Published/Performed: 1939 (novel); 1937 (newspaper column)
Author: Jan Struther
Born: Jun 6, 1901 London, England
Passed: Jul 20, 1953 New York City, NY
Film: Mrs. Miniver
Released: 1942
Jan Struther was the pen name of English writer Joyce Anstruther, later Joyce Maxtone Graham and finally Joyce Placzek (June 6, 1901 ? July 20, 1953).
Mrs. Miniver is a fictional character created by Struther in 1937 for a series of newspaper columns for The Times, later adapted into a movie of the same name.
The Times columns were short reflections on everyday life, based in part on Struther's own family and experiences. While the columns started out as lighthearted domestic scenes where the outside world barely intruded, the approach of World War II slowly brought darker global concerns into Mrs. Miniver's world. One of the more memorable pieces appears near the middle of the series, where the Minivers get gas masks.
The columns were first published in book form in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of war. Struther stopped the regular newspaper columns that year, but wrote a series of letters from Mrs. Miniver, expanding on the character's wartime experiences. These were published in later editions.
The book became an enormous success, especially in the United States, where Struther went on a lecture tour shortly after the book's release.
In 1942, when the film came out, Roosevelt ordered it rushed to theaters.
The film adaptation of Mrs. Miniver was produced by MGM in 1942 with Greer Garson in the leading role and William Wyler directing. Under the influence of the American Office of War Information, the film attempted to undermine Hollywood's prewar depiction of England as a glamorous bastion of social privilege, anachronistic habits and snobbery in favour of more democratic, modern images. To this end, the social status enjoyed by the Miniver family in the print version was downgraded and increased attention was given to the erosion of class barriers under the pressures of wartime.
The film exceeded all expectations, grossing $5,358,000 in North America (the highest for any MGM film at the time) and $3,520,000 abroad. In Britain, it was named the top box office attraction of 1942. 555 of the 592 film critics polled by American magazine Film Daily named it the best film of 1942.
In 1942, the film won an Oscar in the Best Picture category and both Greer Garson and Teresa Wright won an Oscar each in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories respectively.
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