Pride and Prejudice

Perfect for Jane Austenites eager to savor a Pemberly moment with their not-so-patient spouses, the 1940 Pride and Prejudice is easily the most charming—and approachable—of the many adaptations. While Greer Garson is a bit too old to play Elizabeth Bennet, her dandy sparring with Laurence Olivier’s ice-cold Mr. Darcy keeps this film light on its toes. Even better are the definitive Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, played by Melville Cooper and Edna Mae Oliver. The former is a sniveling rector with the personality of a clam; the latter, a towering fussbudget whose battles with Lizzy are a joy to behold. Journeyman director Robert Z. Leonard teamed with screenwriters Aldous Huxley, Jane Furman, and Helen Jerome to make a modest masterpiece, which, oddly enough, also served as subtle encouragement for the U.S. to enter World War II.