East Lynne has been filmed over a dozen times, the majority as silents. The last incarnation was this 1982 British television movie.
Surviving are four versions, two silent films, featuring respectively Theda Bara and Alma Rubens, a talkie featuring Ann Harding (which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award) and this last incarnation, the only one in color.
The plot is as old as the hills and although everyone should be familiar with it, I will obey the rules and announce the plot summary with:
SPOILERS!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!
Part One begins in 1845. Captain Levison (the cad), is introduced to Lady Isabel Vane at a party at her home. Her father, in debt, sells up and coming lawyer, Archibald Carlyle, his home in East Lynne. Carlyle meets Isabel.
In the town of West Lynne where Carlyle has his offices, he is visited by friend Barbara Hare, whose brother Richard is on the run due to a frame-up involving the murder of a local farmer by a man named Thorne who romanced the man's daughter, also a friend of Richard, killed the father in a duel, and then bribed a pseudo-witness, Otway Bethel, to swear that Richard was the murderer. All this is described in flashback by Richard to Carlyle, who agrees to try to help.
Vane dies, leaving Isabel homeless. She is taken in by Emma, a distant relation, who hates her for her beauty. Isabel is in company with Levison, Emma's cousin, almost continually. Here the script differs from the book, wherein Isabel does not meet Levison until after her marriage.
She marries Carlyle to get away from an impossible home, even though she loves Levison and he loves her, but is too poor, too much of a rake to propose to her. Once ensconced at East Lynne she has to deal with the hate of Carlyle's elder sister, Cornelia (a bit of incestuous love here). Barbara Hare confesses her love for Carlyle and her sorrow at his marriage.
Five years later in France where Isabel has gone to recover from an illness she meets Levison again, who comes on to her. She rebuffs him. Carlyle is dense and oblivious when she asks to be taken home. Her temptation is aided by his denseness. He acts for Levison in a legal case and has him to East Lynne to stay, much to Isabel's consternation. Barbara consults with Carlyle re Richard and the return of Thorne. Cornelia and Levison plant seeds of jealous doubt in Isabel's mind re Carlyle and Barbara and when a clandestine meeting for the good of Richard is given a romantic turn by Levison, Isabel consents to leave with him.
Richard identifies Thorne as not the murderer. We begin to suspect Levison, in disguise as Thorne at the time. Levison and Isabel one year later separate, she with a baby, which dies in a train wreck, in which she is disfigured.
Carlyle meanwhile divorces, hears of Isabel's reported death, and remarries, this time to Barbara. He banishes his sister Cornelia from East Lynne.
Two years later a governess is hired for the Carlyle children, in truth Lady Isabel in disguise. Her name is Vine, pronounced "Veen." Why this closeness to Vane doesn't give it away, we can't guess.
Son William has tuberculosis and is dying. Levison returns and stands for election. Also returned is Ottway Bethel. The truth comes out and both are arrested for the murder. Three months later William dies of the tuberculosis Isabel carried in her family. Three months after that Isabel dies, with Carlyle finally recognizing her.
The production is a respectable one, though completely passionless. It is far too laid back to inspire devotion. All the plot lines are there. The only liberty taken is that of Isabel knowing Levison before her marriage and marrying on the rebound after his rejection.
Lisa Eichorn plays Lady Isabel as rather an airhead, a beauty but dull as paint. Martin Shaw plays Carlyle somberly with no life at all. Indeed the best performance is that of Tim Woodward as Levison. Bryan Marshall as Ottway bears a striking resemblance to Ian McKellin. Gemma Craven is merely serviceable as Barbara.
The dark glasses of Isabel's later disguise would fool no one. She is obviously Isabel, it would have taken a lot more make-up to disguise that fact. Therefore the entire household seems particularly stupid at not grasping the masquerade. The premise of her operating under their noses is a far fetched and melodramatic plot twist, but it could be achieved by better make-up.
The production is a faithful adaptation and an easier two hours spent to gather the plot if one prefers not to read the 600 page novel.
