I always thought there were only two Gatsby movies based on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald until I did a library program on books that were made into movies. Guess what? There are five of them!
Many of you will remember the 1974 version with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. If that was before your time, you might know about the 2013 adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, it’s very different from the 1974 film, but I liked it. You can read my comparison of the 1974 and 2013 versions here. The TV movie came out in 2000 and stars Toby Stephens and Mira Sorvino. I don’t remember that one.
But did you know that there two are much earlier Gatsby films? The 1949 version stars Alan Ladd and Betty Field and the 1926 film is a silent one! Warner Baxter is Gatsby and Lois Wilson is Daisy. I recently watched the trailer for that and it was really interesting. There are scenes from one of Gatsby’s wild parties and wow, it was wild! You can watch the trailer here.
If you’re interested in knowing more, check out this IMDb page where you’ll see all the details.
Have you read The Great Gatsby? Have you watched any of these films? Leave a comment!
Are you dressing up for Halloween to take your kids out or answer the door? Heading to a party? Does your workplace encourage costumes? Although there’s no pressure at my library job to dress up on Halloween, people do dress up. I will be working that weekend and I’m thinking of something low-key to wear. I’ve dug up this post from a few years ago to inspire me.
There is plenty of time to plan, so if you’re looking for costume ideas for work or play, consider these literary ones:
Since bushy beards are the rage right now, guys with facial hair, grab a big turtleneck and you’re almost there! A large personality and fishing pole as a prop would finish the look!
Even if you haven’t read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged, you can always look like this controversial literary figure. Comb your hair to the side. No makeup required. I couldn’t find a better free image on the internet, but you can watch this YouTube video to get into characgter.
Although Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe, not Audrey Hepburn, to play Holly in the movie, Hepburn made that movie memorable. Pull out your classic black dress, put your hair up high under a fabulous hat and you’re on your way.
Atticus is one of my favorite literary characters and I don’t believe Harper Lee meant him to be anything but great, despite the traits she sketched out in Go Set a Watchman. Put on a searsucker three-piece suit, add a tie and some horn-rimmed glasses, and look serious, like Gregory Peck.
Find a gauzy tea dress, some pearls and an elaborate floppy hat and you’re almost there. This picture of Mia Farrow as Daisy will help you practice your doe-eyed expression.
What are you wearing for trick or treat? Would you have the courage to dress up in a costume for work? Leave a comment!
Note – for those who are virtuosos with the block editor, I tried to have the image captions appear on thedisplay, but you can only see them if you click on the individual image. Anyone know a way around this?Also, does anyone know how to change the way the dividers look? Am I stuck with the double line because of my page design? Thanks!
I didn’t realize until now just how many books I’ve read
that are set in New York. If you’re in “a New York state of mind,”
take a look at some of my favorite Big Apple books!
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin – light 1800s historical fiction about billionaire American families who match up their daughters with poor European dukes and princes.
Billy Bathgateby E. L. Doctorow – intelligent and well-written historical fiction about 1930s organized crime in New York City
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote – a character sketch of a lonely nineteen-year-old girl trying to escape a sad past
Brooklyn by Colm Toíbín – moving love story in which a young Irish woman leaves home for a better life in Brooklyn
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott – historical fiction about a young English maid and seamstress who survives the Titanic
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. – fascinating biography of Huguette Clark, a reclusive heiress who spent the last twenty years of her life in a hospital bed and gave away huge amounts of money to her caretakers and advisers
The Fountainheadby Ayn Rand – terrific story about a talented New York architect who refuses to collaborate
The Hours Countby Jillian Cantor – great historical fiction about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were the only civilian Americans to be killed for spying for the Russians
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky – a modern-day Artemis solves a murder in New York in a world of mortals, gods and goddesses
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan – fantastic historical fiction during the Depression and World War II. Egan’s characters try their best to navigate between right and wrong.
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – How do you put the hushed experiences of your childhood into words? Character reflections on family, marriage and friendships.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles – working class girl meets a handsome banker and climbs the social ladder in Post Depression New York.
Second Street Stationby Lawrence H. Levy – first book in an entertaining historical fiction murder mystery series about New York’s first female police detective
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin – great book about Truman Capote and his relationship with high society socialites in New York.
Tell No One by Harlan Coben– fast-moving, highly entertaining crime thriller set in the suburbs with a wild chase scene in New York
The Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland – interesting a story about an emotionally unsettled newspaper woman and a commentary on the business of reporting news
We Are Not Ourselvesby Matthew Thomas – a look inside a family struggling with Alzheimer’s disease
Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk – terrific story of a young author from Kentucky who arrives in New York and becomes a hugely successful and prolific novelist – Book Club Mom’s All-Time Favorite! (Click here to view Book Club Mom’s Top 10 Faves.)
I think it’s fun to sort my books by different categories.
Do you often read about the same place?
