Product Description

As seen on Masterpiece Theatre

"Sparkling" —The Washington Post

"Captivating" —The New York Times

Walt Whitman called Lillie Langtry "the essence of poetry." James Whistler confessed that even he couldn't capture her beauty in a painting. And George Bernard Shaw declared her "intelligent, daring, and independent." In a BAFTA-winning performance hailed by critics, the incandescently beautiful Francesca Annis (Madame Bovary, Reckless, The Libertine) portrays the acclaimed British actress and courtesan from the blush of youth to the blight of old age.

At a time when society expected women to be docile and demure, Lillie posed for celebrity endorsements, conducted her own business affairs, and paid her first husband to keep his distance. Even more scandalously, she openly entertained a string of lovers among Europe’s elite, including the very married Prince of Wales—all while managing to win the respect and admiration of his wife. With its splendid cast and exquisite production elements, Lillie vividly captures the complex woman who became one of the most infamous figures of the Victorian age.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE essay about Lillie Langtry's impact on pop culture and cast filmographies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18490 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-02-19
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 672 minutes

Amazon.com
The real Lillie Langtry (1853-1929) was the original Victorian supermodel and America's first "superstar." Inauspiciously born on the Isle of Jersey, Lillie began life as a small-town tomboy and went on to challenge Victorian society's attitudes toward women. Eventually sought after by painters, photographers, writers, and hostesses, the beautiful Lillie befriended Oscar Wilde, bedded the Prince of Wales, bore a daughter to Prince Louis of Battenburg, owned a California winery and winning racehorses, gained a British title, left a trail of broken hearts behind her wherever she went, and even had a town in Texas named after her. What the controversial Lillie did not gain through marriage, she earned as an actress and notable advertising figure who endorsed everything from soap and cigarettes to bustles.

Originally released in 1979, this 13-part Masterpiece Theatre presentation re-creates Lillie's tumultuous life. The DVD features include well-implemented interactive menus, a slide show, cast filmography, and Web links. While the Victorian and Edwardian details are convincing, the series as a whole has an unfortunate 1970s TV aesthetic--the color and lighting often fail to meet current standards. And although Peter Egan is enthralling as Oscar Wilde, Francesca Annis's performance as Lillie is disappointingly flat. For this reason, Lillie will let down viewers seeking to be inspired by a boldly rebellious Victorian woman. After all, Lillie Langtry was no suffragette. On the other hand, anyone who enjoys a little Wilde-style gossip and social intrigue will find hours of scintillating entertainment in Lillie. --Tara Chace

BlogCritics Magazine
"Matches up favourably to anything produced in recent years, and is probably better than most of what is being made today."

Brattleboro Reformer
"I will be replaying this one over the years to come. Ten stars out of 10"

Customer Reviews

Flawless
Quite simply, one of the best BBC Classic TV Miniseries ever produced. Filmed in 1978 and to be released in a four-disc DVD set, the miniseries stars the brilliant Francesca Annis (Tommy and Tuppence, etc.) as Lillie Langtry, one of the most famous and infamous courtesans/ladies of the Victorian age.

In an era when women were to be seen and not heard, the unforgettable Lillie broke every taboo without a backward glance. The series chronicles her long life, and in so doing presents one of the best portraits of Victorian England ever filmed.

We watch Lillie as a young tomboy, grow to an awkward adolescent, a stunning woman, and a beautiful old woman. Each stage of her life is portrayed perfectly by Annis, the makeup transforming her body while her awesome talent transforms her character development as Lillie.

Lillie is one-of-a-kind, a calculating woman of immense presence, grace and substance. Unfortunately, she becomes trapped in a loveless marriage, but she devises her own way to cope.

Taking full advantage of her beauty, Lillie deliberately attracts as many as a dozen lovers and admirers including the married Prince of Wales and notorious Oscar Wilde.

As her husband slowly drinks himself to death, she relies on her looks, wiles and self-assurance in the London Society of the 1870s to embark upon a sensational career as a marginally talented actress.

With guile, Lillie creates a truly unique life of the courtesan, eventually gaining prestige by going on the stage and touring America many times over.

Throughout her life she endures financial ruin and scandal, yet maintains her celebrated lifestyle. Because Lillie lives to be a very old woman, viewers are given an honest glimpse of the Victoria Era through the span of her life.

As with every BBC miniseries dealing with period stories, the acting, staging, filming and music is all well above top notch.

