Pop Culture Retrospective # 34 - Anne of Green Gables : the 1985 mini-series that captured LM Montgomery's incredible story!

Episode #34 - Anne of Green Gables

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s like me and my sister did, then you may remember the popularity of fan clubs.  For example, if you were a big fan of Duran Duran, you could sign up for their fan club, for a fee and receive band updates via mail and a membership card.  Or, if you were a Babysitter’s Club Enthusiast, you could sign up for their fan club and receive newsletters, a banner, photo album and posters all about the book series.  When I was in my early 20s, I started my own fan club, but this time it was for Anne of Green Gables, the 1985 film that me, my sister and several of my former colleagues at the time were huge fans of.  So much so, that during off-shifts from my job as a Wilderness Therapy Guide, my colleagues, who were close friends, would gather together to watch the movies together.  We loved the movie and movies so much that we lovingly referred to Anne of Green Gables as AOGG.  I even purchased every club member an Anne of Green Gables pen from the Canada Pavilion at Epcot in WDW when I traveled there with my sister.  Needless to say, as an adult I was and am obsessed with that film. Anne of Green Gables was ALWAYS in the rotation for me and my sister growing up. I can remember watching the movie at home from the comfort of our evergreen, red, and navy blue striped couch and also looking up at the TV/VCR cart from my desk in elementary school.  I know if my sister and I could talk now about our favorite movies from our childhood, without question I know she would bring this one up.  

Today’s show’s format is intended for those individuals who have already seen the film, ideally on several occasions.  If you have not seen the film, I’d strongly encourage you to do so before listening to this show as there will be many spoilers about the plot and characters and many of the inside jokes I will make about the film will also not make a lot of sense.  We won’t be going through the movie scene by scene, but rather we will discuss some background information and history behind the movie (emphasis on the first movie), information about the cast, fun facts and other tidbits for the AOGG fan.  So, grab your straw hat, put your hair into pigtails and pack up your carpet bag, here we go!

Hello and welcome back and thank you so very much for tuning in to the Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast, a show inspired by, and in memory of, my big sister Rebecca and her love for all things pop-culture, especially the people, places and things of the 80s, 90s and early 00s.  My name is Amy Lewis and I am your captain aboard this pop culture time machine.  You are tuning in to episode #34 - Anne of Green Gables, the beloved television mini series that first graced the small screen in the mid 1980s.  

Before we get into the film itself, let’s discuss the origins of this timeless classic, which was a book written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, commonly known as L.M. Montgomery.  As you will soon see, there are many parallels between LM Montogomery and the character of Anne Shirley. She was born on what was then called Clifton, but now New London, PEI on November 30th, 1874 to parents Hugh John Montgomery and Clara Woolner Macneill.  Sadly, her mother died of tuberculosis when L.M. was just a baby.  She would go on to live with her maternal grandparents, Alexander and Lucy Woolner Macneill.  Since she was an only child living with an older couple, she found many creative ways to entertain herself.  She enjoyed reading, writing and being out in nature.  She also started keeping a journal at the ripe old age of 9. She had two imaginary friends growing up, one named Katie and the other named Lucy.  They lived in a fairy room behind the bookcase in her grandparent’s sitting room. As a child, LM enjoyed spending time with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins.  When she was just 16 years old, LM had her first poem published, entitled:  “On Cape Le Force” which was featured in a PEI newspaper.  Later, she would study at a teacher’s college called Prince of Wales college and there she earned her teacher’s license.  She finished a two year program in just one year and graduated with honors.  LM would teach for a few years and also continued to write on the side aka turn of the century side hustle! Or is it side saddle?  LM send her writings to publications all over Canada, the US and Britain.  

She faced a lot of rejection, but eventually her persistence paid off and she would eventually start to earn a living from her writing and transitioned out of teaching.  

Montgomery wrote AOGG in 1905 - she sent the manuscript out to several publishers but each one rejected it!  So, feeling discouraged, she put the story away in a hatbox for a few years.  She stumbled across it in 1907 and decided to try again.  Thankfully a publishing company based out of Boston, MA took a chance and thank god they did because it was an immediate success, selling 19,000 copies within it’s first 5 months of release.  She was now able to make a very comfortable living from her writing. 

