NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE: A LOVE STORY {PART 2 OF 3} (TV)

Summary

The second installment in this three-part miniseries depicting the tempestuous love affair between Napoleon Bonaparte and his first wife Josephine de Beauharnais. In this episode, having started an affair, Captain Charles declares his love for Josephine, though she seems doubtful. She is surprised to learn that not only Joseph but Charles himself is accompanying her to Italy, having signed up for combat duty to impress her. On the battlefield, Napoleon hears rumors that the soldiers resent being made to fight extra-fiercely to protect Josephine, though one soldier, DuPont, steadfastly defends their "lady of victories." Josephine and Napoleon are finally reunited in Italy, and Napoleon is devastated at the "loss" of their non-existent child and apologizes for his many desperate letters, saying that he is driven mad without her. He then readies his men to fight the Austrians, while Josephine receives a letter from Charles, observed by her maid Louise. She secretly meets up with him in Verona and he again declares his ardor for her, but she protests that she merely "took advantage" of him in a weak moment.

Later, Josephine and her party are attacked by enemy soldiers, and a Corporal Marchand helps her escape to safety. Napoleon hears that she has vanished and worries that she was captured by Austrians, but he soon finds her and comforts her when Marchand is killed while defending her. Moved by his kindness to her, she declares that she is in love with him after all and feels "safe" in his presence. Napoleon chastises his sister Pauline for her flirtatious behavior with the officers, but she counters that he himself has made a shameful marriage with Josephine. Josephine is then shocked to learn that Napoleon intends to have Charles executed for shirking his duties, and he demands the truth about their affair. She swears that she did not truly love him, but Napoleon remains enraged and she threatens to leave him. He then suffers a seizure, however, and begs her to keep his "curse of Caesar" a secret. Humbled, he calls off Charles' execution at the last moment, admitting that he is "obsessed" with Josephine. Elsewhere, DuPont meets a new soldier, Roland, a bloodthirsty former thief hiding from his past in the army, and rechristens him "Marchand." Pauline is married on Napoleon's orders and Josephine attempts to make nice with Letizia at the wedding, though Letizia makes her dislike of her daughter-in-law plain.

Napoleon returns victoriously to Paris, and Barras and Talleyrand fret that his ambitions are too great. At a party, Talleyrand urges Josephine to curb her husband's lofty plans, but Napoleon tells Barras that he next intends to follow in Alexander the Great's footsteps and mount a campaign in Egypt with Josephine by his side. Elsewhere, Lord Nelson hears of Napoleon's plans and marvels at his hubris, deciding that he must be stopped from invading British territory. Junot warns Napoleon against the trip, explaining that the British Navy is waiting for them, and Napoleon realizes that he must have a spy in his ranks. Despite this, he sets out for Egypt but leaves Josephine at home, and she soon suffers an accident which she worries will further endanger her chance of bearing another child. Napoleon readies his troops to battle the Turkish empire, though they first encounter Nelson and his men, and after the battle Nelson observes that he is now stranded on land and must live off the Egyptians' "hospitality." Charles visits Josephine and warns her that Napoleon's enemies intend to slander her in order to discredit him, saying that she is involved with Bodin, a war profiteer.

Josephine then finds that Louise is a spy and throws her from the house, and she quickly reports back to Talleyrand, who happily tells Barras about Josephine's shady business deals and ongoing affair. Knowing that a divorce will ruin his public image, they scheme to have Napoleon made aware of the news at once. Napoleon battles the Egyptians and takes thousands of prisoners, but he realizes that he cannot feed nor kill them all and releases them on the condition that they vow to never again fight him. Junot then brings him the news of Josephine's misdeeds, and he immediately writes to his brother to begin divorce proceedings, ignoring Eugene's pleas. Nelson intercepts the letters and has them published in the press, and Josephine laments to Talleyrand and Barras that she will be ruined and penniless if Napoleon divorces her. They then surprise her with a check from Bodin, however, urging her to "trust them." Convinced that his men are laughing at him, Napoleon is enraged to find that his former prisoners have broken their oath and returned to fight him again, and he orders Junot to kill them after all. Junot turns the grim order over to Roland, who forces the prisoners into the sea at bayonet point, though one soldier drags Roland into a watery grave as well and Villeforte becomes the new "Marchand."

