â Edith Pretty of Sutton Hoo â Real Life True Story of Mrs. Pretty Vs Netflix Movie,The Dig
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 30. 07. 2024
- Mrs. Edith Pretty was the landowner and philanthropist who spearheaded the excavations of Sutton Hoo. She is portrayed in the movie, The Dig, by Carey Mulligan and while the film covers only a brief period of her life, the true story of Edith Pretty is full of drama.
The movie, The Dig, is not a biography of Edith Pretty by any means. The movie focuses on a specific time period in the 1930's when Mrs. Pretty commissioned the excavation of the mounds on her property called Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, England. This video is a mini documentary of the true story (minus the cousin who was not real to the story).
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đđđ Get the book the movie is based upon "The Dig: A Novel Based on True Events" by John Preston âș bookshop.org/a/19586/97815905...
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Sutton Hoo is famous as one of the greatest archaeological finds in history and especially so for Britain. It is thought that the buried ship and it's treasures belonged to an Anglo-Saxon chieftain who lived 1500 years ago named Raedwald, King of East Anglia.
đ„ VIDEO CONTENT
00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Clips from trailer of the movie, The Dig
01:39 - Who was the real Edith Pretty (a short biography)
05:33 - The Dig movie vs True Story of Mrs. Edith Pretty
Even before Mrs.Pretty commissioned the dig, locals always knew that there was something in those mounds. Over the centuries, occasional artifacts were found by treasure hunters, but none of them came close to finding the real treasure trove of gold and silver artifacts buried below the earth. It wasnât until the late 1930s that a concerted effort was made to excavate by Edith Pretty who employed a local amateur archaeologist called Basil Brown to see what he can find.
As we see in the movie, The Dig, the British Museum eventually took over the running of the dig from Basil Brown after the initial efforts, and today, thanks to the generosity of and donation by Mrs. Pretty, most of the treasures reside at the British Museum along with an exhibit to the effort which was recently built by the National Trust, UK.
Edith Pretty's life experiences led her to that moment in time that the movie, The Dig, covers. She was well-traveled and well-educated thanks to the wealth of her family. Her life covers a time of change from the late Victoria/Edwardian era of her youth to the 1930's and 40's when women were able to begin to take a larger role in science.
In fact the movie also includes the true story participation in the dig of one of the pioneering women in archeology, Peggy Preston (aka Margaret Guido, aka Peggy Piggott). while the cousin, photographer Rory Lomax in not true fact.
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#edithpretty #suttonhoo #thedig #mrspretty #edithprettytruestory
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ATTRIBUTIONS
Public Domain via picryl.com
Public domain & creative commons lic. via Wikimedia Commons
Fair use lic. Archant Archives, The Trustees of the British Museum,The Dig via Netflix trailer
(Oliver Gerrish ) archmusicman.blogspot.com/2014/11/mrs-pretty-and-sutton-hoo-little-about.html
EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER :The content of the video is available for informational and educational purposes only. Fabulous Fierce and Feisty Women In History makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy, applicability, adequacy or completeness of the video content. Fabulous Fierce and Feisty Women In History does not guarantee the performance, effectiveness or applicability of the sites listed or linked in any video content.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: "Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."
In researching the truth behind the movie The Dig I was simultaneously excited and disappointed to discover that the real photographers of the Sutton Hoo excavation were two women. Mercie Lack & Barbara Wagstaff were teachers and friends who had an interest in archeology and were holidaying in the area at the time the site was being excavated. My excitement was rooted in that fact that it was two women who were the actual photographers and my disappointment that they were replaced in the film with a fictional male character.
Yes, women in history are consistently made invisible. That is why I wanted to start this channel. To tell what is real about all the amazing women in history. Movies like The Dig spark interest but movies never tell the full story and/or often distort truth like in the movie Ammonite where you find 2 lesbian loves scenes in a movie written and directed (and imagined) by men - I did a video on pioneering paleontologist Mary Anning (czcams.com/video/ityqGDzKAA0/video.html) to expand upon her accomplishments and not her imagined sex life. Given that the film industry is ruled and dominated by men, well.... there you have it. So, I do my best to highlight women, their life and their achievements - that is what is important. Thank you for your comments.
