Who doesn’t know a lovely children's fairy tale about Peter Pan? This article will tell in detail about its author, who is the famous Scottish novelist and playwright Barry James Matthew.
Start
The Barry family is working and having many children. The father of the writer was a weaver in the state of Kirrimyur. Barry James Matthew was born in May 1860 as the ninth child, nevertheless, he did not have any gaps in education and training, like all other children. At first he studied at the academy, then at the largest university in Scotland in Edinburgh. After graduating, he got a job at the Nottingham Journal.
As soon as journalistic fame came out with the publication of a number of essays depicting the life of a small town in Scotland, Barry was asked to publish a separate book based on these works. So the "Idyll of Old Lights" appeared. Life, of course, described in this book is not idyllic at all: poor, narrow, cramped, overly churched. The success was noisy.
Barry James began to engage in literature at the age of twenty-five; four years later he had already published several novels and his first novel. The stories were rural, the series was called: "Idyll of Old Likhta", and the plot of the novel was taken from the profession, it told about the journalist - "When a Man Is Alone". Critics and readers enthusiastically greeted the new writer. And as if jinxed - Barry James followed by writing the extremely unsuccessful melodrama "Better to Die", which was released in 1888. Then the writer "corrected himself", and his new novels were again welcomed favorably: "Little Servant", "Sentimental Tommy" (it even required a sequel - "Tommy and Grizzel"), the book about his mother, Margaret Ogilvy, turned out to be especially touching.
Playwright
By the age of forty, the famous playwright Barry James Matthew was the country's best playwright. Although only three years ago he turned to writing dramas. At first, the writer edited his novel “Little Servant” for stage production, which was very fond of readers. The comedy "Quality City" brought him fame. And with the plays Mary Rose, Quolity Street, Wonderful Crichton, real fame also came. And when in 1904 his fairy tale "Peter Pan" was put on the stage, honors fell down. He was promoted to baronet, awarded the order, in 1919 he was elected rector of the University of St. Andrews, and in 1930 - the new chancellor of the university in Edinburgh, since 1928 he was president of the Society of Writers of the country.
The largest share of literary work was done in the field of dramaturgy, and the most tangible return in this area was also received by Barry James Matthew. The writer devoted his whole life to creativity, his personal life did not shine with an abundance of friends and fans. But he was in contact with the world easily, people loved him. He was married only once and not very long, he was really close friends only with the Davis family, he even took care of five children when their parents (Arthur and Sylvia Davis) died. Own direct heirs after his death in 1937 were not found.
Movie
Barry James-Matthew, whose biography was peculiar and not without magical transformations and miracles, wrote many books. His fairy tales have been filmed repeatedly, and in 2004 Mark Foster's film entitled “The Magic Country” was released, where the role of a wonderful storyteller was played by the delightful Johnny Depp. Of course, the action of the film differs from the real biography almost radically. The story of foster children and that has undergone variations.
"Wonderland"
The film was nominated for an Oscar in seven categories, and for a BAFTA prize in eleven. And in that and in another case, a very high rating was obtained - eight out of ten, even in the main nomination. The rental was also successful: it paid off four and a half times on the budget of twenty-five million dollars (by American standards - not very cool, but for a biographical, and even art-house film, it’s very good).
An extraordinary creative personality plus a special world full of imagination - these signs make the film far from interesting for all people. The fabulous territory of Neverland, which was invented by the writer, is called Netland in our country, and in this movie is called The Magic Country. The country from which they do not return. It sounds the antithesis to the prophecy of Edgar Allan Poe - Nevermore, where death and hopelessness are. Barry James Matthew, whose books are valued for the gift of the illusion of immortality, is also presented in the film by Foster as an “eternal child”, untouchable, innocent in ideas about the world, and even able to see what adults are unable to notice. The hero is surprised at the beautiful world himself and knows how to surprise others.
Fiction and reality
In the credits, the viewer sees the statement that the film is based on real events. However, this is not quite true. A whole series of facts and a whole series of years lived by the main character, as if cleared of unnecessary details and changed to best convey the truth.