According to Brittanica.com, here is a synopsis of the Anne of Green Gables Story (and subsequently the movie) which we will discuss momentarily:  

Anne of Green Gables, children’s novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, published in 1908. The work, a sentimental but charming coming-of-age story about a spirited and unconventional orphan girl who finds a home with elderly siblings, became a classic of children’s literature and led to several sequels.

Matthew Cuthbert and his sister, Marilla, live in Avonlea on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Needing help on their farm, Green Gables, they apply to adopt a boy from an orphanage. By mistake, however, a red-haired, freckle-faced 11-year-old girl named Anne Shirley is sent to the siblings. While Matthew instantly takes to Anne, Marilla is unsure about keeping her. However, the cheerful and highly imaginative Anne gradually transforms the joyless lives of shy Matthew and prim Marilla, and they come to view her as a daughter.

However, not everything about Avonlea is idyllic, and the quick-tempered Anne has two nemeses: the hypercritical Mrs. Rachel Lynde, who she eventually wins over, and Gilbert Blythe, a classmate who insults Anne by calling her “carrots”—she is sensitive about her looks, especially her red hair—and sets off a long-simmering feud; the two become friends by the end of the book and marry in a later sequel. Impulsive and sometimes mischievous, Anne has many misadventures, such as accidentally dyeing her hair green. Anne of Green Gables was inspired by a newspaper story, and Montgomery infused the work with her own girlhood experiences and the rural life and traditions of Prince Edward Island. Although initially rejected by several publishers, the novel was a huge success upon publication. Mark Twain called Anne “the most lovable child in fiction” since Lewis Carroll’s Alice. Anne of Green Gables was adapted for film, stage, and television. Although Montgomery was not interested in continuing the story, she wrote several sequels that traced Anne’s life from girlhood to motherhood. However, they were less popular than the original novel.

On a personal note, Montgomery was linked to 2 different men before eventually marrying Reverend Ewan MacDonald.  They would go on to have 3 sons- Chester, Hugh (who died during childbirth) and Stuart.  In addition to dealing with the pain of losing one of her children, Montgomery also had to cope with her husband’s mental illness, early on he showed signs of depression and later a serious depressive disorder referred to as melancholia.  His mood apparently changed constantly, he could be exhausted and hard to talk to one moment and extremely agitated another.  Her husband got so ill that he was not longer able to preach and had to resign.  Her oldest son was also reportedly in trouble at times, he could be dishonest and take things from other people without permission.  As they got older, Montgomery’s husband’s mental health continued to decline.  He reportedly started to hear voices and had delusions.  Montgomery too also dealt with depression and according to some accounts, she and her husband were often periodically dependent on barbiturates.  An avid journal writer, many of Montgomery’s later entries describe feeling hopeless and that the world had gone mad.  She remained a professional writer for the rest of her life but on April 24, 1942, she was found dead in her Toronto home.  Initial reports said that she died as a result of coronary thrombosis.  

However, a little over 10 years ago, one the 100th anniversary of the Montgomery’s first book publication, her granddaughter revealed a deep family secret.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/l-m-montgomery-suicide-revealed-1.723426

I guess it just goes to show that mental illness, depression and anxiety are not new phenomenons.  They go back generation after generation, and that for many people, no matter how seemingly successful they are on the outside, sometimes there is a lot going on inside.  Things going on inside that even the closest family and friends may never know or fully understand, even when they think they do.  I know that all too well.  Despite her deep sadness and grief, LM Montgomery’s life and writing have made significant impacts on the world almost 80 years after her death.  

Throughout her life, LM Montgomery wrote 20 books, and almost all of them were set on Prince Edward Island.  Many of those books would see the big screen, beginning in 1919 with the release of an AOGG silent film.  1934 saw the release of another AOGG film which was a major box office hit.  In 1944, Anne of the Windy Poplars was released. In 1952, 1972 and 1975 there were mini-series released on television and in 1979 an anime series was released.  That brings us up the magical year that was 1985.

Anne of Green Gables was released on December 5, 1985.  It was rated G and ran for 195 minutes.  When it aired on that snowy December day on CBC, it was the most popular program to ever air in Canada.  How you like ‘dem carrots?  It was initially released on Canada’s CBC network but would also be released on PBS and the Disney Channel.  It was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan.  The 2nd installment, Anne of Avonlea was released in 1987 and the 3rd installment, Anne of Green Gables :  The Continuing Story was released in 1998.  

