Lillie Langtry is probably best known today from John Huston's wry 1972 western The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, about the self-appointed frontier man of the law who was obsessed with the famous English actress. Bean's character appears in this 13-part 1978 British Masterpiece Theatre-aired miniseries, but only briefly as one of Langtry's (played by Francesca Annis) many stagedoor admirers. And while the later episodes cover the thespian phase of her career, the biographical scope here is wider, following Lillie's life from her upbringing on the island of Jersey through her troubled marriage and simultaneous intimate friendships with many men, including a long dalliance with the future king Edward VII. The tone of the series, which is largely stage-bound and dialogue-driven, is that of an upper-crust soap opera, especially when the plot turns to Lillie's estrangement from her illegitimate daughter and the actress' co-dependent fling with an abusive nobleman. But while this might be easily dismissed as Lifestyles of the Rich and Silly—especially since every man, including Oscar Wilde, seems to fall head over heels for Langtry at first sight—Lillie can also be seen as an amusing gloss on the modern era's cult of empty celebrity, where fame and success are based on titillating, headline-grabbing behavior rather than any real talent. DVD extras include an essay about Langtry and cast filmographies. Recommended, overall. (F. Swietek)
Lillie
Acorn, 4 discs, 672 min., not rated, DVD: $59.99 July 7, 2008
Lillie
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