Ellis Island (miniseries)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Ellis Island'' is a television
miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...
, broadcast in three parts in 1984 on the
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 Entertainmen ...
television network. The screenplay was co-written by
Fred Mustard Stewart Fred Mustard Stewart (September 17, 1932, Anderson, Indiana – February 7, 2007, New York City) was an American novelist. His most popular books were ''The Mephisto Waltz'' (1969), adapted for the 1971 film of the same name starring Alan Alda ...
, adapted from his 1983 novel of the same title. The series tells the story of four immigrants to America, played by
Peter Riegert Peter Riegert (born April 11, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in ''Animal House'' (1978), oil company executive "Mac" MacIntyre in '' Local Hero'' (1983), pickle store owner Sam Posner in '' ...
as a Russian Jew,
Gregory Paul Martin Gregory Paul Martin (born 21 January 1957) is a British writer/producer and actor of stage, film and television. He is the eldest son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin and the half-brother of the music producer Giles Martin. Early life an ...
as a working-class Italian, and
Alice Krige Alice Maud Krige (; born 28 June 1954) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She played the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley i ...
and
Judi Bowker Judi Bowker (born 6 April 1954) is an English film and television actress. Biography Bowker was born in Shawford, Hampshire, England, the daughter of Alfred J. Bowker and Ann Fairweather, who had married in 1947. The family moved to the Britis ...
as two Irish sisters. It starts in 1907 as they manage to leave Europe and travel by boat to
Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mi ...
, hoping for a better life, and follows their individual struggles, hopes, and successes through the end of 1916, as they try to achieve the American Dream. ''Ellis Island'' highlights a number of historic events in Europe and the U.S. throughout the time period, and some of the characters involved are based on real persons, such as
Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...
. The series was the final screen appearance of
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...
.Review Summary
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''.
It was dedicated to his memory, and the cast includes his daughter Kate Burton as his character's daughter.
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden ...
won a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
award for her role in the miniseries, and
Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a To ...
was nominated for his role.IMDb - 1985 Golden Globe Awards
/ref> Originally seven hours long and telecast in three parts on three consecutive nights in November 1984, ''Ellis Island'' was shortened to six hours and re-telecast in three parts in the summer of 1986, to celebrate the Statue of Liberty Centennial. The miniseries features six Irving Berlin–style songs, composed by
John Addison John Mervyn Addison (16 March 19207 December 1998) was a British composer best known for his film scores. Early life Addison was born in Chobham, Surrey to a father who was a colonel in the Royal Field Artillery, and this influenced the de ...
, with lyrics by Douglas Brayfield and Fred Mustard Stewart.


