Anne of Green Gables
Encyclopedia
Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...

 published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book. Montgomery found her inspiration for the book on an old piece of paper that she had written at a young age, describing a couple that were mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of a boy, yet decided to keep her. Montgomery also drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

. Montgomery used a photograph of Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit
Evelyn Nesbit was an American artists' model and chorus girl, noted for her entanglement in the murder of her ex-lover, architect Stanford White, by her first husband, Harry Kendall Thaw.-Early life:...

, which she had clipped from New York’s Metropolitan Magazine, and pasted the framed clipping on the wall of her bedroom, as the model for the face of Anne Shirley, the book's main character.

Montgomery also found inspiration in the "formula Ann" orphan stories, the Anns without the e. Other characters, like Gilbert Blythe, were modelled, in part, on real-life characters. Montgomery wrote the novel in the twilight of the day, sitting at her window and overlooking the fields of Cavendish.

Since publication, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies. In addition, this book is taught to students around the world.

Plot summary

Anne, a young orphan from Bolingbroke, Nova Scotia, finds herself on Prince Edward Island, after shuttles between families and even the orphanage. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, siblings in their fifties who live together at Green Gables, their Avonlea
Avonlea
Avonlea is a fictional community located on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and is the setting of Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables, following the adventures of Anne Shirley, as well as its sequels, and the television series Road to Avonlea.Montgomery drew much of her inspiration for...

 farmhouse on Prince Edward Island, decide to adopt a boy from the orphan asylum
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...

 in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

 to help Matthew run their farm. Through a misunderstanding, the orphanage sends Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...

.

Anne is bright and quick, eager to please and talkative, and extremely imaginative. She does not see herself as beautiful, but is interesting-looking, with a pale countenance dotted with freckles, and long braid
Braid
A braid is a complex structure or pattern formed by intertwining three or more strands of flexible material such as textile fibres, wire, or human hair...

s of red hair
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...

. When asked her name, Anne asks Marilla to call her Cordelia, which Marilla refuses; Anne then insists that if you are to call her Anne, it must be spelled with an e, as that spelling is "so much more distinguished." Marilla insists that the girl will have to go back to the orphanage, but after a few days, she decides that Anne may stay.

Being a child of imagination, Anne takes much joy in life, and adapts quickly, thriving in the close-knit farming village. She is something of a chatterbox, which initially drives the prim, duty-driven Marilla to distraction, although shy Matthew falls for her immediately; they are what Anne calls 'kindred spirits'.

The rest of the book recounts Anne's adventures in the country school, where she quickly excels in her studies; her friendship with Diana Barry (her best or "bosom friend" as Anne fondly calls her); her budding literary ambitions; and her rivalry with classmate Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe is a fictional character in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels.In the CBC Television film adaptations of the 1980s, Gilbert Blythe is portrayed by Jonathan Crombie. For the 1934 film adaption, Gilbert is portrayed by Tom Brown. In the Japanese anime...

, who on her first day in school teased her about her red hair and for that earned her instant, ongoing hatred, although he apologizes many times. Anne and Gilbert compete in class and Anne one day realizes she no longer hates Gilbert, but cannot bring herself to admit it; at the end of the book, they finally become friends.

The book also follows Anne's misadventures in quiet, old-fashioned Avonlea. These episodes include imaginative play time with her friends (Diana, Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis), her run-ins with the unpleasant Pye sisters (Gertie and Josie), and domestic mishaps such as dyeing her hair green (intending to dye it black) or accidentally getting Diana drunk (by giving her what she thinks is raspberry cordial but is in fact currant wine).

At sixteen, Anne goes to Queen's Academy to earn a teaching license, along with Gilbert, Ruby, Josie, Jane and several other students. She obtains her licence in one year instead of the usual two and also wins the Avery Scholarship for the top student in English, which would allow her to pursue a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 at Redmond College on the mainland in Nova Scotia.

