Mr Darcy's Waistcoat on Sale on eBay!

Well, not exactly Mr. Darcy's, but who can resist owning a waistcoat worn by Matthew Macfadyen? He wore it portraying Felix Carbury in The Way We Live Now. In this instance the reserve has not been met!

As any good Jane Austen film fan knows, Matthew MacFadyen starred as Mr. Darcy in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. Andrea Galer designed the waistcoat, which is made of black and gold damask silk and with six antique buttons. The back is corseted and authentic to the period.

Sponsored by the Jane Austen Centre, a variety of film costumes are available on eBay until March 25th. This means you have five days left to open your wallets! Click here to join the fun. 

Mr. Darcy, er, Colin Firth, Keeps His Cool in Mid-Air

Mr. Darcy on a white horse

Flying home with his wife and two sons on a London-bound flight, Colin Firth kept his cool as a fight broke out between two passengers.

Cabin crew on the British Airways flight called ahead for back up and armed police stormed the plane as soon as it landed at Heathrow airport.

But an eyewitness said the 'King's Speech' actor ignored the chaos and focused on reassuring his sons Luca, 10, and Matteo, eight, as well as wife Livia, 42.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "Passengers were in meltdown when it spiralled out of control. It was scary for flyers who feared for the safety of the flight.

"Colin Firth showed his usual cool and was more concerned at the well-being of his wife and kids. - NZCity

Click here to read the article on Enews and here on Huffington Post.

Colin Firth Talks About Meryl Streep at 2012 Oscars

Can there be a doubt as to Colin's class?

Matthew MacFadyen's Plumb Prawns

I can listen to Matthew MacFadyen (Mr. Darcy, 2005) talking about food all day long. This Marks & Spencer commercial has me salivating - and it isn't just because of the scrumptious food that is displayed. Matthew's voice is irresistible. 

Listening to him is a wonderful way to start the holiday season!

Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy (r) at the breakfast table at Netherfield Park

Submitted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

Jane Austen Character Question

How old is Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice?

How old is Mr. Darcy?
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	27
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pollcode.com free polls

Mr. Darcy Disco Dances

For those whose sensibilities are delicate and easily wounded, Mr. Darcy drops the F bomb in this comedy sketch:

Jane Austen Gift Throwdown: Mr. Darcy

A miracle has happened, and you have been given an opportunity to attend Mr. Darcy's 40th birthday party. You have also just won the lottery. What present would you give him from the 21st century, one that would please both you AND him?

Matthew Macfadyen

A lifetime gym membership. Imagine our Mr. Darcy in fitness shorts while body building. Be still my beating heart. You could hold his towel and water bottle whilst he goes about the business of keeping his fine musculature in shape. Better yet, you could keep in shape by his side. You'll also have plenty of lottery winnings left over to treat him to a massage or two.

Colin Firth

An electronic Apple package consisting of a Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Imagine if Mr. Darcy was wired. You could text, tweet, blog, email, see or talk to him any time, any place, anywhere, plus share music, movies, podcasts and videos. Then imagine Mr. Darcy just a touch and nano seconds away. *Sigh.*

The 2011 Bugatti Veyron supercar: At £1.6 million per car, this rare gift would be most fitting for our discerning Mr. Darcy. Imagine how grateful he would be to receive a vehicle that has a 1,200bhp engine capable of accelerating from 0 to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds and can sprint all the way to 268mph. Why he could arrive at your doorstep zippity zip and carry you off on a date filled with smoldering looks. Unfortunately, this unique gift will take up all your lottery winnings and up to a year to deliver.

Rare 2011 Bugatti Veyron supercar

A gift for Mr. Darcy
	A lifetime gym membership.
	An electronic Apple package consisting of a Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad, and iPod
	The 2011 Bugatti Veyron supercar
pollcode.com free polls

Mr. Darcy in a Heineken Commercial

Oh, dear. Oh, my. Mr. Darcy's Heineken commercial is a bit dependent on, er, hunting.

Heineken Darcy

A crazy commercial video, but only one minute long - and fun! Would you be tempted to purchase this ale after this commercial? (We hope you can access it.)


Graham Rose - Heineken from The Ant Company on Vimeo.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Português

Jennifer Ehle: I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Colin Firth

When I espied that photo of Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, I could not stop myself from singing "I can't take my eyes off of youuuu!"