The filming locations were around Ontario, the main location was just 15 minutes from Leaksdale, Ontario where LM Montgomery had lived with her family after they left PEI.  Many of the iconic shots of PEI were actually filmed on the island, however.  The award winning costumes in the first two films were designed by Martha Mann and were the perfect Edwardian style made to fit each character’s personality.  Further, many of the film’s sets were constructed at the Sullivan Studio & Backlot which is in Toronto.  Sullivan and the crew wanted to make them as picturesque and accurate to the time period as possible.  It took about 10 weeks to film the movie.

3,000 girls auditioned for the main character role of Anne Shirley, including a talented Canadian actress named Megan Follows. Kevin Sullivan wasn’t originally sold on Megan Follows (who would go on to play the role thank god) at first.  Famed actress Katherine Hephburn (who was allegedly in talks to play Marilla but turned it down) had recommended the role of Anne to be played by her great niece, Schuyler Grant. Sullivan loved Grant for the role, but many executives from the film studio requested that Anne be played by a Canadian.  After seeing thousands of girls audition for the role, they hadn’t quite nailed down who was going to play Anne.  Sullivan decided to take a look at Follow’s audition tape, but it had been destroyed.  So, she was asked at the last minute to come back for another in-person audition.  She was on a time crunch so she was a bit flustered during her audition and it was perfect.  She got the part. Follows was just 16 when the first movie was filmed.  Follows really wanted to play the role of Anne because she felt like Anne was one of the most important female Canadian characters to ever be written about for young girls and women.  Follows once said of the role:  “I read it from the perspective at first of, what a fantastic character, I want to play this, who is this character, what can I bring to this, what can I do?  I get to be the number one in a story as a young woman, I’m not the sister of, I’m not the girlfriend of, I’m not the appendage of a boy’s story.  She is the story, sign me up.”  Prior to her Anne of Green Gables role, Follows was a pretty accomplished actress at the ripe old age of 16.  

She had starred in an episode of Facts of Life, as well as other TV series like Matt and Jenny and Hangin’ In among many, many others prior to 1985.  Megan’s mother also had a role in the film, playing the role of the orphanage director, Mrs. Cadbury.  Who knew?! 

For the role of spit-fire Marilla Cuthbert, veteran actress Colleen Dewhurst got the part.  Colleen Dewhurst was a Canadian Native as well, born in Montreal in 1924. Fun fact- she grew up on Prince Edward Island.  Director Kevin Sullivan had been thinking of Dewhurst in the role of Marilla for some time; he had really admired her work.   You may also remember Dewhurst from her role in two of my favorite movies of decades past including “The Boy Who Could Fly” and “Annie Hall.”  

Richard Farnsmouth aka the man who everyone wanted to be their grandpa was cast for the role of Matthew Cuthbert, Marilla’s kind, caring and endearing brother.  He was born on September 1, 1920 in Los Angeles, CA. He struggled in school growing up and dropped out at age 15 during the great depression and went to work as a stable boy at a polo barn.  A few years after he started working at the barn, he got paid to ride ponies on camera and this eventually led him to a career in Hollywood. Prior to his role in this notable film, he was a stuntman for 3 decades in films such as “The 10 Commandments” and “Gone With the Wind.”  Maybe you’ve heard of them? He didn’t really start officially acting until he was middle aged. I never realized he was a stuntman, perhaps that’s why his heart attack scene where he falls in the fields of the farm is so realistic?  Too soon?  

Jonathan Crombie was cast in the role of Gilbert Blythe after a casting agent saw him in a high school production of the Wizard of Oz.  Gilbert is initially Anne’s nemesis in school, but eventually becomes the object of her affection.  

Schuyler Grant who we talked about just a moment ago, was cast as Diana Berry who is Anne’s best friend.  She starred on “All My Children” prior to her role in AOGG.  

Patricia Hamilton played Rachel Lynde, the pesky and incredibly nosey neighbor of the Cuthberts.  She’s the town gossip and a royal pain in the you know what and Hamilton does an incredible job in the role.  She was born on April 27th, 1937 in Saskatchewan, Canada.  Prior to AOGG, she too starred on “Hangin’ In” and also “The Last Polka” among many, many other acting credits.  

