Miss Laurie over at Old-Fashioned Charm graciously allowed me to interview her. It was by chance I stumbled upon Miss Laurie’s lovely blog and became enthralled with not only in her world but her passion. The allure of a simpler time where love is possible and happily ever after expected. She is one of many Regency aficionados and one I am blessed to know.

Miss Laurie is a 24-year-old young lady who loves period dramas and everything old-fashioned. Common themes in her posts are Jane Austen, period film reviews, old-fashioned art and music, period drama actors, Regency and Victorian history.

Please enjoy!

What inspired you to start blogging and when was it?

ML: I have always loved old-fashioned things but it was my interest in names that got me blogging first. Name Enthusiast was (and still is) a small little known blog where I write interesting facts about my favorite names. When I was describing what I liked about various names the similar phrase of ”old-fashioned charm” kept popping up. InSeptember 2008 while posting about Lydia Sadie my thoughts ran like this: ”These are two names I really love, they both have such sweet sounds and that lovely old-fashioned charm (I’m beginning to think I should rename my blog Old-Fashioned Charm!… that gives me “furiously to think” like Hercule Poirot, perhaps a new blog is in order…anyway).” I was immediately engrossed in the idea of having a blog where I could express my old-fashioned side and on September 4, 2008 my blog Old-Fashioned Charm was born!

What is the purpose of your blog? Also how does it evolve as you grow and mature?

ML: From the very beginning Old-Fashioned Charm has been a place for me to express my old-fashioned side by posting anything old-fashioned such as songs, architecture, books, poems, clothing, movies, and old-fashioned virtues like truth, morals, patriotism and about my Faith. When I began my posts were mostly quotes from my favorite classics, art pieces and sometimes my thoughts about my favorite period dramas. Over the last three years my blog has taken off with the period drama theme. I’ve reviewed many period films, posted about actors from period dramas and some of the amazing people who compose the soundtracks for these films. I do still love to post quotes and thoughts from my favorite classics or spotlight my favorite characters from literature but I seem to post more about the film adaptations than the books themselves. I hope to continue creating a beautiful environment for my growing number of readers to enjoy ”Everything Old-Fashioned Under The Sun!”

If you could pick to be any heroine from any of your favorite films, who would it be? If you have several favorites, which ones and why?

ML: Well there are so many lovely heroines in period films so it’s a bit hard to decide. I would probably change places with a Jane Austen heroine since they are my favorites. I love the world of Persuasion 1995, in my mind it is so perfectly Jane Austen Regency and I’d love to be Anne Elliot visiting Lyme with the Musgroves and Captain Wentworth! I could easily fit into the role of Elinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility 2008, she’s very much like me, in fact I think I would have made a lot of the same choices that she did. I also greatly identify with Margaret Hale from North & South, both in the book and the miniseries she is so much like me. Or maybe I’d be Molly Gibson from Wives and Daughters, nursing the sick, keeping my family’s secrets and loving my hero from afar.

Which authors, or historical figures, inspire you and your love for the old fashioned?

ML: Jane Austen is a constant inspiration to me! It is in her world that I dream whenever I have a spare moment. Her novels, characters, history, fashions and world provide a lot of content for my blog. I also find inspiration in Elizabeth Gaskell, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie and other classic authors. One of my favorite historical characters is Queen Victoria so I love to study the Victorian era as well. Nature, art, music, poetry, good stories – these also inspire me to research, learn more, write and continue to blog everything old-fashioned!

Describe the perfect gown. Where would you wear it, what era and who would you pick to dance with first? (can be any hero from any movie)

ML: My ideal historical gown would be a Regency Era empire waist ball gown. The color is difficult to choose, but something that looks well one me (maybe a blue or purple) and perhaps with a lace overlay. If I had my pick, the first gentleman I would dance with at a ball would be Mr. Henry Tilney from the book Northanger Abbey, because he is a true gentleman, a good dancer and would be a lively partner. But I wouldn’t keep Mr. Tilney too long because I’m sure he’d want to get back to Catherine Morland, instead I’d settle down for a long chat with his sister Miss Eleanor Tilney!

If someone were to come to you without any prior knowledge of the Regency period, which movies would you recommend to them?

ML: Almost any Jane Austen adaptation would do! For the viewer with a shorter attention span I’d recommend Sense & Sensibility (1995) or Persuasion (1995) but films like Pride & Prejudice (1995) and Emma (2009) would quickly follow because of their excellent representations of Regency life and Jane Austen’s novels.

Which are your least favorite period piece films?

ML: There are only a few period films that I really dislike enough to mention specifically and one of those is Wuthering Heights. I’ve watched several adaptations and tried to read the book a few times, but the story is so distressing that I have a hard time getting through it. The 2009 adaptation in particular was so creepy! The only version I’ve dared to watch twice is the 1939 version starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon which is bearable because of the amazing talented actors. Also any adaptation of a Catherine Cookson novel is in my opinion not worth watching and I dislike heartbreaking stories such as Doctor Zhivago, The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome.

Which are your favorites?

ML: I have so many favorites it’s difficult to name all of them! Most of the Jane Austen adaptations (particularly Persuasion 1995 and Emma 2009); all of the recent Elizabeth Gaskell adaptations (Cranford, North & South, Wives & Daughters); many Charles Dickens adaptations (especially Little Dorrit, Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend); and various adaptations and period films like Under The Greenwood Tree, The Young Victoria, Anne of Green Gables and The Importance of Being Earnest 2002.

