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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A VICTORIAN SUPERSTAR..., 15 Dec 2002
This thirteen part Masterpiece Theatre series, which first aired in 1979, is certainly worth watching as it is quite entertaining and well done. Detailing the life and loves of the notorious Lillie Langtry, the Victorian era superstar, it gives the viewer a taste of an era gone by. Well acted by a stellar cast, the production suffers only from the unfortunate lighting used in the nineteen seventies, giving the sets and actors a somewhat washed out and flat appearance. That being said, it is still a series well worth watching.Born on the British isle of Jersey to a womanizing clergyman and his wife, Lillie grew up as a tomboy with a rare beauty. At an early age, she married Edward Langtry, a purportedly wealthy yachtsman from a shipping family, who took her to live in Southampton. There, she found life not to her liking. She soon discovered that her husband had sold her a bill of goods, as his wealth had long been spent. After a bout with a serious illness, she contrived a move to London, where she was exposed to a taste of high society. After a false start, she got noticed by the local swells and became a renowned beauty, sought after by all. Now, a fashionable society woman, she found herself with her name on everyone's lips. Lillie eventually came to the attention of the married Prince of Wales and became his mistress. Trapped in her loveless marriage with the hapless and alcoholic Edward Langtry, Lillie went on to have numerous love affairs with some of the most socially prominent and wealthy men of her day and eventually had a love child. Courted by all, her beauty and need for money brought her to the stage, where she became an actress with her own company. Her fame by now had spanned the ocean and made her a celebrity in America, as well as in Europe. Lillie certainly knew the value of marketing, as she endorsed numerous products with her name. A woman ahead of her time, who marched to the beat of her own drum, she still went to great pains to avoid scandal, though it was never far from her doorstep. Alas, in the end, her fame and beauty decimated by age, her lovers dead or gone, Lillie, no longer the toast of two continents, ended up nothing more than a lonely old lady. The cast for this production is stellar and the costumes are first rate. Francesca Annis is beautiful and certainly gives a good performance as the notorious Lillie. Though her performance is acclaimed, however, one cannot help wondering why such a fuss was ever made over Lillie, as she comes across as supremely shallow and vapid. Perhaps, it is because Ms. Annis' portrayal of Lillie is somewhat one dimensional and rather flat. Peter Egan, on the other hand, is ssuperb as Oscar Wilde and, as far as I am concerned, steals the show. Filled with much social intrigue and witty repartee, the series will keep the viewer riveted to the screen. Those who like period pieces and historical dramas will most certainly enjoy this one.
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