The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (film vs. book)

Anyone read the book? In the film it is clear why Sandy "betrays" Miss Brodie.

In the book I didn't get why. Can anyone explain the book? TIA

I assumed the movie was based on the play.

I think it is r2.

bump

It's really a pity that Pamela Franklin didn't have a better career. She kept getting typecast in horror films, most of the pretty bad. I suspect moving to the U.S. didn't help her. She would have been better off staying in England even if it meant doing more (and probably better) TV and branching into stage work.

It’s a New Yorker story!

I was a 16-year old miserable girl with glasses and dark hair, and I identified with Sandy and worshiped Maggie Smith. It was back when you could sit through a movie multiple times for the pittance admission, and I must have watched it a dozen times in the theater when it was released. I wanted to live in Edinburgh instead of Durham, NC.

When it was released on DVD I rushed to rent it, since it had a commentary by Ronald Neame (who was 100 years old at the time) and Pamela Franklin. I was eager to learn what had happened to her, why she abandoned her career in showbiz. She obliquely referred to being treated with disdain by some assistant director on a film, and decided she'd had sufficient. She married a fellow actor, and they lived in LA where he operated a niche bookstore. She mentioned that she had gone to see Maggie Smith in a play, and they had a brief reunion.

I've seen it dozens of times in 50 years, and I can now play the movie in my head.

Scotland here, and a huge Spark fan.

I remember the Scottish TV version in the 70s with Geraldine McEwan in the title role. Muriel Spark said that McEwan was her favourite actress in the role. There were several episodes that padded out the original story, but it was very well received.

R8 I saw this before it was available on Acorn and padded is the right term. McEwan had the pomposity down, but I thought it was dreadful.

There was one moment after Gulia dies between Brody and the Italian father that was rather touching. Other than that it left me cold.

And then it just ends very abruptly after 7 (?) episodes.

It didn’t get another series. Huge ratings in Scotland, but not UK wide.

For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.

And let's not forget the sublime Celia Johnson as Miss Mackay. Smith wasn't stealing any scenes from her.

Assassin !

ASSASSIN!