Near the end of the book, Matthew dies of a heart attack after learning that all of his and Marilla's money has been lost in a bank failure
Bank failure
A bank failure occurs when a bank is unable to meet its obligations to its depositors or other creditors because it has become insolvent or too illiquid to meet its liabilities. More specifically, a bank usually fails economically when the market value of its assets declines to a value that is...

. Anne, out of devotion to Marilla and Green Gables, gives up the Avery Scholarship to stay at home and help Marilla, whose eyesight is diminishing
Low vision
Low vision is a subspecialty within the professions of optometry and ophthalmology dealing with individuals who have reduced vision even when using the best possible spectacle or contact lens correction available. It can be a result of either congenital disease Low vision is a subspecialty within...

. She plans to teach at the Carmody school, the nearest school available, and return to Green Gables on weekends. In an act of friendship, Gilbert Blythe gives up his teaching position at the Avonlea school to work at White Sands School instead, thus enabling Anne to teach in Avonlea and stay at Green Gables all through the week. After this kind act, Anne and Gilbert's friendship is cemented, and Anne contentedly looks forward to the next "bend in the road."

Characters

Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley
Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery wrote in her journal that the idea for Anne's story came from relatives who, planning to adopt an orphaned boy, received a girl instead...

- An imaginative, red-headed orphan who comes to live with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, unmarried siblings.

Marilla Cuthbert - An austere, repressed woman who tries in vain to repress Anne's imaginative, unusual ways. Though she is rigidly conservative in her rules, she does love Anne and has the glimmerings of a sense of humor and a secret soft side.

Matthew Cuthbert - Marilla's brother, a shy, awkward man who takes a liking to Anne from the start. The two become fast friends. He is far less talkative than Anne, but is a very good listener. Because Marilla is the one raising Anne, he feels no qualms about "spoiling" her and indulging her in things which Marilla considers too frivolous, such as pretty clothes.

Diana Barry - Anne's bosom friend and kindred spirit. Anne and Diana become best friends from the moment they meet. She is the only girl of Anne's age who lives close to Green Gables. Anne admires Diana for being pretty and for her merry, amiable disposition. Diana lacks Anne's powerful imagination but is a loyal friend.

Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe
Gilbert Blythe is a fictional character in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels.In the CBC Television film adaptations of the 1980s, Gilbert Blythe is portrayed by Jonathan Crombie. For the 1934 film adaption, Gilbert is portrayed by Tom Brown. In the Japanese anime...

- A handsome classmate who first tried to get Anne's attention by pulling her hair and flirtatiously calling her "Carrots" (unaware of her sensitivity about her red hair). Furious, Anne broke her slate over his head and refused to have anything to do with him for the next few years. Even though Gilbert repeatedly apologized and displayed admiration for her throughout the book, Anne coldly rebuffed him. However, Gilbert never abandoned his quest for her friendship (and eventually, love). Anne finally forgave him at the end of the book when he gave up the Avonlea school for her so that she could live at Green Gables with Marilla.

Mrs. Rachel Lynde - A neighbour of Matthew and Marilla, and the nosiest person in town but generally understood to be unmalicious and well-intentioned. Although she did not take a liking to Anne in the beginning, she soon warms to the freckle-faced orphan. She is incredibly industrious and helpful, and loves doing work for the church. She is married and has raised ten children, but her husband, Thomas Lynde, is only mentioned on a few brief occasions, and never speaks. Mrs Lynde gave Anne her first brown gloria pretty dress via Matthew.

Miss Muriel Stacy - Anne's imaginative, energetic new teacher. Miss Stacy's warm, sympathetic nature captures the hearts of her students but is at first disapproved of among Avonlea parents for her liberal, open-minded teaching methods. She forms a special relationship with Anne, who adores her and views her as a mentor. Miss Stacy encourages Anne to develop her intellect and character and helps prepare her for the entrance exam at Queen's College, where she come joint first with Gilbert Blythe.

