Pollyanna
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Pollyanna is a 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter that has become a classic of children's literature. A series of Pollyanna sequels (Glad Books) were later published by Elizabeth Borton.
Pollyanna tells the story of a young girl named Pollyanna Whittier who is adopted by her very wealthy Aunt Polly after her father's death. Upon Pollyanna's arrival, the dispiriting town in which her aunt lives becomes miraculously pleasant and healthy due to the gladness the child has brought.
Through the success of the book, the term "pollyanna" entered the language to describe someone who is cheerfully optimistic. It then became by extension (and contrary to the spirit of the book) a somewhat derogatory term for a naïve person who always expects people to act decently, despite strong evidence to the contrary. The real theme of Pollyanna is that she kept the spirit of forgiveness towards all and could find gladness for whatever was given her.
"Pollyanna" was also a Parker Brothers board game based on the same book, character, and "glad" theme. The game was made and sold from 1915 to 1967 under various versions including "Pollyanna - The Glad Game", "Pollyanna - The Great Home Game", "Pollyanna - Dixie", and "Pollyanna". The board game was later licensed by Milton Bradley but has been discontinued for many years. Collectors and Pollyanna players can still find the board game available on eBay or antique toy shops.
"Pollyanna" is also the upbeat title theme to the Mother video game.
Pollyanna appears alongside Alice Liddell, as well as Dorothy Gale, Wendy Darling and Susan Pevensie, as a 2005-based college student in the comic The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles.
Film and television adaptations
Pollyanna has been filmed several times. Most notably, there was a 1920 silent movie starring Mary Pickford, and a Walt Disney film released in 1960 starring English actress Hayley Mills in the title role. The 1960 film was shot at the Mableton Mansion on McDonald Avenue in what was then the small town of Santa Rosa, California.
There have also been several TV adaptations of the novel. The most recent, originally broadcast in 2003 on ITV, starred Georgina Terry as Pollyanna and Amanda Burton as Aunt Polly. Nippon Animation of Japan released Ai Shojo Pollyanna Monogatari (The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love), a 51-episode anime TV series that made up the 1986 installment of the studio's World Masterpiece Theater.
Cast list of the 1960 film
- Hayley Mills as Pollyanna
- Jane Wyman as Aunt Polly
- Richard Egan as Dr. Edmond Chilton
- Karl Malden as Reverend Paul Ford
- Nancy Olson as Nancy Furman
- Adolphe Menjou as Mr Pendergast
- Donald Crisp as Mayor Karl Warren
- Agnes Moorehead as Mrs Snow
- Kevin Corcoran as Jimmy Bean
- James Drury as George Dodds
- Reta Shaw as Tillie Lagerlof
- Leora Dana as Mrs Paul Ford
- Anne Seymour as Mrs Amelia Tarbell
- Edward Platt as Ben Tarbell
- Mary Grace Canfield as Angelica
- Jenny Egan as Mildred Snow
- Gage Clarke as Mr Murg
- Ian Wolfe as Mr Neely
- Nolan Leary as Mr Thomas
- Edgar Dearing as Mr Gorman
See also
External links
- [Free eBook: Pollyanna] at Project Gutenberg
- [Free online version of Pollyanna] at the Literature Page
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- [Pollyanna (1960) at UltimateDisney.com]
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