Agree. It was just so there could be a romantic storyline included.
Gosh it would have been better if women photographers had been depicted as women!
They have to jazz up these things to get a story if they to try to get everything in it can turn into a mess. Anyway it's ignited my interest to watch actual documentaries starting with this video.
Suzanne, I abhor and am cogniscant of whitewashing - putting European's in other peoples roles as well. Unfortunately, we've had a lot of bullshit with black washing recently. This has also been in conjunction with gender. There have been all manner of women, in all manner of roles which they were never involved, or are over represented. Moreover, there has been much dumbing down, and emasculating of men in recent years. What they have done with this film is clearly pathetic, but where have women been in recent years critiquing historical revisionism? It's not until this sort of thing effects folks, they realize how annoying, and insulting this sort of thing is. We all need to unite and demand realistic historic portrayals of events and the characters involved.
Aren't we lucky to have had a woman like Edith to share all these treasures with the world? I adored the film and am excited to read the blog by her ancestor. Thank you for sharing her story.
Couldn't agree more!
Thank you for this. I enjoyed the Dig but the truth of Edith Pretty's life is much more rewarding than any fictionalised drama.
I agree plus the movie does not focus as much on Edith Pretty as I would have liked.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory the one major issues with films is that unless the length is going to rival that of Gone With the Wind so many details are unable to be included to the depth that some viewers would appreciate. However, the movie will I am sure pique the interest of many viewers who will delve into researching Edith Pretty, Basil Brown and the history of The Sutton Hoo Ship dig. How many people would never know about Edith or The Sutton Hoo dig without the movie.?
@@suzanneedmonds1566 Agreed.
Just watched the film and liked it very much. I always like to do some research on these historical films and find youtube to be the go to place. This is a quick and concise overview of Mrs Pretty's life. Appreciated and done well, too. Thanks
I am exactly the same đ
Many thanks!
Thank you for an insight into her life before The Dig.
The one line in the movie about Edith's early interest in archaeology just isn't enough is it? It it is what piqued my interest in her and I felt the need to expand upon. From there I started thinking about pioneering women the field of archaeology and am doing a video right now on that topic. Thank you for your comment and stay tuned!
Many thanks for a fascinating insight into the story behind the film which I thought was beautifully made. Thanks again đ
Thank you for your comments. I hope you went ahead and subscribed for more Fabulous, Fierce & Feisty Women In History videos!
I visited England and went to the British Museum and saw the treasures from the Sutton Hoo dig. Fascinating stuff and very beautiful. As I understand it, Edith Pretty did not get to see the treasures displayed because she died before that happened which is too bad. The war slowed getting the artifacts up and for display. I even heard a story that she hid the treasure under her bed right after they were dug up to protect them. I haven's seen the netflix movie but will soon. Nice video here for a short bio of Edith Pretty. Thanks. (Love your channel!)
The Netflix movie is out now. It is a beautiful movie and gives the sense of both urgency with the war coming and the sense of the time period and Suffolk countryside. When the movie was first being talked about the lead role of Edith Pretty was going to be Cate Blanchett of whom I am a huge fan. I think she would have been much better as Mrs. Pretty. Carey Mulligan has a kind of simpering demeanor and Cate Blanchette is much more imposing in any role she undertakes.. After researching about Edith Pretty, I think she was an amazingly strong woman and the Dig paints her as a "worrier" giving a different impression. Still, she proves herself in the end. Thank you for your kind words on my video.
The video is really good IMO. Cary did an amazing job of portraying the emotion and frustration that she must have experienced
@@briangilliland3620 Yes, the movie carries so many emotional undertones having to do with death (Edith had lost her husband 4 years prior) and a strong feeling about national history (which is so British) and Carey Mulligan portrays so much of this in her face rather than having a lot of dialog.
Very interesting- thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Excellent and interesting presentation, thanks
Thank you. Please feel free to check out my other videos and more are coming!