Josie Pye - One of Anne's classmates, who is generally disliked by the other girls (just like all other Pyes). Josie is vain, dishonest and jealous of Anne's popularity. Anne tries not to feel "uncharitably" towards Josie but cannot bring herself to like her.

Jane Andrews - One of Anne's friends from school, although Diana remains her closest friend. Jane is plain and sensible but does well enough in school, seeing as she joins Anne's class at Queen's.

Ruby Gillis - Another one of Anne's friends. Having several "grown up" sisters, Ruby loves to share her knowledge of beaus with her friends. Ruby is portrayed as traditionally beautiful with long, golden hair and loves talking about boys.

Reverend and Mrs. Allan - The minister and his wife, two friends for Anne. Mrs. Allan becomes one of Anne's best friends.

Minnie May Barry - Diana's baby sister, whose life is saved by Anne when she comes down with croup
Croup
Croup is a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway. The infection leads to swelling inside the throat, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classical symptoms of a "barking" cough, stridor, and hoarseness...

.

Mr. & Mrs. Barry - Diana's parents. Mr. Barry also farms, and offers to rent some tracts near the end to help out Anne and Marilla. Mrs. Barry has a severe, stubborn personality, expecting her children to follow strict and sometimes unreasonable rules. After Anne accidentally gets Diana drunk, Mrs. Barry refuses to let Anne speak to Diana until Anne redeems herself by saving Minnie May.

Miss Josephine Barry - Diana's aunt. Initially a malevolent character, but is charmed by Anne's imagination, and eventually invites her out to tea, and sends her a very expensive Christmas present. They meet in the first book, "Anne of Green Gables" when she was visiting the Barrys.

Mr. Phillips - Anne's first teacher at Avonlea, whom she despises (he spelled Anne's name without an 'E', among other things). She actually refuses to attend school for a long time, after Mr. Phillips humiliated her by punishing her and only her when a dozen pupils arrive late, and by making her sit with Gilbert Blythe. Mr. Philips is not a competent teacher, as Mrs. Lynde admits. He has no discipline, and is courting one of his pupils, Prissy Andrews.

Sequels

Montgomery continued the story of Anne Shirley in a series of sequels, and they are listed in the order of Anne's age in each of the novels.
Lucy Maud Montgomery's books on Anne Shirley
# Book Date published Anne Shirley's age
1 Anne of Green Gables 1908 11—16
2 Anne of Avonlea
Anne of Avonlea
-Plot introduction:Following Anne of Green Gables , the book covers the second chapter in the life of Anne Shirley. This book follows Anne from the age of 16 to 18, during the two years that she teaches at Avonlea school. It includes many of the characters from Anne of Green Gables, as well as new...

 
1909 16—18
3 Anne of the Island
Anne of the Island
Anne of the Island is a the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series, written by Lucy Maud Montgomery about Anne Shirley.Anne of the Island was published in 1915, seven years after the bestselling Anne of Green Gables...

 
1915 18—22
4 Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne of Windy Poplars
Anne of Windy Poplars, also published as Anne of Windy Willows in the UK, Australia and Japan, is an epistolary novel by L. M. Montgomery. First published in 1936 by McClelland and Stewart, it details Anne Shirley's experiences over three years teaching at a high school in Summerside, Prince Edward...

 (US&Canada)
Anne of Windy Willows (Other)
1936 22—25
5 Anne's House of Dreams
Anne's House of Dreams
Anne's House of Dreams is a novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in 1917 by McClelland, Goodchild and Stewart....

1917 25—27
6 Anne of Ingleside
Anne of Ingleside
Anne of Ingleside is a children's novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in August 1939 by George G. Harrap & Co Ltd. It is the sixth book in the chronology and the final book to be published....

1939 34—40
7 Rainbow Valley
Rainbow Valley
Rainbow Valley is the seventh book in the chronology of the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, although it was the fifth book published...

