Miss Forrest (3 Nov. 1974)

In the spring of 1912, Lady Marjorie prepares to visit Elizabeth in New York and James takes an interest in Richard's comely and respectable new secretary, Miss Forrest.

Director:

Bill Bain

Writer:

Alfred Shaughnessy

Stars:

Simon Williams, Gordon Jackson, Jean Marsh

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Simon Williams	...	James Bellamy
Gordon Jackson	...	Hudson
Jean Marsh	...	Rose
Rachel Gurney	...	Lady Marjorie Bellamy
David Langton	...	Richard Bellamy
Meg Wynn Owen	...	Hazel Forrest
Angela Baddeley	...	Mrs. Bridges
Christopher Beeny	...	Edward
Jenny Tomasin	...	Ruby
Patsy Smart	...	Roberts

Storyline

James Bellamy has started his new job in the City but he is feeling out of sorts and is completely bored. He's also broken off his engagement with Phyllis. Lady Marjorie is planning a trip that a trip to New York to see Elizabeth and then on to Canada. Richard Bellamy is busy writing a biography of his father-in-law Lord Southwold and has engaged a pretty young typist, Miss Forrest, prepare his manuscript. When Miss Forrest comes to work on a Saturday, James orders lunch for both of them in the dining room that leads to a major confrontation with Hudson over whether wine should be served. James is trying to impress the young woman by playing master of the house - his parents are away for the weekend - while Hudson feels it is his role to ensure the rules of the house are followed when the master is away. A humiliated Hudson feels he has been put in an impossible situation and given the lack of proper standards, feels he must resign. Darker clouds lie ahead for everyone, however.

---

Plot Keywords:

secretary | typist | claret | lunch | solicitor | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1974 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

London Weekend Television (LWT), Sagitta Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Richard Bellamy: What on earth is that noise?
Hazel Forrest: It's a gramophone, I think, Mr. Bellamy. Coming from upstairs.
Richard Bellamy: Must be my son. He's keen on the latest ragtime music, this dreadful syncopated jazz. Like everything else from America, it's too fast, too noisy!

---

Soundtracks

"What Are We Gonig To Do with Uncle Arthur"
(uncredited)
Composed by Alexander Faris (1971)
Lyrics by Alfred Shaugnessy
Instrumental heard under end credits

User Reviews

Captain James is up to his old tricks!

March, 1912 'Upstairs, Downstairs' skipped two years in its play out of history when it returned with this episode - the first in its third season.

It's April 1912, and a whole batch of characters have left; Sarah, Thomas, Joan, Elizabeth, Phyllis, Julius and as if that wasn't enough; two more were about to go after the first couple of episodes with Roberts, and of course Lady Marjorie who goes down in the Titanic on her way to see Elizabeth in America.

Lady Marjorie is abut to leave for America, when James has his first real run-in with Hudson. Through the remaining twenty years left in the history of UD, he would have several. He deems to entertain his father's new Secretary, Miss Forrest in the Morning and Dining Rooms. This is not appropriate, since she is an employee of the house, not of the same class, and is unchaperoned. The dispute causes Hudson to give in his notice, and it's unclear as to what resolution can be brought about to rectify the situation before Lady Marjorie departure for The States - never to return...

For various reasons (including the ones highlighted concerning the departure of so many of its main characters earlier) this beginning to the third season causes as much anxiety for the viewer, as it did for the Producers, as to whether the series can really continue. It becomes a little more settled later on in the season.

This third season is often referred to as the 'weakest' of all the whole five by ardent fans.