Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables (Buy The Series) | The Sequel | The Continuing Story | A New Beginning
Anne Shirley | Gilbert Blythe | Marilla Cuthbert | Matthew Cuthbert | Diana Barry Wright | Rachel Lynde
Miss Muriel Stacey | Aunt Josephine | Mrs. Harris | Morgan Harris | Jack Garrison Jr. | Amelia Thomas

Elderly bachelor Matthew Cuthbert and his spinster sister, Marilla Cuthbert, are in need of a nice, sturdy boy to help Matthew on the farm. So they decide to adopt an orphan. But the orphanage mistakenly sends a girl instead – a mischievous, talkative redhead who would be of no use at all. She would simply have to go back. But the longer Anne Shirley stays at Green Gables, the more no one can imagine living without her.

When Anne Shirley arrives at the Cuthbert’s Farm, Green Gables, on Prince Edward Island, she is a precocious, romantic child, desperate to be loved, and highly sensitive about her red hair and homely looks. In her own unique, headstrong manner, Anne manages to insult the town matriarch, Rachel Lynde, in a dispute over her looks, smashes her slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head – when he calls her “carrots” during her first day at school – and accidentally dyes her hair green in an effort to turn her red hair black and salvage her wounded pride.

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Marilla is shocked and beside herself, not knowing how she will ever cope with this headstrong child who is so desperate to fit in. But shy, gentle Matthew is always there to defend Anne and hold her up on a pedestal.

It seems Anne is destined to cultivate disaster. She becomes “bosom” friends with Diana Barry, but accidentally succeeds in getting Diana drunk by unknowingly serving currant wine instead of raspberry cordial at a tea party. Diana’s mother turns on Marilla for making the wine in the first place and forbids her daughter to associate with Anne. From then on, Anne moves from one mishap to another as her wild imagination and far-fetched antics combine to constantly bring trouble upon her shoulders.

Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it. – Anne Shirley

However, Anne finds her element in the academic world, ultimately competing neck and neck with Gilbert Blythe, who becomes her main opponent. Anne and Gilbert go on to win the highest academic accolades, constantly vying for honors at every level. Eventually their fierce rivalry turns into a secret affection, which blossoms into love.

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Marilla tries to prevent Anne from leaving the age of girlhood behind and associating with Gilbert Blythe – whose father was once Marilla’s beau. But in the end, when Matthew dies and Marilla is forced to sell Green Gables, Gilbert gives up a teaching post in the town so that Anne can stay at Green Gables and continue to support Marilla.

One is left with the impression that Gilbert’s and Anne’s lives will henceforth become intertwined. Anne gives up the romance of her youth and prepares to undertake the journey of becoming an adult.

