About

During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Tinseltown fell under the spell of the Brontë sisters...

Three of the major studios were set to produce Brontë movies: MGM released Wuthering Heights in 1939 starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, 20th Century Fox released Jane Eyre in 1943 starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles, and Warner Bros. released Devotion in 1946.

This talk focuses on Devotion, taking us from the Haworth moors to the Hollywood hills to explore how the Brontë family were brought to life for the first time in a feature film. Directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Ida Lupino, Olivia de Havilland, and Nancy Coleman, the film has become known for its inaccuracies, but we'll see how the spirit of the Brontës burned bright in the actors who portrayed them during a tumultuous time in Hollywood history.

The talk will be presented by Sam Harrison, a Deputy Manager for our Visitor Experience team at the Museum as well as co-host to the Museum Podcast ‘Behind the Glass’. Sam has a passion for Hollywood history and studied Film and TV Production at University.