Cast

*
Peter Riegert Peter Riegert (born April 11, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in ''Animal House'' (1978), oil company executive "Mac" MacIntyre in '' Local Hero'' (1983), pickle store owner Sam Posner in '' ...
as Jacob Rubinstein / Jake Rubin, a Russian Jew *
Gregory Paul Martin Gregory Paul Martin (born 21 January 1957) is a British writer/producer and actor of stage, film and television. He is the eldest son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin and the half-brother of the music producer Giles Martin. Early life an ...
as Marco Santorelli, a working-class Italian *
Alice Krige Alice Maud Krige (; born 28 June 1954) is a South African actress and producer. Her first feature film role was in ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981) as the Gilbert and Sullivan singer Sybil Gordon. She played the dual role of Eva Galli/Alma Mobley i ...
as Bridget O'Donnell, an Irish chambermaid who secretly supports Irish independence from England *
Judi Bowker Judi Bowker (born 6 April 1954) is an English film and television actress. Biography Bowker was born in Shawford, Hampshire, England, the daughter of Alfred J. Bowker and Ann Fairweather, who had married in 1947. The family moved to the Britis ...
as Georgiana "Georgie" O'Donnell, Bridget's gentle, beautiful sister *
Milo O'Shea Milo Donal O'Shea (2 June 1926 – 2 April 2013) was an Irish people, Irish actor. He was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in ''Staircase (play), Staircase'' (1968) and ''Mass Appeal (play), Mass A ...
as Casey O'Donnell, an influential Irish-American who owns a delivery company *
Lila Kaye Lila Kaye (7 November 1929 – 10 January 2012) was an English actress. She spent a number of years working in the United States, on Broadway and in television, before returning to England. Born in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, sh ...
as Kate O'Donnell, Casey's wife *
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden ...
as Maud Charteris, a famous American actress *
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...
as Senator Phipps Ogden, a wealthy aging widower * Kate Burton as Vanessa Ogden, Ogden's socialist-leaning daughter who is an amateur sculptor and artist *
Ann Jillian Ann Jillian (born Ann Jura Nauseda; January 29, 1950) is a retired American actress and singer whose career began as a child actress in 1960. She is best known for her role as the sultry Cassie Cranston on the 1980s sitcom ''It's a Living''. Ea ...
as Nellie Byfield, an ambitious solo singer who performs in a gentlemen's club *
Stubby Kaye Bernard Solomon Kotzin (November 11, 1918 – December 14, 1997), known as Stubby Kaye, was an American actor, comedian, vaudevillian, and singer, known for his appearances on Broadway and in film musicals. Kaye originated the roles of Nicely-Ni ...
as Abe Shulman, a music publisher *
Cherie Lunghi Cherie Mary Lunghi (born 4 April 1952) is an English film, television, and theatre actress, known for her roles in many British TV dramas. Her international fame stems from her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film ''Excalibur''. Her long list of ...
as Una Marbury, an eccentric and rebellious art gallery owner *
Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a To ...
as Roscoe Haines, a black American pianist *
Melba Moore Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba Smith (sources differ) (born October 29, 1945), known by her stage name Melba Moore, is an American singer and actress. Biography Early life and education Moore was born Beatrice Melba Hill or Beatrice Melba ...
as Flora Mitchum, a black American club singer *
Emma Samms Emma Elizabeth Wylie Samuelson MBE known professionally as Emma Samms, (born 28 August 1960) is an English actress and TV host, known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' and as the second actress ...
as Violet Weiler, a ballet teacher who teaches young girls *
Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles in plays such as ''A Streetcar Named Desire,'' ''A Doll's House'', and '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', and has starred in nearly sixty film ...
as Rebecca Weiler, Violet's well-to-do mother *
Joan Greenwood Joan Mary Waller Greenwood (4 March 1921 – 28 February 1987) was an English actress. Her husky voice, coupled with her slow, precise elocution, was her trademark. She played Sibella in the 1949 film ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'', and also app ...
as Madame Levitska, a retired Russian ballerina and the owner of the ballet school Violet teaches at * Michael Byrne as Dr. Carl Travers, a dedicated physician at the Ellis Island U.S. Immigration service *
Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...
as Kevin Murray, an Irish
Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...
who opposes English rule


Plot


Part 1

1907, Russia: Jacob Rubinstein is the son of a rabbi. His father is killed and his village burned during a
pogrom A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russia ...
; Jacob is shot in the leg, and he manages to unhorse a cossack, grab his gun and kill him, and use his horse to flee. In Italy, Marco Santorelli is the handsome gardener for Maud Charteris, a famous American actress. She helps him learn English to advance himself, but also in an attempt to seduce him. She leaves for London to perform in a new play, and Marco declines to accompany her. He tells his family he has decided to move to America. At the
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
docks trying to flee Europe, Jacob lacks the full fare to New York. He passes a dance hall and hears ragtime music being played by black American pianist Roscoe Haines, who allows Jacob to attempt to imitate him, which he does well from his classical training. Roscoe passes a hat to raise Jacob's boat fare, and tells him to look up Abe Shulman's music publishing company in New York for a job. In Ireland, chambermaid Bridget O'Donnell is sleeping with the young English Earl of Wexford in his palatial estate. She persuades him to take a night stroll, and Kevin Murray, her compatriot
Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...
, kidnaps him. Kevin sends her off to America to avoid arrest, and her sister Georgiana accompanies her; Bridget begs him not to harm the earl. Marco and Jacob meet on the ship to New York, and become good friends. They run into the Irish sisters, and Marco dances with the beautiful Georgiana. At
Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mi ...
, the immigrants pass through U.S. Immigration and undergo a physical examination. Georgiana is sent to Dr. Travers, who tells her she has
trachoma Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea of ...
, which untreated can lead to blindness, and that she must return to Ireland. Bridget argues vociferously with the doctor, and while Georgiana is in detention gets her American uncle Casey O'Donnell to fix the situation by paying someone off with $200. Bridget sees in the newspaper that the Fenians have murdered the Earl of Wexford. Marco and Jacob move into a seedy tenement apartment with other immigrants. Abe Shulman tries to throw Jacob out when he comes by the music publishing company looking for a job, but Jacob presses past him and starts to play ragtime on the piano. Shulman sends him to his cousin who owns the Coney Island Music Hall, but he is only hired as a waiter. The O'Donnell sisters move in with their uncle Casey, who owns a delivery company. Georgiana is told by a specialist that nothing can be done at this point to save her eyesight. By 1909, Marco is unhappy working construction, and borrows $50 from a
loan shark A loan shark is a person who offers loans at extremely high interest rates, has strict terms of collection upon failure, and generally operates outside the law. Description Because loan sharks operate mostly illegally, they cannot reasonably ...
to buy a van so he can start his own delivery business. But when he speeds down a road to celebrate, the van crashes and burns. Tortured by the loan shark and given one week to pay $100, Marco sees a sign that Maud is in town performing the new play; he visits her backstage and they begin an affair for which Maud compensates him financially. Marco and Jacob move into a nice apartment, and Marco revives his delivery business. Jacob changes his name to Jake Rubin, and at work meets
Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...
, who listens to one of his songs and presses Abe Shulman to hire him as a
song plugger A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...
. He attempts to plug a song to Nellie Byfield, who sings at a gentlemen's club. Bridget runs into the widower Dr. Travers, who offers her a job as his secretary and assistant at Ellis Island. Her devotion to the job and to the immigrants sparks a romance, and they marry. Senator Phipps Ogden, a widower who has been seeing Maud, visits her unannounced and accuses her of having an Italian lover, but she throws him off the scent. Roscoe returns to New York and performs in a saloon. Shulman won't publish Jake's songs, so Roscoe has his black friend Flora Mitchum sing one of them in her nightclub act. Georgiana, now blind, overhears Marco's voice during one of his delivery rounds. He takes her out on a movie date and narrates the plot to her.