Surviving are four versions, two silent films, featuring respectively Theda Bara and Alma Rubens, a talkie featuring Ann Harding (which was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award) and this last incarnation, the only one in color.
The plot is as old as the hills and although everyone should be familiar with it, I will obey the rules and announce the plot summary with:
SPOILERS!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!
Part One begins in 1845. Captain Levison (the cad), is introduced to Lady Isabel Vane at a party at her home. Her father, in debt, sells up and coming lawyer, Archibald Carlyle, his home in East Lynne. Carlyle meets Isabel.
In the town of West Lynne where Carlyle has his offices, he is visited by friend Barbara Hare, whose brother Richard is on the run due to a frame-up involving the murder of a local farmer by a man named Thorne who romanced the man's daughter, also a friend of Richard, killed the father in a duel, and then bribed a pseudo-witness, Otway Bethel, to swear that Richard was the murderer. All this is described in flashback by Richard to Carlyle, who agrees to try to help.
Vane dies, leaving Isabel homeless. She is taken in by Emma, a distant relation, who hates her for her beauty. Isabel is in company with Levison, Emma's cousin, almost continually. Here the script differs from the book, wherein Isabel does not meet Levison until after her marriage.
She marries Carlyle to get away from an impossible home, even though she loves Levison and he loves her, but is too poor, too much of a rake to propose to her. Once ensconced at East Lynne she has to deal with the hate of Carlyle's elder sister, Cornelia (a bit of incestuous love here). Barbara Hare confesses her love for Carlyle and her sorrow at his marriage.
Five years later in France where Isabel has gone to recover from an illness she meets Levison again, who comes on to her. She rebuffs him. Carlyle is dense and oblivious when she asks to be taken home. Her temptation is aided by his denseness. He acts for Levison in a legal case and has him to East Lynne to stay, much to Isabel's consternation. Barbara consults with Carlyle re Richard and the return of Thorne. Cornelia and Levison plant seeds of jealous doubt in Isabel's mind re Carlyle and Barbara and when a clandestine meeting for the good of Richard is given a romantic turn by Levison, Isabel consents to leave with him.
Richard identifies Thorne as not the murderer. We begin to suspect Levison, in disguise as Thorne at the time. Levison and Isabel one year later separate, she with a baby, which dies in a train wreck, in which she is disfigured.
Carlyle meanwhile divorces, hears of Isabel's reported death, and remarries, this time to Barbara. He banishes his sister Cornelia from East Lynne.
Two years later a governess is hired for the Carlyle children, in truth Lady Isabel in disguise. Her name is Vine, pronounced "Veen." Why this closeness to Vane doesn't give it away, we can't guess.
Son William has tuberculosis and is dying. Levison returns and stands for election. Also returned is Ottway Bethel. The truth comes out and both are arrested for the murder. Three months later William dies of the tuberculosis Isabel carried in her family. Three months after that Isabel dies, with Carlyle finally recognizing her.
The production is a respectable one, though completely passionless. It is far too laid back to inspire devotion. All the plot lines are there. The only liberty taken is that of Isabel knowing Levison before her marriage and marrying on the rebound after his rejection.
Lisa Eichorn plays Lady Isabel as rather an airhead, a beauty but dull as paint. Martin Shaw plays Carlyle somberly with no life at all. Indeed the best performance is that of Tim Woodward as Levison. Bryan Marshall as Ottway bears a striking resemblance to Ian McKellin. Gemma Craven is merely serviceable as Barbara.
The dark glasses of Isabel's later disguise would fool no one. She is obviously Isabel, it would have taken a lot more make-up to disguise that fact. Therefore the entire household seems particularly stupid at not grasping the masquerade. The premise of her operating under their noses is a far fetched and melodramatic plot twist, but it could be achieved by better make-up.
The production is a faithful adaptation and an easier two hours spent to gather the plot if one prefers not to read the 600 page novel.