MASTERPIECE THEATRE: THE GOOD SOLDIER (TV)
Summary
One in this ongoing series of dramas presented under the title "Masterpiece Theatre." Hosted by Alistair Cooke, this adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's complex novel "Good Soldier" uses flashbacks to tell the story of the bizarre nine-year relationship between two couples. During the summer of 1904, Americans John and Florence Dowell meet Britons Edward and Leonora Ashburnham at Nauheim, a German watering hole. The two couples have much in common since Edward and Florence are both at Nauheim as a result of bad heart conditions, and the Ashburnhams live in the ancestral home of Florence's family. Although the Ashburnhams appear to be the perfect couple, in private they are constantly at odds, due to the fact that Edward has brought them to the brink of financial ruin with his various extramarital affairs. In fact, his entanglement with their fellow traveling companion, Maisie Maidan, results in disaster. When Maisie learns of Edward's indifference to her, she suffers a heart attack due to shock and stress. Edward and Florence begin to have an affair during the couples's first season together. Leonora is aware of the situation, which John is oblivious to. In time, Leonora's niece, Nancy, joins the group in their yearly sojourns to Nauheim. Edward soon falls deeply in love with Nancy, but the difference in their ages and the fact that she is related to his wife prevent him from acting on his feelings. One evening, Florence realizes that Edward feels nothing for her when she discovers Edward and Nancy together, and she kills herself in despair. John, having lost affection for his wife long ago, quickly decides that he wants to marry Nancy as soon as she is old enough. When Leonora tells Nancy of this suggested arrangement, Nancy tells her that she would rather marry someone like her Uncle Edward, which throws Leonora into a fit and an eventual nervous breakdown. To put an end to Nancy's adoration of Edward, Leonora reveals his many past affairs, causing Nancy to leave the group and join her father in Ceylon. Edward tries to convince himself that he never really cared for Nancy, but he fails, leading to tragic results which impact both Nancy and John.
(This program contains minor technical problems. This represents the best copy of this program currently available to the Museum.)
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1999.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: January 9, 1983 Wednesday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:07968
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Marriage - Drama
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1971-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Eckersley … Producer
- Kevin Billington … Director
- John McCabe … Music by
- Ford Madox Ford … Based on the novel by
- Julian Mitchell … Adapted by
- Alistair Cooke … Host
- Robin Ellis … Cast, John Dowell
- Vickery Turner … Cast, Florence Dowell
- Jeremy Brett … Cast, Edward Ashburnham
- Susan Fleetwood … Cast, Leonora Ashburnham
- Elizabeth Garvie … Cast, Nancy
- Pauline Moran … Cast, Maisie Maidan
- John Ratzenberger … Cast, Jimmy
- Geoffrey Chater … Cast, Bagshave
- Roger Hammond … Cast, the Grand Duke
- John Grillo … Cast, Herr Schwartz
- Alan Downer … Cast, the Chief of Police
- Waldemar Ruhl … Cast, the Head Waiter
- Kenneth Midwood … Cast, the Doctor
- William Merrow … Cast, the Custodian