1919 41
8 Rilla of Ingleside
Rilla of Ingleside
Rilla of Ingleside is the final book in the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, but was the sixth of the eight "Anne" novels she wrote. This book draws the focus back onto a single character, Anne and Gilbert's youngest daughter Bertha Marilla "Rilla" Blythe...

1921 49—53
9 The Blythes Are Quoted
The Blythes Are Quoted
The Blythes Are Quoted is a book completed by L.M. Montgomery near the end of her life as the ninth book in her beloved Anne of Green Gables series...

2009 (Completed shortly before Montgomery's death in 1942)
 
Related books in which Anne Shirley plays a lesser part
# Book Date published Anne Shirley's age
Chronicles of Avonlea
Chronicles of Avonlea
Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery, related to the Anne of Green Gables series. It features an abundance of stories relating to the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea, and was first published in 1912....

1912
Further Chronicles of Avonlea
Further Chronicles of Avonlea
Further Chronicles of Avonlea is a collection of short stories by L. M. Montgomery and is a sequel to Chronicles of Avonlea. Published in 1920, it includes a number of stories relating to the inhabitants of the fictional Canadian village of Avonlea and its region, located on Prince Edward Island.-...

1920

Prequel

The prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...

 of Anne of Green Gables was written by Budge Wilson
Budge Wilson
Budge Wilson is a highly acclaimed Canadian author who was born and raised in Nova Scotia. She graduated from Dalhousie University with a B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology...

, with authorization of heirs of L. M. Montgomery.
Budge Wilson's books on Anne Shirley
# Book Date published Anne Shirley's age
Before Green Gables
Before Green Gables
Before Green Gables is the title of a prequel to the Anne Shirley series. The book was published in 2008 by Puffin, a division of Penguin Books, as part of Puffin's celebration of Anne Shirley's centennial anniversary, which will also see the Anne Shirley series re-released to commemorate the event...

2008 0—11

Scholarship

The history of Anne of Green Gables was written by Irene Gammel
Irene Gammel
Irene Gammel is a literary historian, biographer, and curator. She has published numerous books including Baroness Elsa, a groundbreaking cultural biography of New York Dada artist and poet Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, and more recently, Looking for Anne of Green Gables, revealing the...

, with authorization of heirs of L. M. Montgomery.
Irene Gammel's books on Anne Shirley
# Book Date published Anne Shirley's age
Looking for Anne of Green Gables: The Story of L.M. Montgomery and her Literary Classic 2008 0—40

Tourism

The Green Gables
Green Gables
Green Gables is the name of a circa-19th century farm in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is one of the most notable literary landmarks in Canada. The Green Gables farm and its surroundings are the setting for the popular Anne of Green Gables novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The site is...

 farmhouse from which Montgomery drew her inspiration is located in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
Cavendish, Prince Edward Island
Cavendish is a Canadian unincorporated rural area in the township of Lot 23, Queens County, Prince Edward Island. Its primary industries are tourism and agriculture. Cavendish is the largest seasonal resort area on Prince Edward Island...

. Many tourist attractions on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

 have been developed based on Anne, and provincial licence plates once bore her image.

Balsam Hollow and the forest that inspired the Haunted Woods described in the book are also located in the vicinity. Each summer, the musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...

 Anne of Green Gables and Anne & Gilbert
Anne & Gilbert
Anne & Gilbert is a musical based on the Anne of Green Gables series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The show was based on the books Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, and adapted by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston....

 are performed at theatres in Prince Edward Island.

The popularity of Anne has extended into many countries and Anne of Green Gables has been translated into 36 languages.
Tourism by Anne fans is an important part of the Island economy.
The novel is very popular in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, where it has been on the school curriculum since 1952 and Anne is revered as "an icon." Many Japanese couples have wedding ceremonies on the grounds of the Green Gables farm and some girls arrive with red-dyed hair and pigtails, to look like Anne.

Places that offer photo opportunities to dress as "Anne of Green Gables" characters include the Avonlea theme park near Cavendish and the Cavendish Figurines shop at the Confederation Bridge
Confederation Bridge
The Confederation Bridge is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the "Fixed Link" by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place...

 that connects New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

. The Cavendish photo booth has a wall of fame with hundreds of women and even a few men dressed as the storybook character.

