Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 1950

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE   Adapted from Jane Austen's novel   by H. Oldfield Box   STARRING Hermione Hannen   Hugh Burden Cecil Trouncer Barbara Everest   BBC Home Service Basic, From 6 August 1950:   Twelve episodes Mrs Bennet is on a mission to marry off her five daughters   to rich men. Enter, Mr Charles Bingley and his rather fit   friend, Darcy. Love, loathing and bittersweet romance follow... 1 -- Netherfield Park is Let at Last   "My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?" Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. "But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."Mr. Bennet made no answer."Do you not want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently. "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."This was invitation enough."Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.""What is his name?" "Bingley." 2 -- Jane Bennet Gets a Wetting   Mr. Bingley, the new tenant of Netherfield Park, has arrived in Hertfordshire, and has taken up occupation of the house. Mrs. Bennet is delighted with him. Not only is he rich, young, good-looking, and extremely sociable, but he has begun to pay the most marked attention to Jane, the eldest of her five unmarried daughters. A little careful management, and the gentleman must surely be captured.   Very different from Mr. Bingley is his friend Mr. Darcy. Darcy is handsome, well-connected, and twice as rich. But he is proud, reserved, and seems to regard the society which the neighbourhood affords as beneath his notice. But in spite of himself, Mr. Darcy soon finds himself much attracted by the second of Mrs. Bennet's daughters, Elizabeth, the liveliest, wittiest, and most intelligent of her family. 3—' Mr. Bennet is vastly entertained '   Mr. Bingley, the new tenant of Netherfield Park, has now been in residence there for a month; and to Mrs. Bennet's delight, he is paying great attention to Jane, the eldest of her five daughters. The good lady already regards their marriage as inevitable.   Mr. Bingley's friend, the proud young Mr. Darcy, is finding himself most uncomfortably attracted by the second daughter Elizabeth; but Elizabeth herself is quite unaware of this. Nor would she wish for his admiration, for Mr. Darcy's manners have aroused in her a considerable dislike.   Both sisters, through a stratagem of their mother, find themselves staying as guests at Netherfield; but both agree that their visit ought not to be prolonged. 4 — ' Mr. Bingley Gives a Ball   Allen nch and handsome young gentleman who has just come to live at Netherfield Park. is paying the most promising attentions to Jane, the eldest of her five daughters. Bingley's haughty aristocratic friend, Mr. Darcy, is becoming, somewhat against his own will, much attracted by Elizabeth, the second of the Bennet family; but Elizabeth, who dislikes him heartily, has no idea that this is so. Such is the situation when an unexpected visitor (a young clergyman) arrives at Longbourn, the Bennets' country home, to stay for a fortnight. He is Mr. Collins, a distant cousin, and hitherto a stranger; but he is Mr. Bennet's nearest mate relative, and the heir to the Longbourn estate. Mr. Collins proves to be an absurd, wordy creature; his object in coming is to choose one of the Bennet girls for his wife; and he soon decides that Elizabeth shall be the fortunate one. But on the day following his arrival Elizabeth meets Mr. Wickham. an attractive young man who has just accepted a commission in the militia regiment stationed in the neighbourhood. Her interest in him is heightened when he tells her that in the past he has been grossly ill-treated by Mr. Darcy.   To the great satisfaction of the Bennets, Mr. Bingley has promised to give a ball at Netherfield. Pianist. Cicely Hoye   5 — ' Jane Bennet Has a Shock'     Mr. Bingley's ball at Netherfield was not an occasion enjoyed by Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Wickham was not present; she was unable to avoid dancing with the detestable Mr. Darcy; and Mr. Collins pestered her with his unwelcome attentions and civilities. But worst of all had been her mother's behaviour, for Mrs. Bennet boasted at great length, in Mr. Darcy's hearing, of Mr. Bingley's attentions to her daughter Jane, and of her confident expectation that they would soon be married.   On the morning after the ball, his visit to Longbourn nearly over, Mr. Collins made his proposal of marriage to Elizabeth. So confident was he of success that Elizabeth found herself unable to convince him that her rejection of his offer was seriously meant.   6— ' Lady Catherine Entertains '     Mr. Collins, at last convinced that Elizabeth's refusal of his offer of marriage is seriously meant, decides to withdraw his offer! But within two days he proposes to Elizabeth's friend, Charlotte Lucas, who accepts him. Elizabeth's astonishment and Mrs. Bennet's indignation, when, after Mr. Collins' departure, they hear of the engagement, are great indeed.   And soon afterwards comes the news that Jane's admirer, Mr. Binglcy, has gone to London, and does not intend to come back. All Jane's hopes are at an end. Elizabeth feels her sister's sorrow deeply; but her own life is not cheerless, for she is now seeing a good deal of that charming young gentleman, Mr. Wickham. 7 — ' Mr. Darcy Comes to Hunsford '   Mrs. Bennet's expectations have not been realised. Mr. Bingley has left Netherfield Park without proposing to Jane, and has apparently no intention of returning. Elizabeth has rejected Mr. Collins' offer of marriage, and, worse still, he has married Charlotte Lucas instead! Jane herself feels Mr. Bingley's desertion deeply, and her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. have taken her to stay with Them in London so that she may have a chance of recovering her spirits.   