''A Hazard of Hearts'' is a 1987 made-for-television

romantic drama Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

film starring

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award a ...

in one of her first major roles. It is based on a 1949 novel by

Barbara Cartland Dame Mary Barbara Hamilton Cartland, (9 July 1901 – 21 May 2000) published as Barbara Cartland was an English writer, known as the Queen of Romance, who published both contemporary and historical romance novels, the latter set primarily duri ...

Plot

Sir Giles Staverley, a compulsive gambler, is tricked into gambling away his home by his old adversary Lord Harry Wrotham. As Staverley is distraught and desperate, Wrotham gives him one last chance - he will gamble everything Staverley has lost against Staverley's daughter's hand in marriage and her trust fund of 80,000 guineas. Staverley agrees and loses once again. Unable to face his daughter, Serena, Staverley kills himself. Lord Justin Vulcan, a notoriously cool, clear-headed gambler, challenges Wrotham for the house and the girl. Much to Wrotham's disgust, Vulcan wins. Justin now finds himself in possession of the house and Serena, but has no idea of what to do with them. After meeting Serena and realising that she is much younger and more attractive than he had imagined, he installs her as a guest at Mandrake, his family home. This decision is made despite the opposition of Justin's mother, Lady Harriet Vulcan. As Lady Vulcan attempts to marry Serena off to anyone except her son, Serena and Justin become friends and he teaches her about Mandrake, the home he loves. A crisis forces Serena and Justin to confront their feelings for each other. Can the course of true love run smoothly for them?

Cast

- Serena Staverley * Marcus Gilbert - Lord Justin Vulcan * Edward Fox - Lord Harry Wrotham *

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 193810 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series '' The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in ''On H ...

- Lady Harriet Vulcan, Justin's mother *

Christopher Plummer Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer (December 13, 1929 – February 5, 2021) was a Canadian actor. His career spanned seven decades, gaining him recognition for his performances in film, stage, and television. He received multiple accolades, inc ...

- Sir Giles Staverley, Serena's father *

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

- Old Lord Vulcan, Justin's father *

Fiona Fullerton Fiona Elizabeth Fullerton (born 10 October 1956) is a British actress and singer, known for her role as Alice in the 1972 film ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and as Bond girl KGB spy Pola Ivanova in the 1985 James Bond film ''A View to a ...

... Lady Isabel Gillingham *

Neil Dickson Neil Dickson (born November 26, 1950) is an English actor, who has worked extensively in both American and British film and television. Biography At the age of five, Dickson contracted poliomyelitis, but he was fortunate enough to make a comp ...

... Nicholas *

Anna Massey Anna Raymond Massey (11 August 19373 July 2011) was an English actress. She won a BAFTA Award for the role of Edith Hope in the 1986 TV adaptation of Anita Brookner's novel ''Hotel du Lac'', a role that one of her co-stars, Julia McKenzie, h ...

... Eudora, Serena's Maid *

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Aw ...

... Lady Harriet's Maid *

Gareth Hunt Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1942 – 14 March 2007), known as Gareth Hunt, was a British actor best remembered for playing footman Frederick Norton in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and Mike Gambit in '' The New Avengers''. Early life Alan Leon ...

... Joker, a highwayman *

Robert Addie Robert Alastair Addie (10 February 1960 – 20 November 2003) was an English film and theatre actor, who came to prominence playing the role of Sir Guy of Gisbourne in the 1980s British television drama series ''Robin of Sherwood''. Early life ...

... Lord Peter Gillingham *

James Gaddas James Gaddas (born 17 June 1960) is an English actor best known for his roles in ''Coronation Street'', '' Bad Girls'', '' Doctors'', ''Emmerdale'' and ''Hollyoaks''. Career Gaddas played Eddie Ainsworth in the tenth episode of the seventh seri ...

... Lord John Burley *

Christopher Villiers Christopher Francis Villiers (born 7 September 1960) is an English actor, screenwriter and producer. Biography Villiers was born in London, the son of Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Wing commander David Hugh Villiers (1921–1962) and his s ...

... Captain Jackson

Production

The novel was published in 1949."Recent fiction"
(9 April 1949). ''The Irish Times'' "This was my first costume book," Cartland said, "so I put in everything - highwaymen, jewels, the kitchen stove."Mills, Nancy (4 September 1987)
"BARBARA CARTLAND NOVEL BECOMES FILM"
''Los Angeles Times'' It was intended to be the first in a series of Cartland adaptations by producer Albert Fennell for

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. He had optioned the novels ten years earlier and tried unsuccessfully to get finance. His option lapsed and producer Ed Friendly made ''

The Flame is Love ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' for NBC, which Cartland did not enjoy ("it was frightfully badly cast"). She was involved in ''A Hazard of Hearts'' from the beginning.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hazard Of Hearts, A 1987 films 1987 romantic drama films 1987 television films Films based on British novels British romantic drama films Gainsborough Pictures films Films shot at Pinewood Studios Television series produced at Pinewood Studios Films directed by John Hough Films scored by Laurie Johnson Films with screenplays by Terence Feely Films about gambling 1980s British films British drama television films