Bala's Museum With Memories Of Lucy Maud Montgomery
Bala's Museum
Bala's Museum, officially with the sub-name "With Memories Of Lucy Maud Montgomery", is a museum located in Bala, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by Jack Hutton and Linda Jackson-Hutton....

 located in Bala, Ontario
Bala, Ontario
Bala is a community located in Muskoka Lakes Township where Lake Muskoka drains into the Moon River at Bala Falls.It is considered one of the hubs of cottage country located north of Toronto. Thus, its year-round population of several hundred is increased by thousands of seasonal residents and...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, is dedicated to Montgomery information and heritage, located in the former home of Fanny Pike where Montgomery and her family stayed for a vacation in 1922. She based her novel The Blue Castle
The Blue Castle
The Blue Castle is a 1926 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, best known for her novel Anne of Green Gables .The story takes place in the early 1920s in the fictional town of Deerwood, located in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada. Deerwood is based on Bala, Ontario, which Montgomery...

 on the region, changing the town's name to Deerwood, the only book she wrote not to be set in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...

.

In 2008 Canada Post
Canada Post stamp releases (2005-2009)
In the latter half of the decade, Canada Post continued to issue a large number of stamps with different designs and themes. One of the key changes in the decade was that Canada Post issued series of stamps on a yearly basis. An example is the 400th Anniversary of the French Settlement in North...

 issued two postage stamps and a souvenir sheet honoring Anne and the "Green Gables" house.

Merchandising

Souvenir shops throughout Prince Edward Island offer numerous foods and products inspired by the Anne Shirley novels. Straw hats with sewn-in red braids are commonplace as are bottles of Raspberry Cordial soda. In the first book, Lucy Maud Montgomery established the cordial as the official beverage of Anne, who enthusiastically declared: "I just love bright red drinks!"

Film

  • 1919
    1919 in film
    The year 1919 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 5 - Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith launch United Artists...

    : Anne of Green Gables
    Anne of Green Gables (1919 film)
    Anne of Green Gables is a silent film directed by William Desmond Taylor based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This version is notable for having been adapted by famed female screenwriter Frances Marion...

     - a silent film
    Silent film
    A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...

     adapted to the screen by Frances Marion
    Frances Marion
    Frances Marion was an American journalist, author, and screenwriter often cited as the most renowned female screenwriter of the twentieth century alongside June Mathis and Anita Loos.-Career:...

    , it was directed by William Desmond Taylor
    William Desmond Taylor
    William Desmond Taylor was an Irish-born American actor, successful film director of silent movies and a popular figure in the growing Hollywood film colony of the 1910s and early 1920s...

     and starred Mary Miles Minter
    Mary Miles Minter
    Mary Miles Minter was an American film actress of the silent film era.-Early life and rise to stardom:Born Juliet Reilly in Shreveport, Louisiana, Minter was the daughter of Broadway actress Charlotte Shelby...

     as Anne. This is considered a lost film
    Lost film
    A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...

    .
  • 1934
    1934 in film
    -Events:*January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn purchases the film rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from the L. Frank Baum estate for $40,000.*February 19 - Bob Hope marries Dolores Reade...

    : Anne of Green Gables
    Anne of Green Gables (1934 film)
    Anne of Green Gables is a 1934 film directed by George Nichols Jr., based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery...

     - directed by George Nichols Jr., this Black & White version was made with RCA Victor sound and starred Dawn O'Day
    Dawn Evelyn Paris
    Dawn Evelyeen Paris , known as Anne Shirley, was an American film actress.Beginning her career as a child actress under the name Dawn O'Day, Shirley adopted the name of the character she played in Anne of Green Gables in 1934, and achieved a successful career in supporting roles...