Thank you very much.
You are very welcome :)
Nice that someone decided to portray the real Edith. Thanks. (Co-Author 'From Socialite to Sutton Hoo')
Yes, women in history need to be highlighted for their achievements. Wish you book was more available. Would love to read it. Thank you for your comments.
I live on the manor just down the road. Were looking at excavating 2 suspicious mounds, ,fingers crossed đâ”
Really interesting documentary and a nice companion piece to The Dig. Actually there is no romance between Boris and Edith in the movie, rather a deep emotional connection (hammered throughout) about our connection to the past and the importance of remembering... There is however an added subplot romance between 2 other characters, probably for that reason. As a movie it's wonderful and the performances are exquisite, but that shouldn't and doesn't take anything away from their real life counterparts, or what they accomplished. Thank for posting!
Thank your for your comments. It is an excellent film with all kinds of deep, meaningful and very subtle messages. I absolutely loved the film.
Being a cellist, I love the bit about Beatrice Harrison playing her cello when a Nightengale began to sing with her. When they called in BBC to record it, it took 15 min. for the Nightengale to join her cello playing again and then people who heard the broadcast reported that Nightengalea where they lived began to sing upon hearing the broadcast!
I agree. I never felt they were romantically involved or even wished to be. They had much in common and bonded because of their shared interest.
When I was in the Army (RAPC) I worked with Edith's nephew, Major George Pretty, as his clerk. He was also very keen on archeology, and I spent many pleasant hours spellbound as he related his exploits while serving in Greece. It was from George that I first learned about Sutton Hoo, which. was one of the first places I visited after I left the services.
This is wonderful to hear. I love that the family carried on Edith Pretty's interest in archaeology and that Sutton Hoo is so well known. Thank you for your comment.
i am sort of a history Doc junkie and have loved the amazing artifacts from Sutton Hoo for years, somehow i didnt even realize this film existed until about 4 days ago when i promptly watched it. still uncertain why my Netflix didnt promote it at me. it honestly sort of gives me hope that someone chose to make a movie over a subject like this and would love if it started a small trend, though obviously films are always going to change some facts around and ad some drama. admittedly i really liked the Cousin character Rory Lomax that was added to the telling, even though its seems alot of the reason his character was there was to add more romance to the film which is something i usually sort of detest. i also love that he was played by the actor Johnny Flynn who is also a singer songwriter and wrote and performed the wonderful theme song to the tv show Detectorists", which itself is about a couple of guys that spend their free time in farm fields looking for forgotten Saxon artifacts. i think the entire cast did a wonderful job.
The thing to know is that the film is based upon a novel of the same and that the author (John Preston) is a living relative of Peggy Piggot whose maiden name was Preston. I think this give the movie a good start for authenticity and tone. Although the character Rory Lomax was not a real person and was put in for, I suppose, the romance factor that it seems every movie is deemed to have. I find it amazing the Netflix made the movie with the feel of a British made period piece since a lot of their stuff is geared to a young, brash audience. Then you have movies like Ammonite (Hollywood made) that just had to have lesbian sex scenes even though nothing suggests that Mary Anning was gay at all (and her family disputes that she was). I did a video on the real life of Mary Anning - another amazing woman from history who pioneered the field of paleontology. You can find it at czcams.com/video/ityqGDzKAA0/video.html . Thank you for your comments. I enjoy hearing who my youtube people are.
What a great woman. I did enjoy the romanticised version of the film The Dig too. Did she have no children ? Who was her home left to ?
Fascinating insight of Edith Pretty's dedication to history and wise investment in Mr Brown.
Je viens de voir le film ,il est super
I think that movie was good and did a good job of setting the mood of what it was like as england was preparing for war. But it could have better flushing out Edith pretty character. All Carey mulligan did was sit around and give looks that were supposed to have some deep meaning
But didn't amount to anything.
She was bloody amazing
I enjoyed all the perfomrances in the movie. THanks for your comment. It is always good to hear what others think.
