What is a P'head/P-head?
A P'head/P-head is a truly obsessed and loyal fan of Persuasion and/or one or both of its adaptations. A P'head/P-head is to Persuasion what the D'heads are to the Grateful Dead. Click here to read how the two groups are alike, yet different!
We can be deadly serious or superscillyus, we run the gamut of moods when it comes to Persuasion. Take the P'head/P-head Quiz to see if you have P'head/P-head potential.
Some P'head terms which you may find useful:
P = Persuasion (the novel). P1 = the 1970's Persuasion adaptation. P2 = the 1990's Persuasion adaptation. RH P2 = P2 Rocky Horror-style Mags' Magnificent Interactive P2. P'head's/P-head's Cast of P Characters & Aliases
William Elliot: Scuzzy Cuz, Willie the Weasel, WtW, The Weasel, Weasel Boy, Mr E, WE, WWE. Elizabeth Elliot: the Wicked Witch of Kellynch/Bath (she comes w/ her own Flying Monkeys, & linked w/in 6 degrees of JA), Ice Queen, EE(k), EE. Flying Monkeys: reason why EE is still unmarried Sir Walter Elliot: Sir Duhb, Sir Dub, Sir Upholstery, Daddy Dearest, Sir Walter, Sir W. Penelope Clay: Mrs Claaaay, Mrs Clay. Louisa Musgrove: Leapin' Louisa, Humptee Dumptee (not to be confused w/ Humpty Dumpty), LM. Lady Dalrymple: a Viscountess, she is a VISCOUNTESS!! and Family, Lady Bettina Ford-Dalrymple. Mary Musgrove: Mary of Mary's Many Maladies, MM. Charles Musgrove: Chas II, The Zen Master of Uppercross, The Squire, CM. Charles/Henry Hayter: TWCFW (pronounced TWICK-FEW), or That Wretched Curate From Winthrop. Lady Russell: the Good Witch of Kellynch/Bath, Lady R, LR. Captain Benwick: Capt. Benwick, Capt. B, James Benwick, JB. Captain Harvile: Capt. Harville, Harville. Admiral Croft: Admr. Croft, George Croft. Sophia Croft: Sophy, Mrs Croft. Captain Frederick Wentworth: Freddy, Capt. Wentworth, FW, CW, Old Trout Face (only used by Weasel Supporters). Anne Elliot: Only Anne, Miss Anne, AE. Characters Still in Need of Decent Aliases
The Honourable Miss Carteret. Mr & Mrs Musgrove. Henrietta Musgrove. Nurse Rooke. Mrs Smith. Won't you please assist us in finding appropriate aliases for these characters? Thanks ever so much!
P2 Minutiae
When do you know that you have seen P2 too many times? Never! You can never see P2 too many times, just as you can never read 'Persuasion' too many times. However, if you have noticed any of the following, you may have seen P2 enough times to qualify as a P'head/P-head:
Anne's outerwear change from the pink pelisse to the blue spencer The lady in the blue pelisse who seems to be "stalking" Anne in Molland's, then in the Pump Room, and later on Milsom Street (circus scene). How low-budget a film this was b/c of the other extras who are used numerous times (such as the rowers in the opening scene are later seen as sailors on the ship, peasants at Kellynch, tradesmen at Kellynch, Bath denizens, circus performers, etc) How low-budget a film this was b/c they had to use scenes from The Bounty in both the opening sequence and later in the long shots during the closing sequence. You notice the pig portraiture behind Frederick's head during the Uppercross dinner party scene.
"Irish, I dare say."
P2:From Pink Pelisse to Blue Spencer - Continuity mistake or Editing mishap??
Well, most P'heads/P-heads believe that this is a mistake in continuity. The proof that it is a continuity mistake and not an editing mishap can be found in the P2 screenplay by Nick Dear. In this very worthy tome, you find that the day before the card party, Anne is at the White Hart visiting the Musgroves when Charles walks in (with Captains Wentworth and Harville). Charles announces that he has purchased tickets for the theatre tomorrow night (the same nite as the Elliot card party). The next day, we have Anne and Lady Russell in the Pump Room discussing WWE. That same morning we have the "Commission from my Admiral" scene, then later we have Anne at Westgate Buildings visiting Mrs Smith (Anne enters in a pink pelisse) and they have a revealing discussion about WWE as well. Anne leaves Westgate Buildings in a blue spencer the very same morning. Then Anne is off to the White Hart for a promised visit with Henrietta. This is the famous "The Letter" scene. There was no other scene planned here, so it was a continuity mistake!
Well, actually, there are a few glaring errors:
The Laconia is described as a 74 gun frigate, second-class. There was no way a frigate would have 74 guns; usually they had between 22 and 36 guns. Also they were rated fifth- and sixth-class ships, not a second rate (which would have been a big ship of the line and WOULD probably have had 74 guns). The pink pelisse/blue spencer mistake. The Kiss - now, we all love The Kiss; but kissing in public was simply not done in Regency times (naughty Freddy and Anne!). 'Persuasion' and 'The Wizard of Oz' - more than Flying Monkeys in common
Check out The Great Persuasion Deathmatch
Anne: Dorothy Frederick: Home (of course, there's no man like Freddy, there's no man like Freddy) Charles Musgrove: Toto Sir Walter: The Scarecrow (if I only had a brain) Mr Elliot: The Tin Man (if I only had a heart) Capt. Benwick: The Cowardly Lion (if I only had the nerve...I might have had Anne rather than Leapin' Louisa!) Elizabeth Elliot: The Wicked Witch of the West Lady Russell: Glinda the Good Witch Sophy Croft: Auntie Em Admiral Croft: The Wizard of Oz Mary Musgrove: the Ruby Red Slippers or the Bucket of Water or the Enchanted Tree Louisa Musgrove: The Wicked Witch of the East (her "spirit" dies after her fall in Lyme) Mrs Clay: a Flying Monkey the rest of the Musgroves, Mrs Smith, Nurse Rooke: Munchkins
The Cancelled Chapters and the 'Commission from my Admiral' Scene
Jane Austen initially wrote a different ending to Persuasion (without The Letter), and it's referred to as the Cancelled Chapters.
Nick Dear (screenwriter of P2) seamlessly wove in the Cancelled Chapters into P2 via the second Pump Room scene (aka-the "Commission from my Admiral" scene) as an added bonus to P2 (as if it needed another one!).
Of P'heads/P-heads & Pheads/Feds....
Here's some more examples of this strange phenonmenon in 'Persuasion':
Frederick/Phrederick/Phreddy the Crofts/Crophts the Harvilles/Harphilles the Musgroves/Musgrophes.