     (billed as Anne Shirley) as Anne. It is worth noting that after filming, O'Day changed her screen name
    Stage name
    A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

     to Anne Shirley.

Television movies

  • 1956
    1956 in film
    The year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by...

    : Anne of Green Gables
    Anne of Green Gables (1956 film)
    Anne of Green Gables is a Canadian television film directed by Don Harron. The film was based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery....

     - made for television, this version directed by Don Harron
    Don Harron
    Donald H. Harron, is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, journalist, author and composer.- Charlie Farquharson :...

     starred Toby Tarnow
    Toby Tarnow
    Toby Tarnow is a Canadian actress. She was the first actress to portray the popular Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables in Canadian radio then in Canadian television in a 1956 television movie...

     as Anne.
  • 1972
    1972 in film
    The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...

    : Anne of Green Gables
    Anne of Green Gables (1972 film)
    Anne of Green Gables is a made-for-television British mini-series directed by Joan Craft based upon the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.-Cast:* Kim Braden - Anne Shirley* Christopher Blake - Gilbert Blythe...

     - a made for television 5-part mini-series, this British
    Great Britain
    Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

     version was directed by Joan Craft with Kim Braden
    Kim Braden
    Kim Braden is an English actor.Braden is the daughter of the actor and broadcaster Bernard Braden and the actor Barbara Kelly. She is married to the director David Carson with a son Matthew and a daughter Mimi...

     in the role of Anne.
  • 1975
    1975 in film
    The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....

    : Anne of Avonlea - a made for television 4-part mini-series, this British
    Great Britain
    Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

     version was directed by Joan Craft with Kim Braden
    Kim Braden
    Kim Braden is an English actor.Braden is the daughter of the actor and broadcaster Bernard Braden and the actor Barbara Kelly. She is married to the director David Carson with a son Matthew and a daughter Mimi...

     in the role of Anne.
  • 1985
    1985 in film
    -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...

    : Anne of Green Gables
    Anne of Green Gables (1985 film)
    Anne of Green Gables is a 1985 television movie based on the novel of the same name by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The film was produced and directed by Kevin Sullivan for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It was released theatrically in Israel, Europe and Japan.The film aired on...

     - a made for television (CBC
    CBC Television
    CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

    ) 4 hour television mini series, it was directed by Kevin Sullivan with Megan Follows
    Megan Follows
    Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...

     as Anne.
  • 1987
    1987 in film
    -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....

    : Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel
    Anne of Avonlea (1987 film)
    Anne of Avonlea is a 1987 television film. It is a sequel to the 1985 Anne of Green Gables film. The film dramatizes material from several books in the eight-novel "Anne" series by L. M. Montgomery; they are Anne of Avonlea , Anne of the Island and Anne of Windy Poplars...

    , a sequel to the 1985 miniseries which aired on the Disney Channel as Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables.
  • 2000
    2000 in film
    The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....

    : Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story
    Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story
    Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story was a 2000 television mini-series that was highly anticipated among fans of Anne of Green Gables. It borrowed characters from the Anne of Green Gables novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery but not actual plot lines. Instead it served as a sequel to two...

     was a television miniseries whose script was very loosely based upon the novels.
  • 2009: Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning
    Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning
    Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning is the fourth film in the Anne of Green Gables film series. It was released as a television film in 2008 on CTV. Before the broadcast, CTV had recently acquired the rights to the entire Anne catalogue including the 1985 miniseries.The film stars 14-year-old...

     is a television miniseries whose script is not based upon the novels.

Television series

  • 1979: Akage no An
    Anne of Green Gables (anime)
    is an animated television series, part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater. It was adapted from the novel Anne of Green Gables by Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery. Produced by Nippon Animation in 1979, it was first broadcast on Fuji TV from January 7, 1979 to December 30, 1979...

     ("Red-Haired Anne") - an animated television series, part of Nippon Animation
    Nippon Animation
    is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....