Jennifer Ehle, Tom Hooper (director) and Colin Firth, The King's Speech

They are lovely, aren't they?

Colin and Jennifer in 2011. Image from @Bonnets and Bustles

In 1995

Also see Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth 16 Years Later.

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth 16 Years Later

Geoffrey Rush, Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth in The King's Speech

Have you ever wondered how Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth would look after fifteen years of marriage? Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice 1995) shared only a few moments together on screen in The King's Speech (she played Myrtle Logue, Geoffrey Rush's wife), but my heart rejoiced. My question was finally answered: How well would this couple fare in the looks department several decades on? Very well, as you can see.

Where Are They Now? Jane Austen Character Actors

The Daily Mail recently published an article that featured three Jane Austen character actors: Colin Firth, Jemima Rooper, and Felicity Jones. Click here to read it.

Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy) and Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech

Jemima Rooper, Amanda Price in Lost in Austen, now in Me and My Girl

Felicity Jones (Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey) as Luise Miller, a woman in love with a prince.

Images from the Daily Mail

Mr. Darcy Interrupted

Inquiring reader,

Recently Roberta asked:

"Can you possibly identify the creature that makes all that ruckus outside of the window of Rosings, in the early morning hours, after Mr. Darcy wrote his letter of defense to Lizzy, in P&P, the miniseries of 1995....?

I am hoping that you can help me to solve this mystery. It has been bugging me for years, now."

Well, Roberta answered her own question a few days later. The mystery sound was caused by a fox cry, such as one you can hear below:

Video found on dizzo95 YouTube channel

Thoughts About Jane Austen

Poking around the internet always leads to interesting new trails and information. Case in point, the Bookstove, a site that collects articles and reviews. Two anti-Jane posts caught my eye:

Going off Austen: This writer is considering taking Pride and Prejudice off her book shelves. Do you agree, disagree? Inquiring minds want to know.

Five Reasons Why Mr. Darcy Can't Satisfy Today's Woman is sure to get your goat. Or perhaps not if you are a Mr. Knightley, Colonel Brandon, or Henry Tilney fan. Enjoy the article, then let us know what you think of the author's opinion!

(Icons created for a 2007 Jane Austen Today contest)

Pride and Prejudice Film Mistakes

Usually I am so absorbed watching a film that I fail to catch any but the most egregious mistakes. But some people are ever vigilant. This list of movie mistakes notes that 16 were made during the filming of Pride and Prejudice. Here is the link to the site.

Here is one of the observations:

"Continuity: In the scene at Pemberley when Darcy gets ready to dive into the pond, notice that in one shot, he is looking at the pond, the next shot shows him stepping down, and the third shot (right before he dives) shows him looking at the pond again - in the exact same place as the first shot, as if he never took the step down."

I can't see what this critic is talking about. Can you? Or do I need new glasses. After watching the first 4o seconds of the film clip, do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

Dissin Gerard Butler and Mr Darcy is Bad Form

Dissin’ Gerry Butler and Mr. Darcy is bad form! A recent NPR review by Linda Holmes about the new film, The Bounty Hunter, is wrong on SO many levels. First, do not dis my MAN, Gerard (Gerry) Butler! Ever since Phanthom of the Opera and his turn as hunky Spartan King Leonidus in 300, I have been waiting for him to CLAIM ME as his own. Miss Holmes, a most nonsensical reviewer, does not realize that die-hard Gerry Butler fans will PAY to see him clean toilets and act in tripe worse than The Bounty Hunter.

Linda could still have redeemed herself until she made THIS worthless statement:

It is time to let Mr. Darcy go. I have nothing against Mr. Darcy. In fact, I had nothing against the original Mr. Darcy when he became Bridget Jones' Mr. Darcy, because har-har, I get it.

But then You've Got Mail brought Mr. Darcy into things, and there was another movie, and at this point, Mr. Darcy has been played out. Overplayed out. So if your next idea is to call your guy the head of Darcy Industries, or a club figure named DJ Darcy, or a professional hockey player who goes by "Fitzie"? Please forget it. There are other references.

How this Linda person found a job as a critic is beyond me. Read the rest of her ridiculous words at this link .

Sincerely, Vic

The duo of Craig Ferguson and Gerard Butler chat it up in this great video. What can be better than two Scots men shooting the bull?

