The Moonstone (1972 TV series)

The Moonstone
Genre	Mystery
Based on	The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Written by	Hugh Leonard
Directed by	Paddy Russell
Starring	Vivien Heilbron Robin Ellis Basil Dignam Martin Jarvis Anna Cropper Maureen Morris Madhav Sharma Kathleen Byron [1] Peter Sallis [2]
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	5
Production
Producer	John McRae
Running time	70 minutes
Production company	BBC
Original release
Network	BBC One
Release	16 January (1972-01-16) – 13 February 1972 (1972-02-13)

The Moonstone is a British mystery television series adapted from the 1868 novel The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. ^{[3] [4]} It aired on BBC 1 in five episodes between 16 January and 13 February 1972. ^[5] It subsequently aired in America on PBS-TV's Masterpiece Theatre between 10 December 1972 and 7 January 1973.

Cast

• Vivien Heilbron as Rachel Verinder
• Robin Ellis as Franklin Blake
• Kathleen Byron as Lady Verinder
• Basil Dignam as Gabriel Betteredge
• Martin Jarvis as Godfrey Ablewhite
• Anna Cropper as Rosanna Spearman
• John Welsh as Sergeant Cuff
• Peter Sallis as Mr. Bruff
• Christopher Hancock as Ezra Jennings
• Brian Murphy as Septimus Luker
• Maureen Morris as Penelope Betteredge
• Madhav Sharma as Indian
• Bell McCallum as Nancy
• Michael Gover as Superintendent Seegrave
• Philip Ray as Dr. Candy
• Roy Macready as Tomlinson
• Tony Maiden as Conjuror's Boy
• Ali Baba as Indian Conjuror
• Azad Ali as Indian Conjuror
• Cynthia Etherington as Miss Clack
• Brian Badcoe as Mr. Murthwaite
• Douglas Mann as Gooseberry
• Dona Martin as Lucy Yolland
• Sheila Keith as Mrs. Yolland
• Norman Claridge as Dr. Richardson
• Timothy Craven as Chemist
• Colin Baker as John Herncastle
• Reginald Jessup as Purser
• Norman Mitchell as Mr. Ablewhite
• Mary Barclay as Mrs. Ablewhite
• Billy Cornelius as Landlord
• Stephen Rea as Major Frayne
• Derek Chafer as Sergeant
• Julie May as Cuff's Housekeeper
• David Simeon as Mechanic
• Pat Gorman as Baker, Plain Clothes Man
• Albert Moses as Treasury Guard
• Marguerite Young as Mrs. Threadgall
• Sherrie Hewson as Charity Ablewhite
• Georgina Simpson as Grace Ablewhite

Reception

The series was well received by critics. In The New York Times , Howard Thompson called it "typically smooth, restrained, well-played, and in lovely, subdued colour". ^[6]

References

1. "The Moonstone (1972)". 16 January 1972.
2. "The Moonstone (1972)". 30 January 1972.
3. "The Moonstone: Part 1". 16 January 1972. p. 19 – via BBC Genome.
4. "The Moonstone Part 5 (1972)". BFI. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021.
5. Baskin p.112
6. Pitts, Michael R. (2004). "Sergeant Cuff". Famous Movie Detectives III. Scarecrow Press. p. 209.

Bibliography

• Baskin, Ellen. Serials on British Television, 1950-1994. Scolar Press, 1996.

External links

• The Moonstone at IMDb