Agreed. I found myself fast-forwarding quite a bit, but overall I enjoyed the movie very much.
very good film
Yes, I am glad to see so many people liked the movie.
Letâs be honest. Basil Brown is as important as Edith
Yes, very much so in the discovery. My channel focuses on women in history, hence the major emphasis on her. Thanks for your comment. Always good to hear what others have to say.
Agreed.
Yall donât understand... THIS PERSON HAS 3 SUBSCRIBERS AND YALL ARE VIEWING THIS KEEP THE SUBSCRIBERS UP GUYS
Actually I have more than 3 subscribers LOL. But please do keep them coming. Aiming for 1000 with my next 3 videos....coming soon! Thank you to all of my subscribers to date. đđ»
God bless Edith pretty,đŽó §ó ąó „ó źó §ó żâïžđŹđ§
Agreed đŹđ§
Amazing a great film iv lived in Britain all my life never heard of this story I need to try find a filed put a tent try find somewhere to camp nt bye
Yes, I love history and love researching and digging out these stories (pun intended :) . Be sure and subscribe to my channel for more great history videos!
Iâve never heard of her n yet I spent my early years n was born in Halifax,which is just around the corner
Exactly why I started this channel. So many women in history are invisible, never given credit, overshadowed by male counterparts, etc. Another video that I did is on Mary Anning- an amazing woman whose early work in paleontology was credited by the men of science of her time. czcams.com/video/ityqGDzKAA0/video.html
@@fabulouswomeninhistory will look her up Thankyou
Thank you... watched the movie last night... what happened to her son?
Edith died a few years after the excavation and Robert went to live with Edithâs sister, Elizabeth Hampshire. He went into farming, as I understand it.
Thanks for the quick reply. He got along so well with Basil Brown, so I wondered if their relationship lasted beyond the dig and the did the property stay in the family?
@@mariejoseehuot9309 I don't think we really know if he and Basil stayed in touch after he moved to his aunt's. As for the property, the house & burial site are now owned by the National Trust of Britain. After Edith died in 9142, it was sold by her son's trustees in the late 1940s, and was owned by a number of local farming families until bought by a family named Tranmers where it became known as the Tranmer House. The house and the Sutton Hoo burial site were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1998.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Thank you
I hope Mr. Brown lived a successful and fulfilling life. I hope he and the son (Robert ) remained friends.
The movie is based on a book that is fiction based on a true story. Were Robert and Basil really that close? The book is written by Robert Preston, living relative of Peggy Piggot (maiden name Preston) who is an accomplished writer having written 3 previous novels. How closely the novel is to the movie, I am not sure since I have not read it. But for those who might want to know more than what is in the Netflix movie, you can support this channel and get the novel, The Dig, at bookshop.org/a/19586/9781590517802
I don't think that in the movie is any suggestion of a love between Mrs Pretty and Mr. Brown.
I was going off a couple of reviews that mentioned this at the time I made this video and looked specifically for this since I knew I had put it in the video. After seeing the movie, I have to say that all the romances were nothing more than suggested or hinted at. Maybe a hint from when Mrs Brown looked over at Mrs Pretty when she was talking to her husband or maybe when he was in danger (won't say how since I don't want to give it away to those who haven't seen the movie yet) but overall I agree with you. Thanks for commenting. Always good to hear what others have to say.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Yes, I think to have a friendship between man and woman, and care about the other is one of the themes explored in this remarkable story.
nice video of the real edith pretty, started watching the dig and will complete it but the obviously contrived relationship between brown and her was off putting and so unneccessary and should have spent more time filling out edith's life which is fascinating as she was so far ahead of her time as a intellectual lady and curious woman.
Yes, it would have been nice to see more of her life. She was adventurous in her youth and to show her as so sickly at the end is a sad representation of her. Thank you for your comments. Always welcome.
I agree. Edith herself was fascinating. The movie was too fractured in dealing with other story lines. Trying to find romance when there was none. Each woman, Edith and Peggy warrant a movie of their own.