Cast & Crew

Production Notes

• Katherine Hepburn originally suggested that her niece Schuyler Grant play the role of Anne. Schuyler gave quite a good audition, but Kevin Sullivan ultimately decided to cast Megan Follows as Anne and Schuyler as Diana Barry.
• Colleen Dewhurst jumped at the chance to play Marilla because Anne of Green Gables was the first story her Mother ever read to her. She wanted to do it so badly that she insisted upon it even after her agent recommended that she turn down the part.
• Kevin Sullivan initially didn’t consider Megan Follows a contender for the role of Anne because she was 16 years old and came across as quite modern and sophisticated in her first audition.
• Dawn Greenhalgh, who plays the Orphanage Director, Mrs. Cadbury, is Megan Follows’ mother.
• Morgan Capman, who plays Minnie May, is Kevin Sullivan’s niece.
• Jackie Burroughs, who played Mrs. Amelia Evans, went on to play Hetty King on “Road to Avonlea”
• Cedric Smith, who played Reverend Allan, went on to play Alec King on “Road to Avonlea”.
• Mag Ruffman, who played Alice Lawson, went on to play Olivia King on “Road to Avonlea”
• Mrs. Hammond’s “EAT!” line was totally improvised!
• The scene when Matthew drives Anne home after saving Minnie May was actually shot in the summer.
• For budgetary reasons, very little of Anne of Green Gables was shot in Prince Edward Island. Most of the film was shot in Southern Ontario at locations not far from Toronto.
• At some locations, roads were actually painted red to simulate the red soil of PEI.
• Kevin Sullivan’s favorite scene is when Marilla comforts a crying Anne after Matthew’s death. This scene wasn’t originally in the script, but Colleen Dewhurst convinced Kevin to add it.
• Richard Farnsworth had to have a stand-in for a number of scenes because he was only available for a short period of time. Kevin Sullivan found an excellent photo double and got away with shooting him from various angles. For instance, Richard’s photo double was used in the scene when Anne arrives at Green Gables for the first time.
• The scene between Marilla and Gilbert at the bridge was the very first scene that Jonathan Crombie filmed… and he was extremely nervous.
• It was so windy during the filming of the sunset scene with Anne and Diana, Co-Executive Producer Trudy Grant had to lie on the ground and hold their dresses down.
• A photo double for Megan was used in many of the wide, fall and winter establishing shots because Megan had not actually been cast yet.
• The opening scenes (Anne walking through the woods to Mrs. Hammond’s, etc.) were actually some of the last scenes filmed.
• The night scene at the orphanage, when Anne talks to Katie in the window, was actually shot in broad daylight.
• Kevin Sullivan performs the voice of Mr. Lynde.
• Trudy Grant doubles for Colleen Dewhurst during the drive back to the orphanage because Colleen wasn’t available.
• Anne’s apology to Mrs. Lynde was one of the first scenes shot. The first scene shot for the movie was that of Anne and Marilla walking back from the Lynde’s after the apology.
• Colleen Dewhurst absolutely hated wearing a corset. In many scenes she simply refused to wear one. In fact, she never wore a corset when she appeared on “Road to Avonlea”.
• The line, “I’ll forgive you if you forgive me” was ad-libbed by Colleen Dewhurst.
• During the scene in the woods when Diana tells Anne they can’t ever be friends again, it was raining. A tarp was kept above the actresses so they wouldn’t get wet.
• Anne’s puffed sleeves were stuffed with paper to make them look puffy enough.
• Colleen Dewhurst improvised the line, “Twenty pounds of brown sugar.”
• During the Lily Maid scene, the props people had to pull Anne’s boat from underwater so that it would move along the otherwise still pond water. The portion of the scene where Gilbert takes Anne to shore was actually shot on a different day at the pond that would ultimately be seen many times on Road to Avonlea.
• In a period film, set design requires incredible knowledge and decisive problem-solving. Frequently an appropriate historical room cannot be found, or isn’t available, for filming. In other cases, it is just more convenient to build a set instead of shooting on location. When designing a period set, the Sullivan team had to ensure every item and wall covering had an authentic period feel.
• No one knew it at the time, but every decision made during the filming of Anne of Green Gables would impact the visual style of the rest of the film series. The meticulous attention to detail became a signature of Sullivan Entertainment films.
• The red soil and sweeping ocean are images tied to the heart of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne Shirley. While Anne of Green Gables is known for taking place on picturesque Prince Edward Island, Canada, very little of the actual production occurred there. Locations and other establishing shots were filmed, often with photo doubles, on P.E.I. to give the film the authentic natural charm of the island. The main cast never even went to P.E.I. Back in Ontario, locations were carefully hand-selected to match the establishing shots that had been filmed in P.E.I. Locations like the shimmering orchard that Anne and Matthew ride through – called “The White Way of Delight” – were filmed in Ontario, but perfectly capture the feel of the east coast.
• Location scouts in Ontario could only do so much, making room for other creative measures to be implemented. For example, the roads on many locations had to be dyed red to match the iconic soil of Prince Edward Island. The exteriors of buildings also provided a challenge. Even the most historical sites possess traces of modern influence. Whether this was distinctive paint, power lines or nearby signage, these many elements had to be hidden or transformed.