Modern Times

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tix
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Modern Times

Post by tix »

I read "Snowball the Pony" after it was reviewed by Rob Houghton and it renewed an interest in the Enid Blyton books that one might not have seen for ages. Last week I tried another which, plot-wise, I couldn't remember at all and as often happens, various sections reminded me of other stories. The making up of a mystery for a joke or some other reason was there as it was in the books about Larry and Daisy and the rest. The interfering sister plus friend were also featured a-la-Secret Seven. The compulsory pet (a dog called Punch) reminded me of a similarly named canine in another story and the atmosphere in some respect reminded me of the series about Barney and Roger and Co. probably because of the Gilbert Dunlop pictures. "The Mystery That Never Was" is the title and a bit of modernness crept in with the mention of "television." Having a hopeless memory I wondered if other forum readers could recall books by Enid Blyton that have the word "television" in them. I can't think there would be many but then again, who can say? My best guess is that the latter series mentioned above might have it somewhere although I don't think the other two would but there may be some later books which mention the word. I don't know about any of those newly transcribed volumes that have appeared. Perhaps "television" has been slipped into some of those as a substitute entertainment medium.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Hi Tiq,

We had a discussion about television in Enid Blyton in the following thread:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... 6&start=15

Anita
tix
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Modern Times

Post by tix »

Thank you very much Anita Bensoussane for your helpful response and the link. I remember (only just) reading through the comments at the time and I see that your own contribution deals with "The Mystery That Never Was." Television was in our homes from about the mid thirties yet the Enid Blyton stories carry little evidence although the author made a few references to the cinema when it helped the creative theme. Your comment (Dec 2nd, 2005) about the window-cleaner's TV aerial and the confirmation by Moonraker brings the total to two. My enquiry is naturally slanted towards the original versions and the astonishing report by Venkat (Dec. 4th, 2005) about the Famous Five watching TV in "Five on Kirrin Island Again" was very interesting because I find it hard to believe they did so but I know that many changes have been made in the newer editions. Does anyone know whereabouts it is in the book that the children visit Martin's place to watch Muffin the Mule? If it is true then that brings the total to three.

My first awareness of a little modernization came when a Burmese man featured in "The Mystery of the Strange Messages." I found it a little difficult to identify with this because I don't think I'd ever seen a Burmese person in the street and Enid Blyton stories were all about the unchanging. More immigrants were arriving in Britain though and thinking back I considered that EB was simply reflecting a little more reality. The other time I noticed what I interpreted as a very slight modernizing was when Snubby began playing an imaginary banjo or zither which made me think of the new mode of music that was emerging round that time (1952). Mine is a purely personal stance because I'm sure that Enid Blyton could have children entering a talent contest if they so desired.

I think that EB preferred holding on as much as possible to the earlier times and values. Her books had a cosy, old-fashioned flavour about them and my impression of Xmas for example in an Enid Blyton story was not a picture of father, mother, and the children gathered round the TV watching Morecambe and Wise. It was one of one of a family get-together with all the trimmings - Xmas-puddings, crackers, decorations and a great big tree loaded with presents. Afterwards, the story of Jesus' birth would be told to the children in the glow of the coloured lights and later on a few privileged people like Betty and Fred or Grandpa Twinkle would get to meet Santa Claus himself.

In a period embracing about thirty years of books it seems that only three of the originals mention TV (1953 and 1961 and maybe 1947) but some eagle-eyed reader may yet come across another one.
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Re: Modern Times

Post by Raci »

tiq wrote:My enquiry is naturally slanted towards the original versions and the astonishing report by Venkat (Dec. 4th, 2005) about the Famous Five watching TV in “Five on Kirrin Island Again” was very interesting because I find it hard to believe they did so but I know that many changes have been made in the newer editions. Does anyone know whereabouts it is in the book that the children visit Martin’s place to watch Muffin the Mule? If it is true then that brings the total to three.
:D Hi tiq!

I have an 11th imp HB Hodder Five on Kirrin Island Again from 1958.
On p64 it says:
"Come and see us as soon as you can," said the man. "I've a fine television set that Martin here would like to show you. Any afternoon you like!"
"Oh thanks!" said George. She had never seen television. "We'll come!"


Also on p84 it says:
Martin was fiddling about with the television switches. Then the programme began, and Anne gasped to see a man's face suddenly appear on the lighted screen of the set. "I can hear him and see him," she whispered to Julian. Mr Curton heard her and laughed.
"But your dog can't smell him, or he'd be after him!"
It was great fun seeing the television programme. When it was over Mr Curton asked them to stay to tea.


I don't remember the television being mentioned any other times in this book or saying what the programme was called. But it was definatly in the 1st edition, I don't think any changes were made to the HB Hodder editions (except King/Queen in Treasure Island).
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

This is all very interesting. Raci, I was sure I'd never read about Anne's reaction to television before and that's because, in my copy of Five On Kirrin Island Again (a 1970 Knight paperback), the story has been updated (for that period anyway - I don't know whether updates of that update have since been made.) :shock:

In the first paragraph you quote, my book has "She seldom saw television" instead of "She had never seen television."

