Notorious Woman

I,too, remember being riveted to the TV when each episode was broadcast. Rosemary Harris as Sand sprawled under Chopin's piano is an image I can still see today...and Chakiris playing the delicate, coughing & sickly Polish pianist, always trying to make music amid the often chaotic dramas around him.

This was terrific pairing. Rosemary Harris played the often abrasive, overpowering man to Chakiris's sensitive and increasingly frail Chopin. As I recall, I first doubted Chakiris could play this role, but he was perfect. Jeremy Irons has never failed to execute. (See if you can find a wonderful movie he made called "Moonlighting," in which he plays the head of a Polish group of contractors smuggled into London to secretly work on the houses of rich elite. Of course, like most illegal immigrants they are paid nothing for their work.)

I don't understand why Notorious Woman is not available. My goodness, if you can rent Duchess of Duke Street and Upstairs, Downstairs why not this treasure?

It's been more than 30 years since I had the pleasure of viewing this exquisite Masterpiece Theatre production. Notorious Woman continues to haunt me through the mists of time. The performances seem nothing short of magnificent. Rosemary Harris turns in a bravura performance as the fascinating, enigmatic George Sand, while George Chakiris utterly captivates as Chopin. I could scarcely credit his superb, sensitive handling of this complicated composer. He deteriorates before our eyes. Chakiris' interpretation of Chopin quite eclipses Hugh Grant's excellent Chopin from Impromptu. Jeremy Irons never disappoints, while the rest of the supporting cast also do a phenomenal job. I still remember splendid Georgina Hale as Sand's difficult daughter, Solange, as though it were yesterday. Please, BBC, et. al., release this masterwork on DVD with all speed.

The radiant Rosemary Harris lent class and substance to her characterization of George Sand. I only saw this production once, long ago and far away when it was originally televised and yet, as in a dream, there are images that linger, just beyond my grasping. I remember George Chakiris as Chopin, on Majorca, a grand piano and flowing curtains, and thinking at the time that his performance was unexpectedly good, given the work he had done previously. I remember the superficial friendship between Aurore and Marie and of making it a point to commit the proper pronunciation of Sinéad Cusack's name to memory. (Fortuitous, that.) But mostly I remember Rosemary Harris's performance as Sand, making of this woman of questionable literary credentials a credible and compelling writer to be attended to. This mini-series was a credit to everyone artistically connected with it, from script through final edit, and I find it perplexing that it has not yet been made available, preferably on DVD, but any format, at this point, would be welcome.

I remember this series, even after all these years, as being an excellent version of the life of George Sand. I remember one line Rosemary Harris said about Chopin's music being like pearls dropping. Very finely done. I wish it were out on video.

I reiterate all the positive comments I have read here about "Notorious Woman" It was an excellent series, With all the crap that is put out on DVD, I can't understand why this was never released to DVD. It was a series that broadened my mind and turned me on to Chopin. I hope someday someone with the capability to do it will check it out and realize what a great series it was and get it released. Rosemary Harris and George Chakiris were Brilliant. I met George Chakiris last year A a Showing of "West Side Story" and asked him about it - he said he doesn't know who would have the original films. It was filmed in England. He said he was given a copy but doesn't know if he had all the episodes. He also wished it could be released and said seem delighted That I remembered it.