From The Archives: "Little Women" Adaptations

Today there is a new version of the popular Louisa May Alcott classic "Little Women". There have been multiple film adaptations of the story since the 1910s. Here are some artifacts related to three media adaptations of the story across six decades. 

I have posted these images before, but this 1949 Dell Paperback tie in the MGM remake (they did one before in 1933 with Katherine Hepburn as Jo) is worth sharing again.

Alcott, Louisa M, Patti Mortensen, Janell Bohanna, Lucille Bliss, Karen Jurley, Judy Feil, Joseph Gostanian, Aurora Wetzel, and Ray Reinhardt. Little Women. San Francisco, CA: Mind's Eye, 1979. Sound recording.

 This audio drama version from the "Mind's Eye" series featured veteran voice actress Lucille Bliss (1916 - 1912) as Jo. Bliss is probably best remembered today as the voice of "Smurfette" on the 1980s animated "Smurfs" series.

This Christmas slim hardback edition features scenes from the 1994 adaptation of "Little Women" which starred Winona Ryder . It originally came with a ornament pendant.

The original novel with scene of the 1994 film.

This Month in Children's Media: September 2018, Part I

I missed all of the summer months, but could not pass up the history of the fall 1968 season.

50 Years Ago - 1968

Newspaper Ad for "Oliver". Philadelphia Inquirer, December 29, 1968.

Italian photo ad for "Oliver"

Film/Cinema
The live-action film musical Oliver, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, premieres September 26, 1968. The film would win the Academy Award (Oscar) for best film.

Television
September 14, 1968 - This fall season was the beginning of a crackdown on violent content on Saturday Morning Cartoons. The following programs debuted that day.

"The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour" and on CBS Saturday Morning (1968–1971; 1975–1985; known as "The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show" from 1978–1985)

"Wacky Races" on CBS Saturday Morning (1968-1969)

Several Prime-time shows that were not geared specifically for children, but would have caught their attention include:

September 17, 1968 – Julia on NBC (1968–1971).
September 21, 1968 – Adam-12 on NBC (1968–1975).

Newspaper Ad for "Land of the Giants", sci-fi fantasy series that rand on ABC for until 1970.

September 22, 1968 – Land of the Giants on ABC (1968–1970).

Snippet from WBEN-TV ad for the debut of "Blondie" on CBS.
Niagara Gazette (New York), Thursday, September 28, 1968.

September 26, 1968 - Blondie CBS (1968-1969). Reportedly one of the biggest flops of the late 1960s, and dismissed as suitable only for children. That critique only make it more of a curiosity; maybe it should have been allowed to finish it's run on Saturday mornings (like Calvin and the Colonel did for ABC). This series would also be worth seeing for the good casting lead by Patricia Harty and Will Hutchins, and that one episode with Bruce Lee as a karate instructor.