All the King's Horses (Upstairs, Downstairs)

"All the King's Horses"
'Upstairs, Downstairs' episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 15
Directed by Simon Langton
Written by Jeremy Paul
Production code 12
Original air date 14 December 1975

All the King's Horses is the fifteenth episode of the fifth and final series of the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs. It first aired on 14 December 1975 on ITV.

Background

All the King's Horses was recorded in the studio on 12 and 13 June 1975.[1] The director of the episode, Simon Langton, was the son of David Langton, who played Richard Bellamy. All the King's Horses is the final appearance of Simon Williams as James Bellamy.

Cast

Plot

James Bellamy returns from America with renewed enthusiasm for life and hope for his future. He has taken to speculating on the New York Stock Exchange and is making a lot of money. After bestowing lavish gifts on Virginia and Georgina, James proposes to pay for Georgina's wedding and even suggests moving to a bigger house as a direct result of his increasing wealth. He even manages to persuade Rose to invest her entire inheritance, from the estate of her deceased fiance Gregory, but sadly this is just before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. James loses everything, as does Rose.

The disclosure of the losses - particularly Rose's - leads to an argument with his father where James is berated for his failures. Richard tells James that he is glad his mother did not live to see the mess their son has created. Retreating to his room, James later upsets Georgina by burning the letters she wrote to him in happier times. He then leaves Eaton Place, ostensibly to visit a friend. In reality, crippled by mounting debts and guilt, he leaves for a small hotel where he takes his own life with his service revolver.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Marson, Richard (2005). "Inside UpDown - The Story of Upstairs, Downstairs". Kaleidoscope Publishing.

References