Genre Drama
Created by John Hawkesworth
Starring Gemma Jones
Christopher Cazenove
Victoria Plucknett
John Cater
John Welsh
Richard Vernon
Country of origin
United Kingdom
No. of series 2
No. of episodes 31
Production
Running time 50 minutes
Broadcast
Original run September 4, 1976 – December 24, 1977
The Duchess Of Duke Street is a BBC television drama series set in London between 1900 and 1925. It was created by John Hawkesworth, the former producer of the highly successful ITV period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It starred Gemma Jones as Louisa Trotter, the eponymous "Duchess" who works her way up from servant to renowned cook to proprietrix of the upper-class Bentinck Hotel in Duke Street, Marylebone in London.
The story is loosely based on the real-life career of Rosa Lewis (née Ovenden), the "Duchess of Jermyn Street", who ran the Cavendish Hotel in London. When the show first aired, there were many people who still remembered her, as she lived until 1952. According to census returns, she was born in Leyton, Essex, to a watchmaker. In the series, Louisa's family name is Leyton, and her father is a clock-maker.
The programme lasted for two series totaling 31 episodes, shown between 1976 and 1977. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series in 1980. The theme music was composed by Alexander Faris.[1]
Plot summary
Beautiful but no-nonsense Louisa Leyton (Gemma Jones) has one driving ambition, to become a great cook. She finds employment as a cook in the household of Lord Henry Norton (Bryan Coleman). His handsome, wealthy, aristocratic nephew, Charlie Tyrrell (Christopher Cazenove), attempts to seduce the attractive redhead, but she rebuffs him, stating clearly her intentions of becoming the best cook in London. Louisa manages to convince Lord Norton's sexist French chef, Monsieur Alex (George Pravda), into accepting her as his apprentice.
When Louisa is unexpectedly called upon to prepare a dinner by herself, she catches the eye of one of the guests, Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales (Roger Hammond), who admires both her cooking and her appearance. After the dinner, Louisa is pressured into becoming Edward's mistress. Against her own wishes, she agrees to marry Lord Norton's head butler, Augustus 'Gus' Trotter (Donald Burton), to maintain the appearance of respectability and to protect the royal reputation. Gus and Louisa are given a house, and her involvement with the prince commences. In time, Edward's mother, Queen Victoria, dies leaving Edward to assume the throne as King Edward VII and causing him to end his relationship with Louisa.
Louisa's shaky marriage to Gus had become strained, both from her affair with the prince and her great success as a chef. In an effort to help Gus recover his pride, Louisa purchases the Bentinck Hotel and talks a reluctant Gus into managing it.
Louisa keeps one of the Bentinck's employees, an elderly butler called Merriman (John Welsh). She hires the brisk, soldierly Starr (John Cater), who is always accompanied by his dog Fred, as the porter. To help round out her staff, Louisa brings with her from their former employer, her loyal Welsh assistant and friend Mary (Victoria Plucknett). (Late in the series, Starr and Mary will wed.)
Rounding out the principal cast is Major Toby Smith-Barton (Richard Vernon), an upper-class, retired Army officer. The Major enjoys wagering on the horse races, and ends up unable to pay his hotel bill. Reluctant to "toss him out on the street" and liking the man, Louisa offers the Major a position: general adviser, bellhop and greeter.
In the meantime, Gus, abetted by his sister, lets the authority go to his head. His arrogance alienates the staff and more importantly, the guests. Once Louisa discovers that he has lavishly entertained his friends and driven away the guests, she throws both him and his meddling sister out. Then she discovers, to her horror, the mountain of bills he has left unpaid.
With only Mary to assist her, she sets to work to pay the debts, taking any and all cooking jobs, however humble, but finally, overcome by fatigue, she collapses in the street very early one morning. Fortunately, Charlie Tyrrell is passing by (leaving a late night assignation), and takes her back to the Bentinck. Once he learns of Louisa's financial woes, he overcomes her resistance, pays her debts, and become a silent partner in the hotel.
Charlie and Louisa have a very passionate romance. Eventually, Louisa secretly gives birth to their illegitimate daughter, Lottie (Lalla Ward). Fearing a scandal, Lottie is discreetly sent away and adopted by a young couple who works on Charlie's estate. Infatuated with Charlie, Louisa begins to neglect both the hotel and her cooking. Recognizing what is happening, the Major steps in and has a discreet word with Charles. Knowing how much the establishment means to Louisa, Charlie leaves for an extended stay in America, giving Louisa a chance to refocus on her business. Grief-stricken at first, Louisa eventually regains her senses and makes the Bentinck a great success. Later, Charlie and Louisa agree to remain friends, but not lovers.
Sometime later, upon the death of his father, Charlie inherits the family fortune and the title of Lord Haslemere. With Louisa's approval, Charlie marries another woman. He tells Louisa that if his marriage has any hope of working, he will have to be away from her.
In time, Charlie's wife passes away, and he and Louisa resume their relationship. However, they decide to postpone their wedding until the end of the First World War. Tragically, Charlie dies as a result of injuries received in the war. Louisa is grief-stricken, but gradually recovers.
Lottie, now grown up, discovers the true identity of her birth parents and presents herself to her mother. Eventually they have a falling out over Louisa's wish that Lottie become a lady and Lottie's realization that she will never be accepted by town society and her desire for a singing career instead.
Louisa's parents occasionally make an appearance in the series. She is on very good terms with her ineffectual, but loving father (John Rapley), but not with her critical, abrasively selfish mother (June Brown). Late in the series, Louisa's father dies, after giving a modest sum of money to his granddaughter, Lottie, to help her pursue her singing career. Louisa becomes reconciled to Lottie's career choice and decides to support Lottie in her career as well.
Characters
- Louisa Trotter (née Leyton) (Gemma Jones)
- Charles "Charlie" Tyrrell, later Lord Haslemere (Christopher Cazenove)
- Mary (Victoria Plucknett)
- Starr (John Cater)
- Merriman (John Welsh)
- Major Smith-Barton (Richard Vernon)
- Augustus Trotter (Donald Burton)
- Mrs. Violet Leyton (June Brown)
- Mr. Ernest Leyton (John Rapley)
- Lottie (Philippa Shackleton, Lalla Ward). Gemma Jones is only eight years and six months older than Ward.
- Lord Henry Norton (Bryan Coleman), Louisa's employer for part of the first series, beginning in the first episode
- Monsieur Alex (George Pravda)
- the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (Roger Hammond)
References
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