    's World Masterpiece Theater
    World Masterpiece Theater
    is a Japanese TV anime staple that showcased an animated version of a different classical book or story each year on 7:30p.m. on Sunday. It originally aired from 1969 to 1997 then resumed in 2007....

    , produced in Japan
    Japan
    Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

     in 1979, directed by Isao Takahata
    Isao Takahata
    is a Japanese anime filmmaker that have earned critical international acclaim for his work as a director. Takahata is co-founder of Studio Ghibli with long-time collaborative partner Hayao Miyazaki. He has directed films such as the war-themed Grave of the Fireflies, the romantic-drama Only...

    .
  • 1990 - 1996: Road to Avonlea
    Road to Avonlea
    Road to Avonlea was a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films in association with CBC and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada.It was adapted from...

     - a live action television show produced by Kevin Sullivan based upon characters and episodes from several of L.M. Montgomery's
    Lucy Maud Montgomery
    Lucy Maud Montgomery OBE , called "Maud" by family and friends and publicly known as L.M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a series of novels beginning with Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success...

     books. Anne herself did not appear in the TV series, but Gilbert Blythe
    Gilbert Blythe
    Gilbert Blythe is a fictional character in Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series of novels.In the CBC Television film adaptations of the 1980s, Gilbert Blythe is portrayed by Jonathan Crombie. For the 1934 film adaption, Gilbert is portrayed by Tom Brown. In the Japanese anime...

    , Marilla Cuthbert, and other characters from the Anne books are included. Shown on The Disney Channel in the U.S. under the title Avonlea.
  • 2000: Anne: The Animated Series
    Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series
    Anne: The Animated Series is a half-hour animated television show produced by Sullivan Entertainment and created by writer/director/producer Kevin Sullivan. The series was developed for PBS and each episode contained an educational aspect. An issue or problem was woven into each show for one or...

     - a PBS animated series for preschoolers airing on PBS
    Public Broadcasting Service
    The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

    , created by Sullivan Entertainment Inc..
  • 2009: Kon'nichiwa Anne 〜 Before Green Gables - part of the World Masterpiece Theater
    World Masterpiece Theater
    is a Japanese TV anime staple that showcased an animated version of a different classical book or story each year on 7:30p.m. on Sunday. It originally aired from 1969 to 1997 then resumed in 2007....

    .

Stage

The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery, a musical based the life of Anne of Green Gables author L.M. Montgomery, opened at Kings Playhouse in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...

 on June 20, 2008, the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne. With book and lyrics by Adam-Michael James and music by Emmy-nominated composer Leo Marchildon
Leo Marchildon
Leo Marchildon is a film/theatre music composer and producer. His first commercial album, To Each is Given, based on inspirational poetry was released in 1998. He and co-writer Adam-Michael James teamed up to create the stage musical "The Nine Lives of L.M. Montgomery" based upon the life of the...

, the musical depicts events from Montgomery’s real life and materializes heroines from all of her novels; in the show, Anne figures prominently, first appearing at age 12 and growing up into her 40s. Gilbert Blythe also appears. The show’s second production was at the Carrefour Theatre in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and opened July 11, 2009. Both years, the musical was nominated for The Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation's Wendell Boyle Award. In July 2010, a concert version of the show toured Prince Edward Island, with 4 performances at Green Gables.

The Confederation Centre of the Arts
Confederation Centre of the Arts
The Confederation Centre of the Arts is a cultural centre dedicated to the visual and performing arts located in the city of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.-History:...

' annual "Charlottetown Festival
Charlottetown Festival
The Charlottetown Festival is a seasonal Canadian musical theatre festival which runs from late May to mid-October every year since 1965.Named after its host city, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, since its inception the festival has showcased Canada's most popular and longest-running musical,...

" headlines Canada's longest-running main stage musical production Anne of Green Gables - The Musical
Anne of Green Gables - The Musical
Anne Of Green Gables - The Musical is a musical based on the novel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The book is by Don Harron, the music is by Norman Campbell and the lyrics by Don Harron, Norman Campbell, Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore...