Ten Things About Colin Firth

Mirror.com.UK featured an article: Colin Firth: 10 Things You Need to Know About the Oscar Nominated Actor.

Among the tidbits: In a 2006 interview Firth reveled that the three women in his life were “my mother, my wife and Jane Austen.”

He also was mentioned as the Sexiest Man Alive in People Magazine in 2007.

Read an interview with Colin in the Times, 2007: Colin Firth's Darcy Dilemma

Mr. Darcy Cat

Of course Mr. Darcy is a black cat with white paws!

This print can be yours if you visit TaraFlyPhotos Etsy Shop. His fine amber eyes might just rival Lizzy Bennet’s.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Meet the next Mr. Darcy – Caleb Grusing

Yes Janites. Just when we thought that Aisha, the new Bollywood take on Jane Austen’s Emma was the last new adaptation in the pipeline, indie production company PaperCut Productions LLC has announced a new contemporary movie of Pride and Prejudice. According to the Pride and Prejudice 2005 blog, who seem to be the only source of information at the moment, filming will begin in Colorado in June 2010. Check out the cast and photos on the official P&P 2010 web page on the PaperCut’s website. Of particular note is actor Caleb Grusing who will be portraying the iconic Mr. Darcy. Big boots to fill for sure, but he is certainly easy on the eyes.

Follow PaperCut Productions on Twitter
Follow actor Caleb Grusing on Twitter

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Interview with Matthew MacFadyen

In this interview in the Telegraph.co.UK, Matthew Macfadyen discussed his role as Mr. Darcy:

He got slightly miserable having to prance about so gravely in Pride and Prejudice, he reveals. “All the Bennets were having a great time; it was all very cosy. Then I’d come along and be a bit sullen for a couple of days and then f--- off again! It didn’t help that my wife was pregnant at the time, but I wished I’d enjoyed it more.”

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

A Grand Giveaway of Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, by Marsha Altman

Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape, a new Austen inspired sequel is in bookstores this week. It is the third book in the Pride and Prejudice Continues series which also includes The Darycs & the Bingleys (2008) and The Plight of the Darcy Brothers (2009).

This "campy, madcap adventure" series continues the story of many of the beloved characters from Jane Austen’s classic novel in imaginative and comical ways. Here is the publisher’s description:

Straight into danger, daring Elizabeth Darcy rushing to the rescue.

Hilarious and action-packed, this installment brings the Darcy and Bingley families to the year 1812 and the intrigues of the Napoleonic war. When a coded letter alerts Elizabeth that her husband and his traveling companion Dr. Maddox, have run into trouble in eastern Europe, Elizabeth sets off on a daring and dangerous mission. While Darcy and Maddox are both worse for wear, Charles Bingley has his hands full holding down the fort at Pemberley, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh sets out to kick up a truly shocking scandal. Can Elizabeth get her husband out of harm’s way and both of them back to Pemberley in time for the impending blessed event? Will Darcy be able to recover from the dark revelations of his imprisonment? And what are the Darcy’s going to do about the demented Asian assassin circumventing the globe to get to Pemberley before they return? With danger, intrigue and psychological depth, this action-packed Pride and Prejudice sequel bring the Darcy and Bingley families closer together as new bonds are forged, lovers are reunited, and unforgettable adventures change their lives forever.

Intriged? Read the first chapter of Mr. Darcy's Great Escape.

GIVEAWAY CONTEST

Enter a chance to win one of three sets of the Pride and Prejudice Continues series by Marsha Altman which includes one copy each of The Darcys & the Bingleys, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers and Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape. Leave a comment stating who your favorite character is in Pride and Prejudice and why by midnight PST February 16th, 2010. Winners to be announced on February 17th, 2010. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only.

Author Bio:

Marsha Altman is a historian specializing in Rabbinic literature in late antiquity, and an author. She is also an expert on Jane Austen sequels, having read nearly every single one that's been written, whether published or unpublished. She has worked in the publishing industry with a literary agency and is writing a series continuing the story of the Darcys and the Bingleys. She lives in New York.

Reviews:

Austenprose

Becky's Book Reviews

Books Like Breathing

Good luck, Vic, Jane Austen's World & Laurel Ann, Austenprose

The giveaway contest has now concluded and the winners have been announced. Thanks to all who participated and congrats to the lucky winners!