Mosley (TV serial)

Mosley
Written by Laurence Marks
Maurice Gran
Directed by John Alexander
Starring Jonathan Cake
Hugh Bonneville
Emma Davies
Jemma Redgrave
Richenda Carey
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 4
Production
Running time 197 mins (tv-series) / 99 mins (movie-edition)
Release
Original network Channel 4
Original release 12 February – 5 March 1998

Mosley was a 1998 television serial (or mini-series) produced for Channel 4 based on British fascist Oswald Mosley's life in the period between the two world wars. The series was directed by Robert Knights, from a screenplay by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, both better known for their television comedy series. It was based on the books Rules of the Game and Beyond the Pale by Nicholas Mosley, Mosley's son.[1]

The series was released on VHS and DVD.

Episode details

The series was in four parts.

Part 1: Young Man in a Hurry (1918–1920) In 1918, as Britain rejoices at winning the First World War, a young army officer, Tom Mosley (Oswald), decides to run for government office. Utilising friends to gain entry to the most important houses, Mosley soon finds himself introduced to the Prime Minister David Lloyd George - and indebted to a sharp-edged American Maxine Elliott - who in turn will see her debt repaid in the bedroom. Mosley is elected as the youngest member of Parliament, and raises his profile by attacking more senior politicians - including his own Prime Minister. Seeing an opportunity to step up in the world by seducing Cynthia (Cimmie) Curzon, the second daughter of Lord Curzon, he unashamedly seduces her stepmother on the way.

Part 2: Rules of the Game (1924–1927) Mosley's marriage no more guarantees his faithfulness to Cimmie than his election as a Conservative MP guarantees his loyalty to the Party. Deeply immersed in a relationship with Jane Bewley, the wife of a Tory MP, Mosley's politics take him to the left and the new spirit of the Labour Party. But the Party finds Mosley's concepts of economic regeneration unrealistic. Nevertheless, he stands for and wins a front bench seat with the opposition Labour Party, although a blatant sexual scandal may cripple his prospects for the future.

Part 3: Breaking the Mould (1929–1933) Mosley and Cimmie both run for seats with the Labour Party and win as the Party sweeps the old Conservative rule from power. Disappointed that he is not appointed to their newly formed cabinet, Mosley finds comfort in forming his own New Party and forming an attachment with Diana Guinness. It isn't long before Cimmie and Mosley's old comrades find themselves at odds with the New Party - both its politics and its methods of enforcement by appointed "stewards." Meanwhile, Benito Mussolini's rise to power in Italy encourages Mosley to remake himself in the mold of a Fascist, once again turning with an opportune tide.

Part 4: Beyond the Pale (1933–1940) Mosley is distraught at the decline in health of his wife Cimmie who, after years of his philandering, has lost the will to live. Financially supported by Mussolini in Italy, Mosley decided to establish the British Union of Fascists in her honour. While Diana Guinness establishes relationships with Dr. Joseph Goebbels in Germany, Mosley develops a relationship with Cimmie's sister Alexandra (Baba) in France. At a major meeting of the new organization, hecklers in the audience are beaten to the ground by the Fascist Blackshirts who salute their leader with Roman salutes. On a visit to Germany, Mosley marries Diana Guinness in the company of Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler. But the health of the party will not last long.

Cast

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

References

  1. ↑ BFI Film & TV Database (2012). "Mosley". Bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
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