. This show has run every summer since the Centre opened in 1964 has played to over 2 million viewers. Anne of Green Gables - The Musical was composed by Canadian theatrical legends Don Harron
Don Harron
Donald H. Harron, is a Canadian comedian, actor, director, journalist, author and composer.- Charlie Farquharson :...

 and Norman Campbell
Norman Campbell
Norman Kenneth Campbell, was a Canadian composer, television producer, and television director best known for co-writing Anne of Green Gables - The Musical....

, with lyrics by Elaine Campbell and Mavor Moore
Mavor Moore
James Mavor Moore, CC, OBC was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator.-Biography:...

. The production has been performed before Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

 and has also toured across Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. Festival Artistic Director Walter Learning
Walter Learning
Walter John Learning is a Canadian theatre director, actor, and founder of Theatre New Brunswick.-Biography:Walter Learning was born in 1938 in the small village of Quidi Vidi in Newfoundland. Learning attended Bishop Feild College in St. John's and the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton,...

 directed and organized a successful national tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 in 1991. The musical also had a run in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...

 in 1969.

The Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, hosts Anne and Gilbert, The Musical. Written by Nancy White
Nancy White
Nancy White is a Canadian singer-songwriter, whose topical songs were a regular feature on CBC Radio from 1976 to 1994 on the public affairs show Sunday Morning...

, Bob Johnston and Jeff Hochhauser, the production is based on Montgomery's sequel novels to Anne of Green Gables.

Theatreworks USA, a New York based children's theatre company, is currently casting their Anne of Green Gables musical, which premiered at the Lortel Theatre in 2006. The production will tour grade-schools, and features musical contributions from Gretchen Cryer.

The Peterborough Players, based in Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough, New Hampshire
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,284 at the 2010 census. Home to the MacDowell Art Colony, the town is a popular tourist destination....

, staged an adaptation of Anne of Green Gables in August 2009 adapted by Joseph Robinette.

Parodies

As one of the most famous characters in Canadian literature, Anne of Green Gables has been parodied by several Canadian comedy troupes, including CODCO
CODCO
CODCO was a Canadian comedy troupe from Newfoundland, best known for a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 1987 to 1992....

 (Anne of Green Gut) and The Frantics (Fran of the Fundy
Fundy
Fundy could refer to:Place*Bay of Fundy, an Atlantic Canadian bay home to the highest tides in the world*Fundy , a UNESCO biosphere reserve designated in 2007*Fundy Isles, a provincial electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada...

). Megan Follows
Megan Follows
Megan Elizabeth Laura Diana Follows is a Canadian/American actress. She is most known to international audiences for her role as Anne Shirley in the acclaimed 1985 Canadian television miniseries Anne of Green Gables and its two sequels.-Biography:Follows was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the...

 also appeared on Made in Canada
Made in Canada
Made in Canada is a Canadian television situation comedy which aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2003. Rick Mercer co-created the program and starred as mercenary TV producer Richard Strong....

 as Mandy Forward, the star of Pyramid Prodigy Productions' Adele of Beaver Creek series who discovered that the company was secretly producing an Adele of Beaver Creek porn knockoff.

In response to massive funding cuts to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

 during the later tenure of Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

 Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...

, the Vancouver-based political satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...

 duo Double Exposure
Double Exposure (comedy series)
Double Exposure was a Canadian radio and television comedy series which mocked contemporary Canadian politics. The show starred Linda Cullen and Bob Robertson, and focused primarily on the stars' voice impersonations of Canadian political and cultural figures...

 noted the effects of the budget cuts on CBC Television productions were so severe that several prominent fictional Canadian characters were being sent out to raise funds independently. There followed the sound of a doorbell, and the words: "([ding-dong]) Anne of Avon
Avon Products
Avon Products, Inc. is a US cosmetics, perfume and toy seller with markets in over 140 countries across the world and sales of $9.9 billion worldwide as of 2007.-Business Model:...

 calling!"

External links

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