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Jack and Linda Hutton have spent close to seven years trying to learn more about the long-lost "Anne of Green Gables" silent movie which starred 17-year-old Mary Miles Minter. After all this time, they finally have created a presentation that brings that old production back to life, using still photos from the movie, accompanied by live silent movie piano of that era. In June, 2008, delegates to a biennial L.M. Montgomery conference at the University of Prince Edward Island were be the first to see the completed photoplay with Jack, an award-winning international ragtime performer, playing rare silent movie piano music of that era to accompany Linda’s narration. Jack and Linda have worked hard to re-invent the experience of actually sitting through the movie that starred teen-aged Mary Miles Minter. The 1920s photo at the top of this page shows what the movie may have looked like. A woman pianist accompanies the on-screen action as Anne and Matthew Cuthbert are heading for Green Gables.
Following the trail of the 1919 movie and its star, Mary Miles Minter, has been a labour of love for Jack and Linda. Roughly nine years ago, they purchased for their museum a copy of the 1919 sheet music, "Anne of Green Gables", which was written for the movie with the approval of Mary Miles Minter. Jack and Linda were puzzled by the hip-roofed building on the cover. It bore no resemblance to the Green Gables home in P.E.I. which has been visited by many thousands over the years. Linda's research showed that the 1919 movie had been filmed just south of Boston, using the oldest frame home still standing in the United States, Fairbanks House (1636), as the home of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. The Huttons promptly made their first visit to Dedham, Massachusetts, to study the heritage home first-hand, and to interview local people who could tell them about the movie (That was the first of two visits). The premiere of the Huttons’ re-created movie at the LMM conference in P.E.I. has been seen several times since then. It received a standing ovation days later in Bideford, P.E.I. The evening was a fund-raiser for the Bideford Parsonage Museum, which should be a must-see visit for anyone interested in the life of L.M. Montgomery. LMM boarded in a second-floor bedroom in that building when she was a 19-year-old first year teacher.
In the meantime, the photoplay presentation is available to interested groups or organizations that would like to show it. Contact Jack or Linda at Bala’s Museum with Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery to discuss costs and other details (balamus@muskoka.com or 1-888-579-7739).
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In
October 2008, the re-creation of the old movie received an enthusiastic
response at an ambitious LMM conference sponsored by the University
of Guelph. Click on www.lmmrc.ca/conference) to learn more about
what was offered at that conference
POSTSCRIPT:
Jack and Linda say they owe thanks to many who have assisted them
with their research. That includes Dr. Mary Rubio and staff members
at the University of Guelph, plus Carolyn Collins, who made a scholarly
presentation on the lost 1919 film to the LMM conference in P.E.I.,
and Ben Lefebvre, a distinguished LMM scholar and researcher.. Thanks
also go to the legendary American pianist, composer and musical
historian Dick Hyman and his secretary, Jerri Brigandi, who made
available a treasure trove of rare silent movie piano music. Ken
Scollard and Jon Gurr, both of Bala, were of great assistance in
helping Jack and Linda get started with their computer program.
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