Of course, the filmmakers had to make her younger and romantically interested in the archaeologist that she hired. đ
And of course the film makers had to throw in some romance (Peggy and Rory Lomax - who was not a real person but Peggy was). Plus throw some speculation on Peggy's husband when there seems to be no evidence that he was gay but putting gay in a movie nowdays is popular, so there you have it. Still the writing was exemplary, the plot well intertwined and the mood perfect and I can see from these comment that people really are vested in the story of the people involved in the dig. Thank you for your comments.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory I told my daughter about it this morning and advised her to see it. I didn't say that would deter me from watching it! Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
Do we know what happened to her son when she died? It has concerned me since seeing the movie.
I did some quick research and found this: " Robert went to live with Edithâs sister, Elizabeth. He eventually attended Eton College and then went into farming. Robert died of cancer in 1988 at the age of 57.l"
@@fabulouswomeninhistory I was hoping he would go stay with the Browns.
Better than average computer audio, but still unnecessary. Why not a real person?
I am sorry but I don't know what you mean. I am a real person. In fact, I've just had tea and now getting back to work looking for my next video topic. I am looking for suggestions so please feel free to let me know what you would like to see next. Oh, and please comment on my visuals in my videos as well as I seek to improve as I go.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Maybe you're really a replicant who thinks she is a real person. OK, just kidding, watched Blade Runner last night. Nice video you put together. I loved the movie, but knew that, being a movie, some things were altered for dramatic effect. To me, that doesn't change my opinion of the movie, but I also like to know the more historically accurate version. And as someone commented above, the movie piqued the interest of many people - including myself - who had not heard of Sutton Hoo or Edith Pretty until the movie came out. It is an utterly fascinating story in all ways and deserves to be better known.
@@herman452 I agree. I also like to know the more historically accurate version when I watch a "based on a true story" film and always have my tablet next to me. I am glad there is so much interest in our British history. Thank you for your comments.
What a woman
Agreed!
So Carey Mulligan was playing a woman more than 20 years older.
Yes, that is correct if we assume she was portrayed as being younger. She certainly does not look to be in her fifties in the movie and it appears that there was no attempt to age the actress.
I loved Carey Milligan in this film but the age difference brings into question why she either was not aged more or that they did not select someone older.
@@CISSY500 I think they should have selected someone older simply because there are many actresses who are just as good and who look just as beautiful as Carey Milligan. Ageism does still occur everywhere just as sexism does.
What happened with her son?
He died fairly young. I believe of a heart attack in his 50s. What wasn't mentioned in this biography is that Edith had him at 47 years old! What a woman!
I found Edith intriguing which was why I set off to do some research and put up this video. As for her son, he went to live with his aunt when Edith died 4 years later. Funny how so many comments ask about Robert. That is how strong the story line is even though it is a fictionalized version of the actual people involved.
I love making videos that feature women in history! See m video about Mary Anning from the movie Ammonite âș czcams.com/video/ityqGDzKAA0/video.html
LĂĄttam a mozit .
Nagy!
Loved The Dig , but if Sylvester Stallone played Basil Brown then it would have been much better movie..
I think that's " The Dig 2" - return of the killer archeologists. Good ol Hollywood.......
Love the humour.
The Prequel 1600 years before would be the 3rd part of any franchise. Weâre Anglo Saxons racist ?
Good content, but as someone who is learning to narrate myself I'd like to gently point out that the narration is odd - it's as through the narrator doesn't understand the meaning (and sometimes the pronunciation) and puts the emphasis in the wrong place. Makes it quite hard to listen to. Please take this as constructive criticism - if you want to get the audience you deserve I think you'll have to work on improving this.
Thank you for your comment. I do have a speech impediment and I do the best that I can. I will work on it though. thank you.
@@fabulouswomeninhistory Sorry - I guess I must have come over as insensitive. I wish you all the best with your channel - it's a worthy cause!
Another option would be to work with someone who has good voice skills. I'm not a great narrator either, and this is something I'm considering. Of course finding the right person isn't necessarily going to be easy...
@@tullochgorum6323 Thank you for your encouraging words . :)