And the later paragraph has been considerably abridged in my book so that it reads: "Martin was fiddling about with the television switches. Then the programme began. It was great fun seeing the television programme. When it was over Mr Curton asked them to stay to tea."

I'm annoyed at this alteration because, not only does it prevent readers reflecting on changes in society, but it also cuts out some of the charm and humour that was there in the original. :x

[Tiq:] "The other time I noticed what I interpreted as a very slight modernizing was when Snubby began playing an imaginary banjo or zither which made me think of the new mode of music that was emerging round that time (1952)."

Yes - The Rubadub Mystery even contains references to a juke-box and to chewing-gum (apparently, Enid Blyton wasn't too fond of either of them!)

[Tiq:] "In a period embracing about thirty years of books it seems that only three of the originals mention TV (1953 and 1961 and maybe 1947) but some eagle-eyed reader may yet come across another one."

Can anyone think of any more?

Anita
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Post by Eljay »

According to Imogen, Enid disliked television (and presumably the cinema), so perhaps that's why she rarely referred to it in her books. No doubt she also saw the medium as a rival - indeed, she admitted as much in a 1950s letter that Barbara Stoney quotes (or perhaps I saw it reprinted in Green Hedges or the EB Society Journal, I can't remember). I don't think there are even many references to the cinema or radio (wireless) in her books, are there?

Of course, Enid would have grown up without radio and television, and even the cinema and gramophone were in their infancy during her childhood, so she probably didn't relate to them much even as an adult. However, in her later years she did try to embrace new media, with the Famous Five films, Noddy records and TV programmes, and so on. She was aware of the growing competition posed by these rival mediums and, I think, tried to use it to her advantage.
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Post by Lucky Star »

Eljay wrote:I don't think there are even many references to the cinema or radio (wireless) in her books, are there?
There are several references to the radio (wireless) in the books. Two that spring to mind are The River of Adventure where in the first chapter the children are recovering from an illness and listen to a funny skit on the radio. The other is The Ragamuffin Mystery where the group are all listening to the radio when a message is broadcast summoning Mrs lynton home.

Other than whats already been mentioned however I can think of no other mentions of TV and none at all of the cinema even though the cinema must have been an established part of life and entertainment in Enids time.
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

There are a few mentions of the cinema. In The Six Bad Boys, the gang like to watch violent cinema films (they mention one called He Killed Six! ) and read comics. We're left with the impression that they would be better off reading books (and perhaps Enid Blyton books in particular!) The Secret Seven and Five Find-Outers both go to see films in their respective series - Westward Ho! and Ivanhoe I think - though I can't remember which group of children goes to see which! The St. Clare's girls see Clive of India and, in The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat, a number of film titles are mentioned, some made up like He Loved Her So and some real like The Yearling. In the Famous Five short story, "Five and a Half-Term Adventure," the Five visit Beckton and Anne remarks that Robin Hood is on at the cinema.

I also recall the Five listening to the wireless in Five Go to Billycock Hill, Cyril listening to concerts on the wireless in Six Cousins at Mistletoe Farm , girls listening to the wireless in the common room in some of the Malory Towers or St. Clare's books and Mr. Twiddle listening to the wireless in a few of the Twiddle stories. The Jacksons hear bad news over the wireless in The Family at Red-Roofs. Also, trippers play a gramophone record in The Secret Island and the children take their gramophone records on a boat trip in The Adventurous Four. In The Naughtiest Girl in the School, Elizabeth Allen asks for money to buy a gramophone record of her favourite sea-piece. Oh, and I've just remembered that, in The Six Bad Boys, Mr. Berkley escapes next door to listen to the wireless in peace.

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tix
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modern Times

Post by tix »

Many thanks indeed to Raci who confirmed Venkat's revelation that the Famous Five watched TV in 1947 and a very innocent description it is of the children's reaction but as television had been available for only a few years that's to be expected. I doubt if there are any earlier references to the medium but there might be in the books which appeared in later years. Does Noddy have a TV set pictured somewhere in his little lounge or were the Secret Seven modern enough to enjoy "The Adventures of Robin Hood?"

Near the end of "The Family at Red-Roofs" some film representatives are amongst the crowd of press reporters and photographers. In those days I wouldn't think there was TV News as we have it now. As far as I know it was all recorded on film and the snippets were made up into a ten-minute movie which was distributed round the various cinemas and shown before the main offering.

The further contributions from Anita Bensoussane, Eljay and Lucky Star are very enlightening and worthy of note

*************

Anita Bensoussane: This is all very interesting. Raci, I was sure I'd never read about Anne's reaction to television before "¦.. In the first paragraph you quote, my book has "She seldom saw television" instead of "She had never seen television."