Part 2

Jake is a successful songwriter, and has his first hit song. Nellie woos Jake, who writes her a song. At a party, Nellie's uppercrust admirer tries to humiliate Jake, who punches him. Jake helps Nellie get an in with
Florenz Ziegfeld Florenz Edward Ziegfeld Jr. (; March 21, 1867 – July 22, 1932) was an American Broadway impresario, notable for his series of theatrical revues, the ''Ziegfeld Follies'' (1907–1931), inspired by the ''Folies Bergère'' of Paris. He also p ...
and become a star of the ''
Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air ...
''. Flora and Roscoe move to Paris to escape the anti-black employment discrimination they face in the U.S. Maud marries Senator Phipps Ogden for financial security. She advises Marco to go to school, and offers to fund it. Marco and Georgiana have another movie date, and he proposes to her. Casey finds out about Marco's prior liaison with Maud, and frames Marco for theft, causing him to be locked up in Ellis Island facing immediate deportation. With the help of a fellow inmate, he escapes from his holding cell and swims to the New Jersey shore, and Jake finds him a hiding place in
Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...
. Georgiana finds out Casey framed Marco, and moves out of his house and in with Bridget and Dr. Travers. From a newspaper report, Bridget finds out Marco is probably still alive, but does not tell Georgiana. In 1910, Marco comes out of hiding to ask Maud, now living in the Ogden estate on Long Island, to fund his education; he attends a boarding school called Bryant Academy and vows to stay away from Georgiana until he is educated and prosperous and safe. Ogden fixes things so that Casey will no longer threaten Marco. Jake and Nellie marry, but Nellie does not want children. She gives birth to a girl, who is slightly brain-damaged during labor. Nellie neglects the child, even when the child is sick, in favor of stardom and affairs with her co-stars. She refuses to have any more children, and tells Jake she married him only for what he could do for her. Georgiana starts writing screenplays, which begin to be produced by
Jesse Lasky Jesse Louis Lasky (September 13, 1880 – January 13, 1958) was an American pioneer Film producer, motion picture producer who was a key founder of what was to become Paramount Pictures, and father of screenwriter Jesse L. Lasky Jr. Early life ...
. Marco meets Ogden's plain-looking and socialist-leaning daughter, Vanessa, and after spending Christmas vacation with the Ogdens, with Maud's encouragement he seduces her. She gets pregnant from that night, and he is forced to marry her, even though he doesn't love her and she is turned off by sex. Bridget sees the wedding announcement in the newspaper. While at work at Ellis Island, Bridget notices Kevin Murray, who begins to blackmail her for money and favors. In 1914, Bridget has a son, and later another child. Her husband leaves Ellis Island to start a regular medical practice. Roscoe and Flora return to America, hoping to open a club.