An embittered Napoleon decides to take a mistress and soon sets his sights on Jeannette Foures, a newlywed whose husband sneaked her into the camp by disguising her as a private. Foreign newspapers print more stories condemning Josephine, though Napoleon is pleased to hear of "pro-Bonaparte" sentiments in Paris. Josephine and Hortense attend a dinner at Talleyrand's home and realize that Napoleon is soon to return, and when he arrives in France, he is greeted warmly by the people. Josephine, still in love with him, attempts to meet him as he enters Paris, but her carriage breaks down and when he arrives home to find her gone, he is convinced that she has run off with Charles and angrily demands all of her belongings removed from the house. Includes commercials and promos. Also includes an "ABC News Brief" hosted by Ted Koppel and an "ABC Olympic Diary" narrated by Jim McKay.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: November 11, 1987 10:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:58:19
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:12005
• GENRE: Drama, historical
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Romance; Miniseries
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1987
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - Actifed cold medication
  • TV - Commercials - Alcon Opti-Zyme contact lens cleaner
  • TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers cheese
  • TV - Commercials - American Savings banks
  • TV - Commercials - Anacin painkillers
  • TV - Commercials - Audi automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Blue Diamond almonds
  • TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Clusters cereal
  • TV - Commercials - Contac cold medication
  • TV - Commercials - Dove moisturizing soap
  • TV - Commercials - Edward Lowe cat litter
  • TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Gallo wines
  • TV - Commercials - Gold Information Center
  • TV - Commercials - Hefty trash bags
  • TV - Commercials - Kodak cameras
  • TV - Commercials - Kraft Chicken Applause! dinners
  • TV - Commercials - Lady Stetson fragrance
  • TV - Commercials - Lucky stores
  • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Miss Clairol hair coloring
  • TV - Commercials - No Nonsense Sheer & Silky pantyhose
  • TV - Commercials - Pam cooking spray
  • TV - Commercials - Philadelphia Light cream cheese
  • TV - Commercials - Ragu spaghetti sauce
  • TV - Commercials - Revlon Super-Lustrous lipstick
  • TV - Commercials - Sara Lee muffins
  • TV - Commercials - Security Pacific banks
  • TV - Commercials - Sinus Execedrin painkillers
  • TV - Commercials - Snickers candy bars
  • TV - Commercials - The Equitable life insurance
  • TV - Commercials - Tone skin care bar
  • TV - Commercials - Toyota automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Vaseline Lip Therapy balm
  • TV - Commercials - Woolite fabric wash
  • TV - Promos - "20/20"
  • TV - Promos - "Dolly"
  • TV - Promos - "Dynasty"
  • TV - Promos - "Full House"
  • TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
  • TV - Promos - "Hooperman"
  • TV - Promos - "I Married Dora"
  • TV - Promos - "Mr. Belvedere"
  • TV - Promos - "Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story" upcoming episode
  • TV - Promos - "Sledge Hammer!"
  • TV - Promos - "Spenser: For Hire"
  • TV - Promos - "The Charmings"
  • TV - Promos - "The Pursuit of Happiness"
  • TV - Promos - "The Slap Maxwell Story"
  • TV - Promos - ABC Eyewitness News

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
• Leigh Taylor-Young … Cast, Madame de Stael
• Jean-Pierre Stewart … Cast, Paul François Jean Nicolas, Vicomte de Barras
• John Vickery … Cast, Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
• Ione Skye … Cast, Pauline Bonaparte
• Anthony Perkins … Cast, Charles Talleyrand
• Patrice Le Bazadet … Cast, Captain Foures
• Philip Bowen … Cast, Hardy
• Paul Brooke … Cast, Junot
• Jeremy Brudenell … Cast, Louis
• Sophie Carle … Cast, Claudine
• Simon Chandler … Cast, LeClerc
• James Coombes … Cast, Roland / Marchand
• Sally Davis … Cast, Hortense (as a child)
• Jean Claude Deret … Cast, Italian Cardinal
• William Doherty … Cast, Doctor
• Natalie Forbes … Cast, Yvonne Grande
• Steve Gadler … Cast, Squad Officer
• Paul Geoffrey … Cast, Murat
• Jerry di Giacomo … Cast, Soldier
• Julie Graham … Cast, Caroline
• Jane Gurnett … Cast, Eliza
• Emma Harbour … Cast, Hortense (as an adult)
• Nolan Hemmings … Cast, Eugene (as a child)
• Paul Herzberg … Cast, Marchand
• Dominique Hulin … Cast, Mameluke Giant
• Dominic Jephcott … Cast, Villeforte
• Pascale Kalensky … Cast, Louise
• Jeffrey Kine … Cast, Dragoon Captain
• Stephen Schwartz … Cast, Eugene (as an adult)
• Valerie Steffen … Cast, Jeannette Foures
• Mostefa Stiti … Cast, Egyptian Officer
• For "ABC News Brief":
• Ted Koppel … Anchor
• For "ABC Olympic Diary":
• Jim McKay … Narrator