If you’ve seen the movie, even if it was a long time ago, then you know how incredibly well this movie was cast.  I can’t imagine anyone else playing these parts.  I can’t imagine different scenery and filming locations, or music.  This film is pure Canadian perfection.  Of course there are a plethora of additional characters in the books and the movies, but in the interest of time, we’ll just focus on the main characters.  

Now that we have discussed the author and a bit about the cast and film, let’s go over some lesser known information about the phenomenon that is AOGG, the movie.

AOGG has created a huge draw to Prince Edward Island, especially from Japanese tourists. Approximately 3500 Japanese tourists visit PEI each year, making it one of the largest sources of overseas tourism. As I mentioned earlier, in 1979 there was an Anime film released and the original book is required reading in many Japanese public schools since the 1950s.  One interesting thing I learned about was that at one point, in Hakkaido, Japan, there used to be an area called “Japan’s Canadian World Theme Park” which used to draw about 40,000 visitors per day and had a replica of AOGG’s farm house there as well as Canadian-esque row houses.  Within the park you could row a boat in a man-made pond or  take a trip aboard the steam locomotive that traveled the perimeter of the park.  

The theme park went bankrupt in 1997 so the city adopted it and renamed it “Canadian World” themed around PEI and Avonlea.  Here you can find a Victorian church and iron street lamps.  I’ll post a link to a video I found on YouTube about it, it’s quite fascinating.  Further, what is also part of the appeal of AOGG to Japanese fans is because the character of Anne Shirley is filled with kawaii which roughly translates as romantic, beautiful and cute.  

Although it is one of the first scenes in the movie, the scene where Mrs. Hammond brings Anne to the orphanage was filmed last.  

Colleen Dewhurst said AOGG is one of the first books she remembers her mother reading to her when she was a little girl.  Her agent actually advised her to NOT take the role of Marilla which I assumed was grounds for his or her firing! 

As I mentioned earlier, the costumes for the movie are absolutely incredible and authentic to the time period down to the corsets that the women had to wear.  Apparently Follows and Dewhurst couldn’t stand wearing them and actually burned them after filming. I think Dewhurst lit a cigarette off of that fire, okay that’s not true but she was a smoker and that’s for sure.

Kevin Sullivan hadn’t read the books when he was approached about making the film. 

During my time as President of the AOGG fan club, me and some of the members discovered a drinking game based on the film adaptation of AOGG on foreveryoungadult.com, here’s the game which is called “How Dare You!!”  Drink!   

 Take One Drink:

•  Every time Anne loses her temper

•  Each time Marilla rolls her eyes (this one alone will have your liver shaking its bedraggled fist at you.)

•  Whenever Matthew 'interferes'

•  Gilbert has been added to a scene, to build romantical tension (eg. when Josie Pye dares Anne to walk the ridgepole of the roof.)

•  Each time the word 'bosom' is used

•  When Anne says the word 'tragical'

Toast:

•  Raise your glass and say "To puffed sleeves!" every time said sleeves are seen or mentioned!

Take a Shot:

•  When, after snubbing her, Gilbert steals Anne's dance card (The best added scene not in the book. Also the scene that made a whole generation of us long for dance cards!)

•  For "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it. Yet."

•  For green hair

•  The SECOND time Gilbert calls Anne 'Carrots', with his voice all husky (le sigh)

Chug:

•  When Diana is drinking the 'raspberry cordial'

Pour One Out:

•  For Matthew (sob!)

At the same time that I was in the AOGG fan club, every song in the music industry seemed to be a remix.  So you’d hear some hip hop song for example and out of nowhere someone would yell REMIX and the song’s tempo would change.  I too enjoyed a good remix so I geniously created the “Marilla remix” that went a little something like this:  “That was my broach broach broach, you had no right to take it, take it, take it.” “Diana will never, never, never, see you again, again, again.”  Don’t eat it, Ms. Stacey, Stacey, Stacey.”  You are true AOGG fan if you know what I am referring to.  