Are you dressing up for Halloween? Does your workplace encourage costumes? Halloween is just a few days away and if you’re still looking for costume ideas for work or play, consider these literary ones:
Since bushy beards are the rage right now, guys with facial hair, grab a big turtleneck and you’re almost there! A large personality and fishing pole as a prop would finish the look!
Even if you haven’t read The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged, you can always look like this controversial literary figure. Grab a Shriner’s hat, cover it in black, find a long cigarette holder and comb your hair to the side. No makeup required.
Although Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe, not Audrey Hepburn, to play Holly in the movie, Hepburn made that movie memorable. Pull out your classic black dress, put your hair up high, add some bling and dark glasses and you’re on your way.
Atticus is one of my favorite literary characters and I don’t believe Harper Lee meant him to be anything but great, despite the traits she sketched out in Go Set a Watchman. Put on a light-colored three-piece suit, add a tie and some horn-rimmed glasses, and look serious, like Gregory Peck.
Find a gauzy tea dress, some pearls and an elaborate floppy hat and you’re almost there. This picture of Mia Farrow as Daisy will help you practice your doe-eyed expression.
I didn’t realize until now just how many books I’ve read
that are set in New York. If you’re in “a New York state of mind,”
take a look at some of my favorite Big Apple books!
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin – light 1800s historical fiction about billionaire American families who match up their daughters with poor European dukes and princes.
Billy Bathgateby E. L. Doctorow – intelligent and well-written historical fiction about 1930s organized crime in New York City
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote – a character sketch of a lonely nineteen-year-old girl trying to escape a sad past
Brooklyn by Colm Toíbín – moving love story in which a young Irish woman leaves home for a better life in Brooklyn
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott – historical fiction about a young English maid and seamstress who survives the Titanic
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. – fascinating biography of Huguette Clark, a reclusive heiress who spent the last twenty years of her life in a hospital bed and gave away huge amounts of money to her caretakers and advisers
The Fountainheadby Ayn Rand – terrific story about a talented New York architect who refuses to collaborate
The Hours Countby Jillian Cantor – great historical fiction about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were the only civilian Americans to be killed for spying for the Russians
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky – a modern-day Artemis solves a murder in New York in a world of mortals, gods and goddesses
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan – fantastic historical fiction during the Depression and World War II. Egan’s characters try their best to navigate between right and wrong.
My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – How do you put the hushed experiences of your childhood into words? Character reflections on family, marriage and friendships.
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles – working class girl meets a handsome banker and climbs the social ladder in Post Depression New York.
Second Street Stationby Lawrence H. Levy – first book in an entertaining historical fiction murder mystery series about New York’s first female police detective
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin – great book about Truman Capote and his relationship with high society socialites in New York.
Tell No One by Harlan Coben– fast-moving, highly entertaining crime thriller set in the suburbs with a wild chase scene in New York
The Transcriptionist by Amy Rowland – interesting a story about an emotionally unsettled newspaper woman and a commentary on the business of reporting news
We Are Not Ourselvesby Matthew Thomas – a look inside a family struggling with Alzheimer’s disease
Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk – terrific story of a young author from Kentucky who arrives in New York and becomes a hugely successful and prolific novelist – Book Club Mom’s All-Time Favorite! (Click here to view Book Club Mom’s Top 10 Faves.)
I think it’s fun to sort my books by different categories.
Do you often read about the same place?
I think Leonardo DiCaprio looks a lot like Robert Redford in this movie!
Last night I watched the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby. I knew it was going to be different and I was curious to see why. I read the book once in high school and again in college and I’ve seen the 1974 movie a couple times, but that was a long time ago! Now all I want to do is watch the 1974 movie again and re-read the book, so I can compare them all!
Now I’m going to re-watch the 1974 movie!
Have you seen the 2013 movie? What did you think?
The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and is considered one of the greatest books in American Literature.
And of course, these movies are based on this great book!
Here’s some information about the two movies and a couple other adaptations:
The Great Gatsby (2013) in 3D, was directed by Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann is an Australian film director who has also directed Australia (2008), Strictly Ballroom (1992), Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Romeo + Juliet (1996). Luhrmann and Craig Pearce co-wrote the screenplay. This movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan, Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan and Toby Maguire as Nick Carraway.
The earlier version of the The Great Gatsby was released in 1974 and was directed by Jack Clayton. Francis Ford Coppola wrote the screenplay. This movie stars Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby, Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanan, Bruce Dern as Tom Buchanan and Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway.
There have been other film adaptations of The Great Gatsby: a silent film in 1926 starring Warner Baxter and Lois Wilson and a 1949 film starring Alan Ladd and Betty Field. A TV film was made in 2000, starring Toby Stephens, Miro Sorvino and Paul Rudd.
Thanks to IMDb.com and Wikipedia for this information.
Thanks for visiting – come back soon for a comparison of all three!
Book Club Mom 
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