Part 3

In 1916, Marco and Vanessa's son Mark is five years old. Marco announces that he is running for the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...
, opposing the Irish candidate controlled by Casey O'Donnell's corrupt cronies. Ogden supports this because Casey is a thorn in his own political side as well. Vanessa develops an alcohol problem. She makes a spectacle of herself at a large party which is also an important political event for Marco, and she is taken to a distant psychiatric sanatorium. Jake starts an affair with his daughter's ballet teacher, Violet Weiler. Her mother disapproves of the affair and of Jake. Even though Nellie knows he has cheated, she refuses to grant a divorce. Violet tells her ballet instructor Madame Levitska, who was the mistress of
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia Nicholas II or Nikolai II Alexandrovich Romanov; spelled in Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-revolutionary script. ( 186817 July 1918), known in the Russian Orthodox Church as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer,. was the last Emperor of ...
, that she is not cut out to be a mistress, even though she and Jake cannot give each other up. Jake writes a Broadway musical for Flora to star in, but no one will finance a Broadway production with a black lead, so he risks all of his own money to produce it. The show is an overwhelming success, so when Lasky expresses interest in investing, Jake offers to sell him a 50% interest if Lasky will give Nellie a three-film contract when he opens his planned
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
production company in California. Jake and Nellie's daughter dies of influenza. Nellie gets a telegram telling her that she has been given a contract to perform in Hollywood, and announces she is leaving Jake and has signed the divorce papers. Jake marries Violet, which also pleases Mrs. Weiler. Georgiana, who has been told by Bridget about Marco's marriage, is furious; she feels betrayed and thought that he was in Italy. One night while in her bed when Dr. Travers is out, she hears her sister crying out; she goes downstairs, grabs a pair of long shears and stabs and kills Kevin, who is trying to rape Bridget. Dr. Travers reacts very badly to the news that Bridget had kept her activities in Ireland from him, and thereafter hardly speaks to her. Georgiana convinces him to give her another chance. While she is in the sanatorium, Vanessa is befriended by a rebellious artist and gallery owner named Una Marbury. They stay friends when they are discharged, and live together as a lesbian couple in an undisclosed location. Ogden hires a private detective to find Vanessa, and offers Una $20,000 to never see his daughter again. When Vanessa discovers that Una has accepted the offer, she shoots Una and then herself. Casey's men set fire to Marco's Manhattan apartment campaign headquarters while he is asleep there. Marco jumps from his window to escape; Georgiana visits him in hospital and they reconcile and plan to marry. Georgiana, Bridget, and Casey's wife confront Casey over the arson, and confiscate incriminatory files from his office which they threaten to release if he takes further action against Marco. Ogden asks Marco to withdraw from the election following Vanessa's suicide. Georgiana convinces him to stay in the race, even though Odgen will withdraw all financial support. Marco and his son move out of the Ogden estate. Marco wins the election, becoming the first Ellis Island immigrant to be elected to the state senate. Celebrating his victory with the crowd gathered, including Jake and Violet, Marco leads the audience in a sing-along of "
America the Beautiful "America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never m ...
". The series ends by revealing that more than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island, which remained opened until 1954, and that two out of five Americans alive in 1984 are descendants of an Ellis Island immigrant.


Production

The miniseries was filmed in England and Italy, rather than in the United States. Interiors were done at
Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused w ...
near London. Richard Burton died in August 1984, two weeks after filming his scenes.


Reception

Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden ...
beat five other actresses, winning the
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV.
Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a To ...
received a nomination in the equivalent male category.Hollywood Foreign Press Association – ''Ellis Island''
/ref> Costume designer Barbara Lane received the
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Costume Design for a Limited Series or a Special. At the Emmy Awards the series itself received a nomination, as did actors Richard Burton and Ann Jillian, and sound mixer Tony Dawe.


References


External links

* {{Jerry London 1980s American television miniseries CBS network films 1984 American television series debuts 1984 American television series endings 1980s American LGBT-related drama television series Ellis Island Films directed by Jerry London Films about immigration to the United States Films set in Manhattan Television series set in the 1900s Television series set in the 1910s Television series about the history of the United States Television series based on American novels American historical television series 1980s American drama television series Television shows filmed in England