The Enid Blyton Society

Sally wrote:Suddenly thought - Fatty could be played superbly by....Stephen Fry!

Do you mean Fatty later in life - perhaps an adaptation of one of Julie's 'Five Find-Outers in Retirement' stories? We had a similar discussion on the Blyton Yahoo Group a few years ago, and someone else also suggested Stephen Fry for a grown-up Fatty. I think I said back then that I could picture Rowan Atkinson as the Angry Pixie.

Yes - I meant Fatty grown up and middle aged. Stephen isn't that old - he is 54 in fact! Actors and actresses playing the others would need to be about the same age, and Bets would need to be 50ish. Any ideas?

At that age I could see Jenny Agutter playing Dinah Mannering and Samantha Bond playing Lucy-Ann Trent. Bill, of course, would have to be played by our very own Nigel Rowe....how are your acting skills, Nigel?

If the Mannerings/Trents were grown up, I'd be nowhere near old enough to play Bill Cunningham! Personally, I don't see the fascination in seeing Enid's children characters as grown ups. I'd rather imagine them as she had written about them. I'd be up to play a 50 year old Bill though, Sally!

Moonraker wrote:I'd be up to play a 50 year old Bill though, Sally!

I suppose you might have been able to - over a decade ago!

Heres my spoof list!

Julian , Nick Nolte.... http://www.moono.com/html/nick-nolte/ni ... ctures.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dick, Les Dawson.....http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/414647.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anne, Joanna David ...... http://pandp2.home.comcast.net/~pandp2/ ... david.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

George, KD Lang .......http://lifeonimprov.wordpress.com/2011/ ... -k-d-lang/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Timmy, Scooby Doo!

I can see someone like Hugh Laurie playing Uncle Quentin. He is brilliant as the curmudgeonly Dr. House. I also think Margaret Lockwood in her heyday would have made a good Aunt Allie.

pete9012S wrote:Heres my spoof list!

That was funny!

Moonraker wrote: I don't see the fascination in seeing Enid's children characters as grown ups. I'd rather imagine them as she had written about them.

So that's Sally's and my fan-fics out the window then!!!

I didn't word it very well, did I? I was really referring to endless discussions on whether Julian joined the police force, army or became a dentist. If he became bald, grey or died of cancer at 50. What did Anne look like when she died? Was she cremated or buried at sea? Did Maggie re-offend when she came out of prison?

Personally, they ceased living at the end of the series/story.

Now fanfic, that's a completely different kettle of fish...

Oh, and Anita, I always thought Bill looked old for his age!

You are trying to wriggle out of it now, Nigel, methinks! Actually I would argue that Blyton's characters carry on living in our hearts and minds, and that is why we are all as sensible grown-ups members of this Society and still read the stories! For those who think we must all be eccentric at best (such as my husband!) I would argue that the characters in the stories became dear friends to us all all those years ago and are still so. Imagining them growing older, and wondering how they may have lived their lives seems natural to me.

I fully agree with you on this one, Sally. Even though I love Enid's books and some of her characters, I also like to think of them grown, and living a life today! (I guess some would call that sad!!)

Sally wrote: Actually I would argue that Blyton's characters carry on living in our hearts and minds, and that is why we are all as sensible grown-ups members of this Society and still read the stories!

I can honestly say, they only live on in my mind as the children they were in the original stories. I see FanFic as what might have happened, but to me, they are still just amazing kids.

Moonraker wrote:
I can honestly say, they only live on in my mind as the children they were in the original stories. I see FanFic as what might have happened, but to me, they are still just amazing kids.

Indeed. It is the timelessness of these children and the never changing milieu in which they live and in which the stories are set that is a major source of their continued appeal. (Just) William Brown remained 11and 3/4 for about fifty years, Peter Pan famously never grew up and Blyton's characters only lived in her books. I read very little fan fiction because to me the characters lived in Enid's imagination and nobody else can give them the spark of life in the way that she could. I'm glad that they never aged, to have done so would spoil the magic of going back and re-reading the books.

Mr Goon - Martin Clunes seems to fit quite well. He'd be halfway between Doc Martin and his character from Men behaving badly.

Uncle Quentin - Stephen Fry, anyone?

Mr Lenoir - Peter Cushing.

Block - Timothy Spall.

Aunt Fanny - Julie Walters.

Tiger Dan - Ray Winstone.

Rooky - Sean Bean.

Mr Perton - Hugh Laurie.

Inspector Jenks - Daniel Craig?

Aggie - Julie Walters again.

Hunchy - Tom Cruise. Mwahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!

Pa Stick - James Purefoy, in a mode similar to when he played Edward Teach/Blackbeard.

Mr Luffy - Jon Pertwee.

Joanna the Cook - Julie Walters yet again.

Tessa Peake-Jones for Aunt Fanny? A bit younger.

I also thought of Martin Clunes for Uncle Quentin.

David Jason for Mr. Goon? He can bumble about a bit.

Harriet Waters for Miss Grayling! She was in a Poirot once playing a head teacher and I was struck by how good a Miss Grayling, or now I come to think of it, even Aunt Fanny she could be.