''Queenie'' is a 1987
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
miniseries based on the eponymous 1985 novel by writer and producer
Michael Korda
Michael Korda (born 8 October 1933) is an English-born writer and novelist who was editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster in New York City.
Early years
Born in London, Michael Korda is the son of English actress Gertrude Musgrove and the Hungaria ...
. Winston Beard (a pseudonym for James Goldman) and April Smith adapted the novel for television, with Larry Peerce directing.
Background
In April 1985 Korda published ''Queenie'', a
roman à clef
''Roman à clef'' (, anglicised as ), French for ''novel with a key'', is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship be ...
about his aunt, actress
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). After her success in ''The Scarle ...
, who had married his uncle
Alexander Korda
Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)[Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...](_blank)
, however, Queenie is made all too aware of her "chee-chee" (mixed) background by her enemies, specifically wealthy Prunella Rumsey.
One of Prunella's mother's lovers, however, is Queenie's uncle, Morgan Jones. When their affair is discovered by Sir Burton Rumsey, he fires Jones from his musician position at the cricket club. Queenie visits with Sir Burton to plead for her uncle's job back, but he does so under the condition Queenie sleeps with him. When she realizes that he has lied to her, she storms out of the mansion, but not before he falls over a balcony and falls to his death. Once at home, Queenie tells her mother and uncle what happened, Jones and Queenie depart for
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Lost in London, Queenie finds a career as a stripper. Later, she makes her way to
Hollywood, where she is renamed Dawn Avalon. Avalon becomes one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
During this time, Queenie deals with complicated relationships while trying to conceal her true identity and avoid jail due to the ongoing investigation of Rumsey's death.
Cast
*
Mia Sara
Mia Sarapochiello (born June 19, 1967), known professionally as Mia Sara, is a retired American actress. She made her film debut as Princess Lili in the fantasy film ''Legend'' (1985), and had her breakthrough starring as Sloane Peterson in the ...
as
Queenie Thompson
*
Joss Ackland as Sir Burton Rumsey
*
Serena Gordon as Prunella Rumsey
*
Sarah Miles
Sarah Miles (born 31 December 1941) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in films '' The Servant'' (1963), '' Blowup'' (1966), ''Ryan's Daughter'' (1970), ''The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing'' (1973), '' White Mischief'' (1987) and '' ...
as Lady Sybil
*
Kirk Douglas as David Konig
*
Leigh Lawson
Allan Leigh Lawson (born 21 July 1945) is an English actor, director and writer.
Life and career
Lawson was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire. He initially studied at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts before training further at the Royal Aca ...
as Morgan Jones
*Gary Cady as Lucien Chambrun
*
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 Vicky Kelley
*
Topol as Dimitri Goldner
Critical reception
''
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 d ...
'' criticized the miniseries for not only being "absurd" but also being politically dated: "Even the details show an insensitivity no longer acceptable in today's global village. Why, for instance, when so many Indian actors have excelled in such productions as ''A Passage to India'' and ''The Jewel in the Crown'', do we still have to find Indian characters played by British actors using dark makeup and a singsong accent?"
''New York Times'' review of the TV miniseries "Queenie"
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queenie (Miniseries)
1987 films
1987 television films
1980s American television miniseries
American romantic drama films
Films about immigration
Films about race and ethnicity
Romantic period films
Films based on British novels
Films à clef
1980s English-language films
1980s American films