Elizabeth has now gone to stay with Charlotte and Mr. Collins at Hunsford Parsonage, close by the seat of the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh herself. News has now come that her ladyship's nephew, Mr. Darcy. is coming to stay with her. Thus Elizabeth is to meet again in Kent the gentleman she has learned to dislike so much in Hertfordshire.   Pianist, Cicely Hoye   8 — ' Mr. Darcy is Painfully Surprised'   Elizabeth's discovery, through Colonel Fitzwilliam, that Darcy was directly responsible for separating Bingley from her sister Jane has not only revived all her old dislike of him; it has sharpened it to positive hate. Her indignation is such that it has brought on a severe headache, and when the others set off that evening to dine at Rosings she remains behind at the parsonage. She wiU not go where she must meet Mr. Darcy again.   She is sitting alone in the parsonage drawing-room, burning with anger, when, to her utter amazement, Darcy himself enters the room. He enquires hurriedly after her health; walks about in great agitation; and then suddenly, after the strangest and most unflattering introduction to his subject, begins to declare his passion for her. 9-' Elizabeth Visits Pemberley '     Elizabeth Bennet has rejected Mr. Darcy's astonishing proposal in no uncertain terms. Her recently acquired knowledge of the part he had played in separating Mr. Bingley from her sister Jane had already increased her dislike of him to positive hatred, and the hardly flattering terms in which he had declared his love made her more candid and outspoken than she would otherwise have been. But the explanation of his past actions which Darcy gave her after his rejection have, upon rejection, done much to lessen her prejudice against him. Mr. Wickham's story that Darcy had ill-treated and cheated h:m is obviously a falsehood. Wickham, despite his outward charm, is clearly a young man of bad character, without scruples. At last she begins to realise the essential strength and honesty of Darcy's character, to which his pride has previously blinded her.   Elizabeth leaves Hunsford, and returns home to Longbourn. She hears w'ta relief that Wickham's regiment is about to quit the neighbourhood. But relief changes to alarm when she discovers that her irresponsible young sister Lydia is to accompany the regiment to Brighton and stay there with Mrs. Forster. the giddy young wife of the regiment's colonel. She tries hard to persuade her father to prevent Lydia from going where the temptations will be so much greater than they are at home. But her father cannot take her fears very seriously. To Brighton Lydia is to go. And Elizabeth awaits the future with considerable misgivings. 10—' Lydia Disgraces her Family'     Elizabeth, back from her momentous visit to Hunsford, has set off, with her uncle and aunt, on that eagerly awaited northern tour. Their route takes them through Derbyshire, where they are to spend one week at her aunt's old home, Lanibtonwhich is only a few miles from Pemberley, Darcy's country mansion.   Pemberley is open to visitors, and hearing that Darcy is at present away Elizabeth consents to go over it. To her horror they encounter Darcy himself, who has returned earlier than expected. But he is so changed in his manner, so little proud, so civil and courteous, that Elizabeth's prejudice against him, already weakened, vanishes altogether. He introduces her to his sister, who invites them all to dinner on the morrow. 11—‘ Mr. Darcy's behaviour is more than bewildering '   Elizabeth's northern tour has been brought to an abrupt end; but not before-in her distress—she has revealed the reason to Mr. Darcy. Terrible news has come from Brighton. Her sister Lydia, who has been staying with Colonel and Mrs. Forster, has eloped with Wickham-and Wickham , it is evident, has no intention of marrying her. Darcy expresses his deep concern and sympathy, but Elizabeth is sure that she will never see hirr. again. What man of consequence, she asks herself, would wish to marry the sister of a girl who has thus disgraced herself? Certainly not' Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth, with her uncle and aunt, leaves Derbyshire, and hurries home to Longbourn. But the weeks pass, and still no news is heard from the fugitives.   Last episode :   12 -- 'Shall the shades of Pemberley be thus polluted? '     Lydia has been found, living with Wickham in a London lodging-house. In return for the payment of his debts, and other substantial benefits, he has been induced to marry her, and the couple have gone to Northumberland, where his new regiment is stationed. Elizabeth has discovered that the marriage has been brought about, not by the generosity of her uncle, as her family believe, but by Mr. Darcy   Hardly have Wickham and Lydia gone, than, to Mrs. Bennet's joy, Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield, and with him comes Darcy himself. Bingley, it is soon clear, is as much in love with Jane Bennet as ever, and Mrs. Bennet*s hopes are very high. But Darcy is reserved and silent; Elizabeth cannot make him out. After a short stay with his friend, he goes back to London. His return to Netherfield is doubtful.   He is still away when Elizabeth, to her utter amazement, receives a visit from Lady Catherine de Bourgh.   Production By: Mary Hope Allen   Jane Austen narrator: Barbara Couper Elizabeth Bennet: Hermione Hannen Jane Bennet: Margaret Vines Mr Bennet: Cecil Trouncer Mrs Bennet: Barbara Everest Lydia Bennet: Denise Bryer Mr Wickliam: Anthony Jacobs Kitty Bennet: Joan Hart Mr Darcy: Hugh Burden Mr Bingley: David Peel Lady Catherine de Bourgh: Gladys Young

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

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