A House Divided (10 Nov. 1974)

News of the Titanic disaster arrives at Eaton Place, and the entire household anxiously await word of Lady Marjorie's fate.

Director:

Christopher Hodson

Writer:

Rosemary Anne Sisson

Stars:

Angela Baddeley, Jean Marsh, Gordon Jackson

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Angela Baddeley	...	Mrs. Bridges
Jean Marsh	...	Rose
Gordon Jackson	...	Hudson
Meg Wynn Owen	...	Hazel Forrest
David Langton	...	Richard Bellamy
Simon Williams	...	James Bellamy
Raymond Huntley	...	Sir Geoffrey Dillon
Christopher Beeny	...	Edward
Valerie White	...	Mrs. Forrest
Leonard Trolley	...	Mr. Arthur Forrest
Patsy Smart	...	Roberts
Jenny Tomasin	...	Ruby
Arthur Brough	...	Stallinbrass

Storyline

A pall has been cast over the Bellamy household since the sinking of the Titanic with Lady Marjorie and Miss Roberts aboard en route to New York. Hazel Forrest is still working for Richard Bellamy who is in the last stages of completing his biography of his late wife's father, Lord Southwold. James continues his interest in Hazel much to the disdain of Hudson, who still sees her as too low in station to socialize with a Bellamy. Richard learns from the family solicitor, Sir Geoffrey Dillon, that much of Lady Marjorie's wealth will now pass to the children, leaving him to ponder his own future. As time passes, the day to day functioning of the house begins to deteriorate. Reviewing the household accounts, having the seamstress come in for necessary repairs and payments to shopkeepers have all fallen behind. Richard's request that Hazel take care of the accounts does not sit well with Hudson and some of the other servants. However, an unexpected arrival on a rainy night gives them not ...

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Plot Keywords:

titanic | solicitor | reference to the titanic | lawyer | jewelry box | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 1974 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT), Sagitta Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Richard Bellamy: Strange the capacity human beings have to make each other unhappy when there is so much inescapable misery in the world.
Hazel Forrest: Yes, very strange.

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Soundtracks

"The Edwardians"
("Theme from Upstairs, Downstairs")
Composed by Alexander Faris (1971)
Heard as opening theme

User Reviews

Lady Marjorie goes down in The Titanic!!

April, 1912

Deemed the very best episode by many from the entire five seasons; Lady Marjorie and Miss Roberts are reported to have gone down in the Titanic on their way to America.

There's a distinct melancholic atmosphere from within the household as can be expected. Miss Forrest (wonderfully played by the great actress Meg Wynn Owen) offers some comfort to Captain James and Richard Bellamy in the form of her female 'presence' during such a distressing time. However; she's rejected quite vehemently by the rest of the household as someone who is attempting to take Lady Marjorie's place. Why; even her own parents suspect as much - so little do they know their daughter Hazel...

Just when all hope is lost for the survival of Lady Marjorie, as the servants reminisce on a dark and thundery night; there's re-newed hope when the shock of Miss Roberts arriving unexpectedly like a ghost on the doorstep during the violent storm! Very creepy indeed! I recall this being a very powerful scene back on its first airing almost forty years ago...

Patsy Smart gets a chance to give an award-winning performance late in her career as the eccentric Personal Maid, Roberts, who finally becomes so emotionally disturbed by the whole experience, she is eventually committed to an asylum...

Patsy Smart would become the last of a huge batch of characters from the original set-up to leave the series.

Congratulations must go to Ms. Smart who undoubtedly contributed more than anyone else into making this episode as popular as it is, which remains a UD 'classic' even to this day! Great stuff - from a great actress!