************

I suppose the people who make changes in the script have to include a little sense. These days, Anne couldn't be expected to have "never seen" television so "seldom"" has been substituted except that I can't really believe Anne isn't a fan of "Ready, Steady, Cook" and a host of other programmes unless the Kirrins are TV-less (and some people are)!

************

Anita Bensoussane: "¦"¦ the later paragraph has been considerably abridged in my book so that it reads: "Martin was fiddling about with the television switches. Then the programme began. It was great fun seeing the television programme. When it was over Mr Curton asked them to stay to tea."

************

Obviously we couldn't have Anne "gasping" at the sight of a man's face on the lighted screen, unless it was a very ugly one. The Changers-of-History would find this alteration quite easy to defend.

*************

Anita Bensoussane: The Rubadub Mystery even contains references to a juke-box and to chewing-gum (apparently, Enid Blyton wasn't too fond of either of them!)

*************

I can understand that very well when attempting to decode Enid Blyton"˜s thoughts through her writings.

*************

Eljay: No doubt she also saw the medium as a rival - indeed, she admitted as much in a 1950s letter that Barbara Stoney quotes (or perhaps I saw it reprinted in Green Hedges or the EB Society Journal, I can't remember). I don't think there are even many references to the cinema or radio (wireless) in her books, are there? "¦. the cinema and gramophone were in their infancy during her childhood, so she probably didn't relate to them much even as an adult. However, in her later years she did try to embrace new media, with the Famous Five films, Noddy records and TV programmes, and so on. She was aware of the growing competition posed by these rival mediums and, I think, tried to use it to her advantage.

*************

That's an excellent summary. The electronic media could have been a real threat but time marches on and no doubt the realisation was that a lot of money could be made from the new method of communication.

*************

Eljay: I don't think there are even many references to the cinema or radio (wireless) in her books, are there?

*************

Going on the number of books produced that would be a true statement but there seems to be a few more than we realised if you look at Anita Bensoussane's list which is drawn from a wide variety of sources.

*************

Lucky Star: Two that spring to mind are The River of Adventure where in the first chapter the children are recovering from an illness and listen to a funny skit on the radio. The other is The Ragamuffin Mystery where the group are all listening to the radio when a message is broadcast summoning Mrs lynton home.

*************

Good spotting. Those two books can be added to any future list of radio references.
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Re: modern Times

Post by Moonraker »

tiq wrote:
I suppose the people who make changes in the script have to include a little sense. These days, Anne couldn't be expected to have "never seen" television so "seldom"" has been substituted except that I can't really believe Anne isn't a fan of "Ready, Steady, Cook" and a host of other programmes unless the Kirrins are TV-less (and some people are)!

I cannot agree. These books must be read in the knowledge that they are period pieces. It is a nonsense to try to make out they are set in 2006. It would mean re-writing most stories to make them contemporary. If kids thought they were set in 2006, why don't they text and contact each other by mobile phone; and where's the internet?

Incidentally, another wireless snippet: The disappearance of Richard kent was mentioned in a news bulletin heard in the kitchen of Owl's Dene.
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Post by Lucky Star »

:oops: Since I foolishly stated that the Cinema was never mentioned in Blytons books I have been inundated with examples where it is. There are the many instances which Anita mentions above and now today I have just re-read The Secret Mountain for the umpteenth time. On page 2 the children wish they had more time before their trains so that they might have gone to the cinema, and a scant few pages later when they arrive home for half term Dimmy takes them all to the cinema to cheer them up. I shall never make such sweeping statements again. :oops:

On a related note at the end of The Secret Mountain when they have all arrived back Captain Arnold goes off and broadcasts the story of their escape on the wireless and Dimmy and the children all gather round to listen to it.
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

:lol:

It's funny how things have a habit of cropping up like that just after you've been talking about them.

I've suddenly remembered Cine-Town (Sinny-Town) in The River of Adventure!

And in The Ship of Adventure the children go to the cinema in Southampton to watch a film about animals. A few pages later, Mrs. Mannering remarks that there's a cinema on the ship.

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Post by Viking Star »

In The Mystery of the Hidden House (1948) Ern imagines himself reading out his 'pome' on the BBC - although it doesn't specify whether he is thinking of BBC Radio or BBC Television.
This is a Green Knight Book which means that it is a book by one of the most popular authors of all.
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That's a good one, Viking Star.

That reminds me, doesn't Mr. Trotteville make Fatty sit with him one evening and listen to a boring wireless programme about China? I've forgotten which book that's in, though.

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Post by Viking Star »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:That's a good one, Viking Star.

That reminds me, doesn't Mr. Trotteville make Fatty sit with him one evening and listen to a boring wireless programme about China? I've forgotten which book that's in, though.

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Thanks. I was surprised to read it. Your reference isn't in the first 6 books (ie. up to Hidden House, which I finished last night on my first adult re-visit to the Find-Outers etc :D ).

But I'll keep an eye out for it!
This is a Green Knight Book which means that it is a book by one of the most popular authors of all.
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