As The Making of Jane Austen describes in Chapter Three, even the first Hollywood Austen used and produced books. An edition by Grosset and Dunlap was featured in the film trailer, as well as in the print advertisements, for MGM's Pride and Prejudice (1940). It showed an illustration by artist Alfred Skrenda that would have been viewed by millions--making it the most seen Austen book illustration (in this case, a cover) up to that point in history. (Skrenda's book cover image is included in The Making of Jane Austen in black and white, but it's included here in color.)
In his book Photoplay Editions and Other Movie Tie-in Books, Arnie Davis documents 10 photoplays of Pride and Prejudice, published by presses including Alexander Hamilton, Books Publishing, Collins, Dent/Dutton, Globe, Grosset and Dunlap, Laidlaw, Pocket, and Triangle Books. Most include frontispiece photos and/or stills from the MGM movie on their interior pages and book jackets.
Below are a few of those editions, showing the scenes and characters that book publishers used to sell the film and the print book in conjunction at mid century.
In his book Photoplay Editions and Other Movie Tie-in Books, Arnie Davis documents 10 photoplays of Pride and Prejudice, published by presses including Alexander Hamilton, Books Publishing, Collins, Dent/Dutton, Globe, Grosset and Dunlap, Laidlaw, Pocket, and Triangle Books. Most include frontispiece photos and/or stills from the MGM movie on their interior pages and book jackets.
Below are a few of those editions, showing the scenes and characters that book publishers used to sell the film and the print book in conjunction at mid century.
