8564 Prairie Village, KS 66208-8564 Also, in the current Romantic Times Magazine, (which is pub that reviews new mystery, romance, mainstream and paranormal books) there is a write up on Favorite Romantic Books that have been made into movies -guess what is number one? P&P -with Colin Firth :-) BJD is rated number four. (the English Patient was also listed, but cant remember where it ranked...)

A game? What, like a board game? Just imagine - you pick a card that says, "Go directly to Hunsford. Do not pass Pemberley. Do not collect your pocket allowance. You must spend two months living under the same roof with Mr. Collins, periodically visiting Rosings to listen to Lady Catherine yammer incessantly. You will then refuse an insulting marriage proposal from a incredibly rich, devastatingly handsome man with intense eyes and haughty manners."

Do not pass Go. Read letter instead. Go directly to mental institution.

(Rika)Just imagine - you pick a card that says, ...Get into bed with Darcy. You may use this card-anytime you pass Pemberley.

Just imagine - you pick a card that says,.. Keep incredibly rich, devastatingly handsome man with intense eyes and haughty manners guessing,flirt with best friend.... works every time.

I bet we're coming up with a better game than the real one!

(Rika) My favorite "staring at the chest area" moment is not Darcy's, but Lizzy's, when her eyes drop from his face to his wet shirt. JE's expression is priceless, and I love that it happens as Lizzy is saying "I did not expect to see you...." Indeed - I should imagine not! :-D I love this scene too. One of my favorites. Her expression is priceless. She is so good with facial expressions anyway, but this is one of the best. There are so many downward glances in this movie. He can't help it with the push-up bras anyway. But IMO he is a breast man any way as substantiated in other movies as well. I also thinks he drops a look when she comes into the Inn where he's been waiting for her to meet his sister. May be wrong but think I do see it. I would take all the "you may sleep with Darcy" cards out of the game and keep them all for myself.

(FanPam)I would take all the "you may sleep with Darcy" cards out of the game and keep them all for myself. Sorry, they've already been removed:-)) Rika will have to come up with something to persuade me to put them back.

well, i've ordered a copy of the game, with the mindset to give it to a younger cousin for Christmas -may not be able to stand the suspense though, and have to open it up as soon as it arrives! :-) love the card selections! LOL!

Rika) My favorite "staring at the chest area" moment is not Darcy's, but Lizzy's, when her eyes drop from his face to his wet shirt. They both play the 'chest game" v. well indeed;-) (Rika)There are so many downward glances in this movie Best for me; Darcy glancing down at Lizzie at the piano in Rosings. Whole scene is a winner. The flirting...whew!

(Linda) Rika will have to come up with something to persuade me to put them back. How about these?

GAWD, Rika I'm just about to sign off and go to bed. Guess I'll be having pleasant dreams tonight. Thank you, Dahling. Oh, ok I'll be putting the cards back now. I'm passing Pemberly on the the way to bed-guess I'll just have to use one. Well who will scrub his back, after all?

In those pictures, that wig really stands out. I've never noticed it so closely before.

(Moon)that wig really stands out. I've never noticed it so closely before. I didn't know he wore a wig....ug. Thought he wuz "the real thing";-)

I'm pretty sure it was his own hair. They told him to let it grow somewhat, and they dyed it very dark.

(Rika)I'm pretty sure it was his own hair. They told him to let it grow somewhat, and they dyed it very dark. I think you are right, Rika. I read that when he went in to talk to SB he had just come from filming AMITC, and she mentions that he had this ghastly hair cut and moustache. She told him to grow it out, and they did dye it dark. She also said she was a bit shocked when she saw him, because the head shot she had been used to seeing was of a very handsome CF.

I remember that story too, but it couldn't have been AMITC - that was 1987. From the description and timing, I assumed it was from The Widowing of Mrs. Holyrod. The timeframe was right and heaven knows (based on the snappies I've seen, anyway) the moustache was indeed ghastly.

Article about Andrew Davies and his reputation for "heating" up all the literary adaptations. Several mentions of CF and P&P. http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,802849,00.html For all the debates over JA fanfic, especially of the period variety: And why, one might ask, didn't Darcy and Bennet in the book? Because she was not yet Mrs Darcy.

