Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story
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| Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Historical romance |
| Screenplay by | James Lee |
| Directed by | Richard T. Heffron |
| Starring | |
| Composers | Gerald Fried Bill Conti (theme music only) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | |
| Producers | |
| Cinematography | Jean Tournier |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 285 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Budget | $20 million[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | November 10 – November 12, 1987 |
Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story is an American television miniseries broadcast on ABC from November 10 to 12, 1987. It stars Armand Assante as Napoleon Bonaparte and Jacqueline Bisset as Joséphine de Beauharnais, with Stephanie Beacham as Therese Tallien, Patrick Cassidy as Hippolyte Charles, Jane Lapotaire as Letizia Bonaparte, Anthony Perkins as Talleyrand, and Ione Skye as Pauline Bonaparte. It was directed by Richard T. Heffron, based on a screenplay by James Lee.
The plot focuses on the romantic relationship between Napoleon and Josephine from 1794 to 1814, only lightly touching on battles and other historical events. Executive producer David L. Wolper, who had previously created prominent miniseries such as North and South (directed by Heffron) and Roots (written by Lee, among others), stated, "The mini-series covers some of Napoleon's military accomplishments, but only as a backdrop to how the love between these two people affected France, the world and, most importantly, Napoleon and Josephine themselves."[1]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Starring | |
| Armand Assante | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| Jacqueline Bisset | Joséphine de Beauharnais |
| Stephanie Beacham | Therese Tallien |
| Anthony Higgins | Joseph Bonaparte |
| Patrick Cassidy | Capt. Hippolyte Charles |
| Nickolas Grace | Lord Nelson |
| Jane Lapotaire | Letizia Bonaparte |
| Also starring | |
| William Lucking | Sgt. Dupont |
| Jean-Pierre Stewart | Barras |
| John Vickery | Bourrienne |
| Leigh Taylor-Young | Madame de Stael |
| Introducing | |
| Ione Skye | Pauline Bonaparte |
| Special guest star | |
| Anthony Perkins | Talleyrand |
| Featuring | |
| Paul Brooke | Junot |
| Jeremy Brudenell | Louis Bonaparte |
| Simon Chandler | Leclerc |
| Paul Geoffrey | Murat |
| Julie Graham | Caroline Bonaparte |
| Jane Gurnett | Elisa Bonaparte |
Filming
Napoleon and Josephine was filmed on location in Paris and Morocco, and at studios in Portsmouth. The producers decided to shoot scenes in Paris rather than less expensive locales out of a desire for authenticity. This, and a scheduling disruption when star Bisset missed four days of filming due to illness,[2] caused the budget to grow to $20 million.[1]