According to the film version, Barry James Matthew, whose personal life is of interest to many, was not even acquainted with Arthur, but already met with his widow - Sylvia, who has not five sons, but four. In the film, the writer becomes their official guardian along with his mother Sylvia. In addition, Barry James Matthew, whose works were already printed in huge prints at that time, was never a failed writer. And in the film, this invention added sharpness to the plot. But there is a truth in the film version: the inspiration that Matthew received from communicating with children helped him create a wonderful fairy tale about a boy who did not want to grow up.
The film did not tell much about Barry James Matthew. Interesting facts from his life were missed. For example, how until 1909 he did not want to divorce his wife Mary, although she was passionately jealous of her husband for a strange family. But Matthew continued to disappear there, near the boys, among whom was Peter - the prototype of a fairy-tale hero.
Johnny Dapp as Peter Pan's “father”
In the biographical tape, Johnny Dapp exclusively truthfully presented his extraordinary giftedness with all kinds of talents and the indefatigable imagination of his hero. The games that the writer invented for the children, he himself was amused much more than the rest of his life. Peter Pan was created in this way - between games, easy and fun, but Barry glorified much more than the other forty excellent plays, six popular novels, seven colorful documentaries and numerous storybooks.
Prototypes
The boy who never gets old appeared in Barry’s works more than once, long before the creation of the tale of Peter Pan. This story was dedicated to the writer's elder brother, who died one day before the age of nine. He in his memory forever remained a child. Immediately in the first two books, Barry mentions one boy who fought off his family. He was lost, but only happy about this circumstance (“Tommy and Grizzel”), most of all he does not want to be found and returned to his former life, where he must grow up.
Then, as many as six chapters (The White Bird) tell of another boy who also did not want to grow up. Subsequently, this book was reprinted under a different title - “Peter Pan in the Kensington Gardens” (by the way, it was in this London garden that Barry met the boys from the Davis family and was completely fascinated by them. The book came out with excellent illustrations by the famous Arthur Rackham.
A family
First of all, you need to talk about the mother of the famous storyteller. He probably would not have become him if it had not been for Margaret Ogilvy (in the tradition of Scottish women, leaving her maiden name in marriage). The writer's mother was very gifted by nature, sang wonderfully, knew a lot of folk songs, ballads, legends, and legends. It was from her that the children adopted the desire for everything beautiful, fascinating and magical. Despite the fact that the family refused very much to itself, the parents fulfilled their cherished dream: all their children received an education.
As soon as James's elder brother Alexander got a job teaching in Glasgow, he immediately took care of the younger ones. James learned a lot thanks to Alexander.
Famous friends
The beginning of the twentieth century caught James Barry quite a prominent figure among the writers of England. A man deeply decent and exceptionally kind, he gathered around himself the most outstanding society of that time. His friends were John Galsworthy, Thomas Hardy, Henry James, Herbert Wells, Jerome K. Jerome, James Meredith, Arthur Conan Doyle. The latter even co-authored Barry in writing the libretto of the comedy, which failed miserably, but this failure gave rise to a humorous story written again together: the writers ask Sherlock Holmes to investigate why the public is not funny with such a wonderful comedy.
In any case, until the very end of life, writers maintained excellent relations and helped each other in every way. In addition to writers, researchers and travelers, brave and active people, were interested in the work of Barry. This interest was mutual. African explorers Joseph Thomson and Paul du Chailou often spent time with Barry, and the posthumous letter of the famous polar explorer Robert Scott, which was found on his body six months after the expedition died, was addressed to his dear friend, James Matthew Barry, whom he bequeathed care for the widows and children of his fallen comrades. The last request of the deceased was granted.
Own will
Barry James Matthew, whose interesting facts from his life were so plentiful that he repeatedly inspired people of art to create world masterpieces, died in 1937, after transferring all income and rights from Peter Pan (an impressive amount) to the London Children's Hospital.
And in 1987, the British Parliament took an unprecedented step - established Barry's copyright as perpetual. This outstanding man has earned such exceptional respect in his homeland.