Talk:A Little Princess

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[edit] Title of the stageplay

I made changes noting that the stageplay was called The Little Princess in New York. I am certain of this from the New York Times, theater programs, etc. What I am uncertain of is exactly when the name was changed to A Little Princess in London. The information I have is that when the play opened at "Terry's" in London on January 19, 1903 (after it opened in New York), it was renamed A Little Princess (see my The Little Princess page). I do not know of this title being used before then. So I edited "By the time it transferred to New York at the start of 1903, however, the title been shortened to the one with which it became famous: A Little Princess" to "Around the time it transferred to New York at the start of 1903, however, the title was shortened to the one with which it became famous: A Little Princess. (It was A Little Princess in London, but The Little Princess in New York.)" I have not consulted primary source materials on the history of the London stage to verify this, but I feel that I am justified in making the edit because the original sentence was incorrect in the first place, implying that the play was A Little Princess in New York. BWongchaowart 02:43, 26 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I checked the London Times and J. P. Wearing's The London Stage, 1900–1909: A Calendar of Plays and Players. There is no reason to believe that the play was called A Little Princess before it transferred to Terry's Theatre on January 19, 1903. BWongchaowart 20:49, 3 Dec 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Film/TV adaptations

I have added the 1973 BBC TV production of A Little Princess to this section. I saw it when it was repeated in 1974; I have not seen the later LWT version but I feel sure the BBC one must be as good and deserves a mention.

John Greaves 22:43, 17 August 2005

[edit] Links

I removed the link to Rachael Bella's website from the links...she played a student in one of the film adaptations; it doesn't seem to be very relevant to this article about tyhe book. Mademoiselle Sabina 01:24, 4 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Thackeray Origins?

Can anyone find some outside mention of the fact that the book seems to have been inspired by the first chapter of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair"? "Vanity Fair's" first chapter describes two girls, Becky and Amelia, leaving a finishing school a la Miss Minchin's. Amelia is a sweet kind girl who is beloved by all and who's politely sent off by the headmistress. She is also rich. Becky is a poor girl with "oddly attractive" green eyes who has a sharp temper and was treated "worse than any servant in the kitchen" by the headmistress throughout her stay. Due to her poverty, she had to teach french classes to younger girls and live in a garret.

Some other points of connection:

In "A Little Princess," Sara befriends the younger orphan Lottie, who begins to call her mamma. In "Vanity Fair," Amelia befriends the younger orphan Laura, who says "I shall call you mamma."

In "A Little Princess," Sara can speak perfect French while as Miss Minchin cannot, and Sara inadvertantly embarrasses Miss Minchin through this ability. In "Vanity Fair," Becky can speak perfect French while as the headmistress cannot, and Becky (on purpose) embarrasses the headmistress through this ability.

As previously mentioned, both Sara and Becky had to teach classes at the school to earn their keep.

Both books have a strict, evil headmistress, and her younger, kinder, submissive and somewhat stupid sister (whom the headmistress bullies). In "A Little Princess," the younger sister is named Amelia, seemingly after Thackeray's sweet (and not very bright) Amelia. The name "Becky" also reappears in the book as that of the school's scullery maid.

Sara and Becky were both sent to the school by their fathers after their mothers died, only to have the father die as well.

Sara is given a doll by her father that she talks to, and is later given another doll by Miss Minchin on her father's credit. Becky is also given a doll by the headmistress (before she comes to school), and she also talks to it, albeit in a different way.

And so on.