Thanks for the link, Karen. LOL about RoP as a "self-help group." What does that make us? "Oh, Mr Darcy!" cried legions of female fans - and some blokes - as the luscious Colin Firth emerged from a lake in his sodden, skintight undergarments. I get tired of the emphasis on the pond scene - while I loved it for what it said about Darcy's emotional state, IMHO it was by no means the sexiest scene in the production. But I do love the adjective "luscious."

he went in to talk to SB he had just come from filming AMITC remember that story too, but it couldn't have been AMITC - that was 1987. From the description and timing, I assumed it was from The Widowing of Mrs. Holyrod. CoF Thanks Karen. I can see that the Guardian has the knives out for yet another British citizen who makes it big. "Reputedly, he commands �200,000 for a six-part adaptation " Peanuts in US television scale. I like most of what he does.And can't wait to see the leacherous dog;-)

(Evelyn) CoF Really? Gee, and I didn't think that moustache was so bad. I like most of what he does.And can't wait to see the leacherous dog;-) I just kept imagining them auditioning the dogs. "No, no, MORE lecherous!"

There will be a lot more stuff on Andrew Davies about, probably w/e papers etc because "Tipping the Velvet" starts next week. Saw a preview with Anna Chancellor yesterday. She looks good in the period underwear;-) We will have to count the CF references.

Thank you, ladies. I stand corrected about AMITC. I didn't think he looked that bad in CoR either, Rika.

Oh, man. Should read CoF. I went back to The Making of P&P. Don't know where I got the idea that SB mentioned AMITC. She did say he came in looking like an unmade bed, and that the moustache was horrible. The unmade bed part reminds me of Paul Ashworth. Good thing she had her mind set on him for the part.

Is that where the "Bill and Hillary" look came from, AMITC? Gawd, that is one of the few pitures of MDB (My Dear Boy) that makes me hurl. Anyway, regarding dogs and post-coital scents. I was on a group camping trip of about 160 people (with ~15 dogs) and a friend who had just made love to his girl friend made a speech. One of the dogs was attached to his leg for an hour (not an exaggeration) because of the scent. Canines are very succeptible to affection. ;) LizBeth

(Rika) LOL about RoP as a "self-help group." What does that make us? Self-starters ;-)

(lizbeth) Is that where the "Bill and Hillary" look came from, AMITC? If this the one you mean No, the "Bill and Hilary" (LOL..you go waaay back with that one)look came from CoF. I sorta like the British country gent look . It was taken pre-production of P&P.She was livid at BBC for releasing later during the P&P love fest. Making it look like an engagement pic.

Yikes...it was smaller on Meluchie's website.Pl. take it down Karen.

It's OK. While it is enormous visually, it is only 38K.

Thank you, Evelyn. It is enormous visually. Makes me want to run my fingers through those curls. Isn't this the picture Bridget mentions that was in the newspaper? Can't remember if it was BJD(book) or TEoR.

It's also known as the "Blue Peter Garden" photo, as taken ,as you say, for BBC. reproduced in London Evening standard. The look may not be everyone's favouite but his performance in TWOMH, was pure dynamite, as was stephen Dillane's.

My P&P the Game arrived today! (was deliverd to work address, where guy across the hall immediately demanded to know where i'd got it, so could buy his wife one....) the box has Darcy promoting the game, saying "you must allow me to tell you how ardently i admire and love this game" (okay, slightly cheesy ...but it got my attention!) ;-) have to say that the artist who did the characters should be taken out and shot. Have never seen such ugly portrails of Lizzy and Darcy -or the others, in my life. Except for Collins, who apears to be the handsomest of the lot. (Perhaps artist was blind?)

Ugly Darcy, and handsome Collins? Nevah!!!!!! So how does the game work?

Can we all play a virtual game when you find out the rules? ;)

i havent actually opened the game -it's still in its clear plastic wrap (i'm giving it away as a Christmas present) but according to the box the goal is to get your couple to the church and married first. Couples are Darcy & Lizzy, Jane and Bingly, Charlotte & Collins and Lydia & Wickham. my question is; wouldnt you instinctively WANT to lose, if you got stuck with one of the last two couples? ;-)

...wouldnt you instinctively WANT to lose, if you got stuck with one of the last two couples?;-) Quite so!!! And I suspect that there's going to be quite a fight about the couples too. Who wont want to be Darcy and Lizzy?? (haven't been around drool for a whole year -shame on me!! Glad to be back)