A VICTORIAN SIREN...
This thirteen part Masterpiece Theatre series, which first aired in 1979, is certainly worth watching as it is quite entertaining and well done. Detailing the life and loves of the notorious Lillie Langtry, the Victorian era superstar, it gives the viewer a taste of an era gone by. beautifully acted by a stellar cast, the production suffers only from the unfortunate lighting used in the nineteen seventies, giving the sets and actors a somewhat washed out and flat appearance. That being said, it is still a series well worth watching.

Born on the British isle of Jersey to a womanizing clergyman and his wife, Lillie grew up as a tomboy with a rare beauty. At an early age, she marries Edward Langtry, a purportedly wealthy yachtsman from a shipping family, who takes her to live in Southampton. There, she finds life not to her liking. She soon discovers that her husband has sold her a bill of goods, as his wealth has been spent. After a bout with a serious illness, she contrives a move to London, where she is exposed to a taste of high society. After a false start, she gets noticed by the local swells and becomes a renowned beauty, sought after by all. Now, a fashionable society woman, she finds herself with her name on everyone's lips. Lillie eventually comes to the attention of the married Prince of Wales and becomes his mistress.

Trapped in her loveless marriage with the hapless and alcoholic Edward Langtry, Lillie goes on to have numerous love affairs with some of the most socially prominent and wealthy men of her day and eventually has a love child. Courted by all, her beauty and need for money brings her to the stage, where she becomes an actress with her own company. Her fame by now has spanned the ocean and made her a celebrity in America, as well as in Europe.

Lillie certainly knew the value of marketing, as she endorsed numerous products with her name. A woman ahead of her time, who marched to the beat of her own drum, she still went to great pains to avoid scandal, though it was never far from her doorstep. Alas, in the end, her fame and beauty decimated by age, her lovers dead or gone, Lillie, no longer the toast of two continents, ends up nothing more than a lonely old lady.

The cast for this production is stellar and the costumes are first rate. Francesca Annis is beautiful and certainly gives a competent performance as the notorious Lillie. Though her performance is acclaimed, however, the viewer cannot help but wonder why such a fuss was ever made over Lillie, as she comes across as supremely shallow and vapid. I attribute this to the fact that Ms. Annis' portrayal of Lillie comes across as being rather flat, failing to make her a truly likable character. Peter Egan, on the other hand, is superb as Oscar Wilde and, as far as I am concerned, steals the show. Filled with much social intrigue and witty repartee, the series will keep the viewer riveted to the screen.

This four disc DVD is well done with good visuals and clarity of sound. It does not offer much by way of bonus features, but with such a lengthy production, who cares. All in all, this is a very enjoyable and entertaining series that will provide the viewer with hours of viewing pleasure. Those who like period pieces and historical dramas will most certainly enjoy this one.

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Historical Biography!
Born Emilie Le Breton in 1853 on the Channel Island of Jersey, Lillie Langtry went on to become one of the most famous women of the late 19th century, and this 1978 series (consisting of thirteen 50-minute episodes) does an admirable job of chronicling her fascinating life.

Lillie was gifted with exceptional beauty, and although she and her new husband Edward Langtry (played by Anton Rogers (May to December, Fresh Fields)) were people of very modest means when they moved to London, it didn't take long for Lillie to become noticed. Indeed, Lillie craved London society and did all she could to secure herself a place therein. Becoming a Professional Beauty (the 19th century equivalent of a Supermodel) certainly helped for soon her portraits and photographs were everywhere. (Her friendships, by the way, included the artists Millais and Whistler and the playwright Oscar Wilde (played to absolute perfection by Peter Egan)). It was, however, her relationship as one of the mistresses of Bertie, the Prince of Wales, that really sealed Lillie's position in society. Society, however, failed to hold Lillie's interest for long, and she soon embarked upon a career as an actress, a decision that was to bring Lillie international attention and acclaim--to such an extent that a town in Texas was even named after her!

In this series, Lillie is portrayed by the stunningly beautiful Francesca Annis who, at least in my opinion, is simply splendid as Lillie; indeed, so perfect is her portrayal that I cannot possibly imagine anyone else in the role. Having seen pictures of the real Lillie Langtry, both my mother and I have often remarked on how Lillie's beauty pales by comparison with Francesca's--evidence, no doubt, that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and that which one society considers to be perfection is often very different from that which is considered to be so by another!

In conclusion, this is an engaging and entertaining story of a woman who led a very interesting and atypical life. It is perfectly cast and extremely well-acted, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a love for either period drama or historical biography. For those interested in delving even deeper into this fascinating woman's life, I highly recommend Laura Beatty's highly acclaimed biography entitled Lillie Langtry--Manners, Masks and Morals (a 1999 UK publication).