Which period pieces would you describe as more “hardcore”? ( i.e. meant for those who have a good idea of the time period, political and social structure)

ML: For the dedicated period drama fan I’d recommend a lot of the older BBC adaptations from the 1970′s and 80′s. I’ve noticed that many recent adaptations of classic books have been made more “viewer friendly” for the modern viewer. The language in these modern adaptations is often simplified and are a bit more lax on keeping up the customs and manners used in the time periods. The older adaptations are mostly longer with time to develop the stories and because they keep most of the original language and scenes they are almost like reading the books! The downside to these older period dramas are that they are often lower budget, outdoor scenes are often poorer quality and indoor scenes are filmed on sound stages so they can be a bit like watching a play. The actors themselves were often stage actors but some of them are well cast and talented gems who bring the characters to life! These older BBC adaptations are best if watched by viewers looking for more complete adaptations and with a good sense of the time period so they can fill in where the scenery and costumes fail a bit. Some of my favorite older adaptations are: Mansfield Park (1983), Sense & Sensibility (1981), Dombey and Son (1983), Great Expectations (1981), The Barchester Chronicles (1982) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982).

Is there any book(s) you’d want to see made into a movie that hasn’t been?

ML: There are several classic tales that could use a remake, but the non-adapted story I most want to see made into a film is Jane Austen’s Lady Susan. Although it isn’t usually counted among her novels Lady Susan is a completed story written in letters with endearing characters, a charming story and Jane Austen’s delightful wit.

Who would you cast as the hero and heroine?

ML: Funny, I’ve recently been thinking a lot about who my Lady Susan Dream Cast would be! My favorite for the role of the charming but vexatious title character Lady Susan Vernon would be Keeley Hawes, who I’ve longed to see in a Jane Austen adaptation. Her beauty, charming voice and great acting talent would in my mind perfectly capture the complex character.

Who is, hands down, your choice for most handsome hero?

ML: Wow! Hands down? That’s tough. I guess I’d probably have to go with Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North & South. The dark features, piercing eyes, charming northern accent and amazing cravats make for a very handsome package overall. Also he was perfectly cast, I read and adored the book North and South before watching the miniseries and Mr. Armitage just was the character of Mr. Thornton!

Some of my other favorite heroes that are easy on the eyes are: Matthew Macfadyen as Arthur Clenham in Little Dorrit (his Mr. Darcy was probably more handsome but I don’t really like it), Dan Stevens as Edward Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility 2008 (and him in Downton Abbey) and Steven Mackintosh as John Harmon in Our Mutual Friend. All great actors and good looking guys.

Who is your favorite romantic hero character? Why?

ML: While I greatly admire other literary heroes such as John Thornton from North and South, Mr. Knightley from Emma, and Arthur Clenham from Little Dorrit, my all time favorite literary hero is Mr. Henry Tilney from Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. He’s actually my ideal guy: strong in his faith and moral standards, a good judge of character, all man but not afraid to admit he enjoys romantic stories or knows the value of a good muslin, clever wit, a big heart and totally charming.

If you could pair two actors to be in a film together as leading man and lady, whom would you chose?

ML: Hmm…maybe Claire Foy and Dan Stevens, they’d be an interesting pairing but I’m not quite sure what leading roles they’d play.I’d also love to see real life couple Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes play a couple in a period drama, I’ve seen them play husband and wife in a movie once and they were adorable.

Think back on all those period dramas. Are there any actors you feel could have played the role more proficiently?

ML: The casting in Mansfield Park 2007 was rather good except in one huge point, Billie Piper is *not* Fanny Price and I found myself wishing that actress Catherine Steadman who played Julia Bertram in that film would have been much better in the role. Also I’m still not quite convinced that J.J. Feild made the ideal Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey 2007, but I’m not quite sure who could be!

Favorites female actors/male actors?

ML: There are so many talented actors out there, it’s wonderful to see so many filling up my favorite period films! One of my favorite female actresses is Anna Maxwell Martin because her performances are mixed with such feeling and strength. I also greatly admire the elegant and sweet Amanda Root and the extremely talented Claire Foy whose performances in period dramas have been each different from the other but no less brilliant. My favorite actor and the one I’d most like to meet one day is David Suchet; his talents are so broad, he plays villains, heroes, Europeans, and Americans with great skill, but it is his role as Agatha Christie’s Belgium detective Hercule Poirot that shows his great attention to detail and brilliance. I also greatly enjoy actors Matthew Macfadyen and Michael Gambon who are both so skilled and compelling in their various roles.

Which actors would you want to see in a period drama that hasn’t yet graced us with their presence?

ML: Most of my favorite actors are from period dramas, but I have been enjoying more modern films starring Amy Adams and I’d love to see her in a real costume drama as an American or a Brit. Other than that there haven’t been many Louisa May Alcott adaptations and I’d really like to see more American actors in period drama roles like that.

Thank you Miss Laurie! You are so wonderful to share your heart and passion with your readers. I appreciate and value the time and thoughtfulness you put into your posts. If anyone is interested in following Old-Fashioned Charm, you can find her on Facebook. In the mean time, explore the fairy tale and romance that is Old-Fashioned Charm! Fall in love, believe in the impossible and be ready to take on the world with a newly trimmed hat!