# Jane Eyre (1970 film)

Jane Eyre is a 1970 British film directed by Delbert Mann, starring George C. Scott and Susannah York. It is based on the 1847 novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. The film had its theatrical debut in the United Kingdom in 1970 and was released on television by NBC in the United States in 1971.

## Plot

Jane Eyre is an orphan raised by her tormentingly abusive aunt and cousins until she is sent to Lowood School, where cruelty is an education strategy. The headmaster reminds the students that "God saw fit to make them orphans." Jane's best friend, who had tuberculosis (called "consumption" in those days), was forced to stand in the rain as punishment and died the next day. On leaving, Jane takes a position as governess to a girl named Adele at Thornfield Hall. Fully aware of her low rank and plain countenance, she makes the best of her situation. But Thornfield holds many secrets, and despite mysterious occurrences Jane cannot comprehend, she and Edward Rochester, owner of Thornfield and Adele's guardian, fall in love. Suddenly, when Jane is about to win the happiness she deserves, she discovers that Rochester is already married, that his wife is insane and has been living in accommodations in the attic. It is the wife who was behind the mysterious occurrences because, though she is insane, she understands what's going on. Jane leaves Thornfield and learns to make her way as an independent woman in a society where a woman's well-being was nearly always tied to her husband or male relatives. She eventually learns of an inheritance left to her by an uncle, and becomes a financially independent woman in her own right. Jane eventually returns to Edward, who now lives in a portion of his former mansion, which was largely destroyed in a fire that was set by his now deceased insane wife.

## Cast

* George C. Scott as Edward Rochester
* Susannah York as Jane Eyre
* Sara Gibson as Jane Eyre as a child
* Ian Bannen as St. John Rivers
* Rachel Kempson as Mrs. Fairfax
* Nyree Dawn Porter as Blanche Ingram
* Jack Hawkins as Mr. Brocklehurst
* Jean Marsh as Mrs. Rochester
* Kenneth Griffith as Mason
* Angharad Rees as Louise
* Peter Copley as John
* Clive Morton as Mr. Eshton
* Jeremy Child as Harry Lynn
* Louise Pajo as Mary Lugram
* Michele Dotrice as Mary Rivers
* Rosalyn Landor as Helen Burns
* Stella Tanner as Grace Poole
* Ken Barrie as Edward Rochester (Singing voice)

## Production

The film was originally meant to star James Mason and the actresses mentioned for the title role were Rita Tushingham and Sinead Cusack.
Filming started 18 May 1970 in Yorkshire.

## Chinese release

In the 1980s, the movie was dubbed into Mandarin and widely released in China. The two leading voice actor and actress are 邱岳峰 (Qiu Yuefeng) and 李梓 (Li Zi) . The dubbed version became dominant form by which the classic was known to the Chinese, with the dubbed monologues of the film becoming more widely recited than the original English. The dubbed version was also released on audio cassette tape, and the cassette version was more popular than the dubbed film.

## Awards

* 1972: Emmy Award - Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition (John Williams).

## Soundtrack

John Williams composed the score, recording it at Anvil Studios, Denham, outside London.