NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE: A LOVE STORY {PART 1 OF 3} (TV)
Summary
The first installment in this three-part miniseries depicting the tempestuous love affair between Napoleon Bonaparte and his first wife Josephine de Beauharnais. The story begins during the French Revolution, where an unamused Napoleon observes the execution of several aristocrats. The newly-widowed Josephine waits in a jail cell with her two children, Eugene and Hortense, shocked to learn that she too is to die on the following day. Napoleon and his fellow soldier Barras are summoned before Robespierre and Napoleon bluntly refuses to assist in putting down an uprising. Barras is shocked, but Napoleon states that Robespierre is no longer "stable," and he himself is then arrested. Josephine pleads with a guard, Bourrienne, offering sexual favors in exchange for his assistance, and she talks with her friend Therese, who is also imprisoned, about her unsatisfactory husband, vowing never again to fall in love. Barras then has Robespierre arrested and takes over the government himself, and Josephine is deeply relieved to hear that the executions have ceased. Napoleon too is freed from prison, learning that Barras wants him to lead his army against any future Royalist plots.
Therese introduces Barras and Josephine, hinting that her friend is desperate and newly single, and Barras offers Josephine his house and "a certain measure of companionship." Needing a home for her children, Josephine accepts, and Napoleon quickly achieves victory in Barras' name. Barras happily declares that he will be made a general, but Napoleon is entranced by the sight of Josephine, though he is too nervous to speak to her. In Corsica, Napoleon's mother Letizia and many siblings read of his successes, though Louis is jealous that Napoleon has asked for his eldest brother Joseph only. Napoleon meets Eugene when he comes to formally surrender his father's sword and, impressed with his boldness, Napoleon allows the boy to keep it. He is then greatly flustered by a visit from Josephine, who tells him that she does not want her son to become a soldier, and he abruptly declares his love for her. She is shocked to find that he has "made a study of her" and knows many intimate details about her life, and she leaves, offended. Later, at a party, diplomat Charles Talleyrand attempts to discuss business with Napoleon, though he is quickly dismissed as a war profiteer. Barras urges Josephine to reconsider Napoleon, and she is charmed when she spots him dancing with Hortense. She dances with him herself and they flirt, though she still seems less than convinced.
Joseph prepares to leave for France, though Letizia remains worried about Napoleon's encounters with French women. When he arrives, Napoleon happily informs his brother that he is soon to be married, though the bride does not yet know it. Therese encourages Josephine to become intimate with Napoleon, though Josephine admits that she is somewhat alarmed by his passion. Napoleon explains to Eugene about his plans to turn many other European countries into sovereign states, and Josephine reaches a decision and invites him to stay for dinner. They finally kiss, but he suddenly proposes and she refuses, saying that she dislikes the "unconditional surrender" of marriage and prefers to be a mistress. His brother Lucien strongly opposes the match, as Josephine is older and an aristocrat, and Napoleon reacts with such anger that he suffers a seizure. Learning that she has rejected his proposal, Barras points out the various financial advantages of marriage, suggesting that they are more important than her "honor," and Josephine reconsiders. The two are married in a speedy ceremony and immediately head off for a honeymoon, as Napoleon is set to leave for Italy within days.
Letizia is outraged to hear of her son's marriage to a "viper" and sends her daughter Pauline off to France to intervene. Napoleon departs for Italy and Barras attempts to rekindle his former affair with Josephine, though she rejects him. Napoleon enjoys several victories after crossing the Alps and writes many letters to Josephine, though she does not reply and explains to Therese that her limited literacy makes it difficult to keep up with him. Growing desperate, Napoleon declares that she must join him in Italy, which he decrees is now safe because of his battles, and Josephine is shocked when citizens cheer for her outside of their home and experiences flashbacks to the angry mobs of the Revolution. Barras and Talleyrand discuss Napoleon's strong desire for Josephine to join him, and they decide to tell him that she is pregnant and cannot make the journey. Josephine is angered to hear of the lie from Therese, feeling that it was not Barras' place to make such a claim. Later, peace is declared and Talleyrand, wanting to keep Napoleon in Italy and away from Paris, tells Barras that they must somehow "undo" the lie. At the same time, Josephine talks with Captain Charles, moved when he admits that he is fearful of battle and dislikes being a soldier.