I am not sure if this is still happening at PEI, but at one time you could see “Anne and Gilbert, the Musical” on stage at a theatre on the island. You can also shop at the Anne of Green Gables gift shop on the island or take Matthew’s carriage ride which makes sure to go past the lake of shining waters.  You can also take a literary tour and learn more about LM Montgomery.  

Following the 85, 87 and 98 releases of Anne of Green Gables and the continuing stories, several other adaptations have been released.  For example, in 2016 LM Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables was released as a television series.  In 2017:  AOGG:  The Good Stars was released as well as AOGG:  Fire & Dew and Netflix released a series that year as well called Anne with an E.  It has been over 100 years since Anne of Green Gables was first published and it’s clear that the character of Anne Shirley continues to inspire generation after generation.  

I hope you have enjoyed this look back on the story of Anne of Green Gables and the film with the same name released in 1985.  Each of the main cast enjoyed successful careers in the entertainment industry following their roles in the AOGG movies.  

Megan Follows has acted on dozens and dozens of TV series like Heartland, CSI and many others.  She also narrated the audiobook versions of the AOGG books, I need to listen to those! She is the mother to two children, a daughter named Lyla and a son, Russell.  

Colleen Dewhurst continued to act until the early 1990s, primarily in TV series and TV movies.  In 1990, she found out that she had cervical cancer and due to her Christian Science beliefs, she refused any sort of treatment.  She passed away on August 22, 1991 at age 67.  Follows once said of her fondest memory of doing AOGG: “ Colleen Dewhurst is coming to mind. She was such a great old broad of the theatre. She was a true thespian, the real deal, and she'd be there smoking her Carltons right up until we were ready to film.”  

Richard Farnsworth continued to act up until his last film in 1999 called “The Straight Story” which is a story about an eldery gentleman who rides his tractor across the country to try and repair his relationship with his brother that has become strained.  I have seen that movie and it was quite endearing if I remember correctly.  Farnsworth died on October 7, 2000 at age 80.  He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and decided to take his life via a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  I can’t remember if I knew that is how Farnsworth died but either way that was certainly very sad to be reminded of.  He will certainly be remembered for all of his significant contributions to the film industry, especially how kind and genuine he was in AOGG.  

While we are talking about sad things, let’s discuss Jonathan Crombie who played Gilbert.  Although he didn’t originally think he was going to be a professional actor, he too has dozens and dozens of post-AOGG acting credits.  Coincidentally, his mother’s name is Shirley Ann.  On April 15, 2015, Crombie died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm.  He was only 48 years old.  You can honor his character’s memory by purchasing Gilbert Blythe cologne or mug on the AOGG website.  

Schuyler Grant who played Diana Berry went on to attend Columbia University where she studied History and Theatre.  Allegedly, Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie visited her in college and Grant invited her roommate to join the trio.  Her roommate, who is a moron, declined the invitation because she had never seen the movies and didn’t know who her two friends were.  Big mistake. She doesn’t really act very much anymore, but she is a Yoga Master who has her own YouTube channel, she also does some film editing and she has 3 children.  

Patricia Hamilton who played Rachel Lynde has continued to act post-AOGG with her most recent credit coming in 2017.  She has been a part of many of the AOGG spin-offs and additional series.  

So whether you are a fan of the books, the movies or both, I think it’s clear that there are a lot of life lessons we can take from LM Montgomery and Anne Shirley.  Anne taught us that everyone deserves a second chance.  She also taught us that we don’t need twenty friends, but instead just need one true, busom friend.  She also taught us the power of imagination and purusing our goals, which is all still relavent today, more than 100 years after the first book was published.  Here are a few of my favorite Anne quotes:  “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.”  And:  “My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. That's a sentence I read once and I say it over to comfort myself in these times that try the soul.”  Although there are certainly some tragic circumstances that happened both with LM Montgomery and some of the cast of the movie, I think it’s a good reminder that no one is perfect and that no matter how rich or famous someone is, many of us are coping with grief, sadness and challenging times.  It’s sort of like that quote you see everywhere but that is very true:  “Be kind because everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.” 

If you are enjoying the PCRP, please subscribe and rate the show.  Please tell your friends and family about the show and share on social media.  I hope you will join me for my next show where we will be discussing the archnemesis of Rainbow Brite, Strawberry Shortcake.  Until then, BKBSAHOTYM.