Barras calls Josephine out on her flirtatious behavior, though she counters that he also crossed a line in lying about her pregnancy. She is furious when he commands her to have a "miscarriage" in order to prevent Napoleon returning to France, and Charles comforts her as she laments that she feels like little more than a pawn in the men's games. The two eventually kiss and are spotted by Barras. In Italy, Napoleon despairs that Josephine has surely died or taken a lover, sure that she has never truly loved him. includes commercials and promos. Also includes an "ABC News Brief" hosted by Brit Hume and an "ABC Olympic Diary" narrated by Jim McKay.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 10, 1987 9:03 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 3:54:31
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:12003
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Romance; Miniseries
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1987
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - AVON beauty products
- TV - Commercials - Advil painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Air France airlines
- TV - Commercials - Amana appliances
- TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers Cheese
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Chysler automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Colgate mouthwash
- TV - Commercials - Dove moisturizing soap
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Gold Information Center
- TV - Commercials - Ivory soap
- TV - Commercials - Jhirmack hair care products
- TV - Commercials - Kellogg's Müeslix cereal
- TV - Commercials - Kodak film
- TV - Commercials - Kraft Chicken Applause! dinners
- TV - Commercials - Kudos granola bars
- TV - Commercials - Nabisco crackers
- TV - Commercials - Nabisco fudge-covered Oreo cookies
- TV - Commercials - No Nonsense Sheer & Silky pantyhose
- TV - Commercials - Nuprin painkillers
- TV - Commercials - Pam cooking spray
- TV - Commercials - Pantene hair care products
- TV - Commercials - Pond's cold cream
- TV - Commercials - Revlon Super-Lustrous lipstick
- TV - Commercials - Shedds Spread Country Crock butter
- TV - Commercials - Sunmaid raisins
- TV - Commercials - Vaseline Intensive Care lotion
- TV - Commercials - VideoSmarts VCR games
- TV - Promos - "ABC's Olympic Diary"
- TV - Promos - "ABC World News Tonight"
- TV - Promos - "Dolly"
- TV - Promos - "Head of the Class"
- TV - Promos - "Hotel"
- TV - Promos - "Moonlighting"
- TV - Promos - "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story" upcoming episode
- TV - Promos - "Ohara"
- TV - Promos - "Perfect Strangers"
- TV - Promos - "Sable"
- TV - Promos - "Sledge Hammer!"
- TV - Promos - "Spenser: For Hire"
- TV - Promos - "The Charmings"
- TV - Promos - "thirtysomething"
CREDITS
- David L. Wolper … Executive Producer
- Bernard Sofronski … Executive Producer
- Alfred R. Kelman … Producer
- Suzanne Wiesenfeld … Co-Producer
- Richard T. Heffron … Director
- James Lee … Writer
- Gerald Fried … Music by
- Bill Conti … Theme Music by
- Jean Guelis … Choreographer
- Armand Assante … Cast, Napoleon Bonaparte
- Jacqueline Bisset … Cast, Josephine de Beauharnais
- Stephanie Beacham … Cast, Therese Tallien
- Anthony Higgins … Cast, Joseph Bonaparte
- Patrick Cassidy … Cast, Capt. Hippolyte Charles
- Nickolas Grace … Cast, Lord Nelson
- Jane Lapotaire … Cast, Letizia Bonaparte
- William Lucking … Cast, Sgt. Dupont
- Jean-Pierre Stewart … Cast, Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras
- John Vickery … Cast, Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
- Leigh Taylor-Young … Cast, Madame de Stael
- Ione Skye … Cast, Pauline Bonaparte
- Anthony Perkins … Cast, Talleyrand
- Geoffrey Beavers … Cast, Bussiere
- Colin Bruce … Cast, Lucien Bonaparte
- Jeremy Brudenwell … Cast, Louis
- Paul Brooke … Cast, Junot
- Nicholas Calderbank … Cast, Guard's Officer
- Simon Chandler … Cast, LeClerc
- Jacques Ciron … Cast, Valois
- Sally Davis … Cast, Hortense (as a child)
- Paul Geoffrey … Cast, Murat
- Julie Graham … Cast, Caroline
- Gilles Guelblum … Cast, Soldier Tuileries
- Jane Gurnett … Cast, Eliza
- Nolan Hemmings … Cast, Eugene (as a child)
- Paul Herzberg … Cast, Marchand
- Frank Hochuli … Cast, Corporal Clerk
- Marc de Jonge … Cast, Robespierre
- Pascale Kalensky … Cast, Louise
- Jean-Marc Menuge … Cast, Robert
- Joe Sheridan … Cast, Prefect
- Bill Stewart … Cast, Varrange
- For "ABC News Brief":
- Brit Hume … Anchor
- For "ABC Olympic Diary":
- Jim McKay … Narrator