good evening I'm Zoe Wanamaker your host
for tonight's masterpiece theater a special 90-minute drama entitled The
Countess Alice. the countess herself is played by one of Britain's great
actresses Dame Wendy Hiller she's no stranger to masterpiece theater you may
remember her in All Passion Spent or The Best of Friends
I play Dame Wendy's daughter in tonight's story which was written
especially for television it's a story that bridges two countries England and
Germany and two eras the 1930s and the 1990s Alice countess von hölzendorf has
lived in both worlds in both times she enjoyed the carefree life of London in
the 30s the glamour and spice of all-night parties dressing up in risque costumes
appearing in high society magazines this was the age of the decadent debutant
half a century on a magazine editor decides to do a follow up story
where are they now for Alice this innocent question triggers our more
searching inquiry into her past which haunts her she fell passionately in love
with a Prussian count Iandmoved to what would later become East Germany where
she remained until almost the end of the war what happened after that
she's never fully explained her daughter Connie intrigued by her past wants to
return to her birthplace in East Germany now the Berlin Wall is down there seems
nothing to stop her the only obstacle is her mother who is
curiously opposed to the idea it threatens their already uneasy
relationship as they live together in the faded grandeur the London apartment
perhaps Alice's foreboding is right perhaps some secrets are best left
buried forever the Countess Alice dressing up for charity on the grand
scale. four temptresses photographs by Masher. Lady Diana Warrington as Eve lady
Beatrice Goodrem as Judith with her sword mrs. Michael kemp as Delilah and
Lady Alice Monroe as Salome the daughter of Herodias the list of women appearing
in the pageant includes the names of almost everyone who has been called
beautiful and these and similar pages since the war Bright Young Things in
normal heart and frocks Bobo Mitford Kikoo Baba hmm little Gaga Mitford.
Eddie Warrington died last week. one of the obituaries used the Masher
picture saying it originally appeared in Albany. I dug out that copy till I found that. which one is Lady Warrington?
Eve. the spooky thing is when I ran the other
three names past Jane she told me they were all still alive. that's what gave me the
then and now idea. it's a long shot. I mean they're all in their
eighties now. but when we got onto them they were actually quite keen. which one
agreed to be interviewed? Salome. Lady Alice Monroe. she looks amazing.
have you booked a photographer? Terrance Donovan. all I want is a thousand words
something about the Masher shoot the party perhaps a little bit about what
life is like for the three temptresses today. when were these taken? 1934. Christ
almost 60 years ago mmm well she's not deaf or anything is she? no. I mean I
don't want to have to shout down one of those ear trumpets. Nick if you're interested
Jane's got the details she who was Lady Alice Monroe is now the
Gräfin Alice von Hötzendorf what? Gräfin. it's German. it means countess. is
that right. 1935 she married a Prussian count. obviously a farsighted woman. or were they personal friends
of that nice mr. Hitler? you'll have to ask her. where's the
funeral? why? Oh Margot said all three old dears might
be there. so? i might go. be a chance to catch them off guard
what do you mean? the minute you turn on the tape recorder people become guarded
then you have to watch the body language like you. don't bother. the way you keep
bending over like that. yes I've had it all before and much more charmingly put.
what? more charming than me? it's family and friends actually. so how does
one address a countess? Your Majesty? I'm serious.
actually countess or madam what else Lady Diana Warrington died the Dowager
Duchess of Hofstra yes her pet name was bejou. on December the 10th 1936 when
the abdication speech was read to Parliament bejou took advantage of
her right as a peer's daughter to a place in the gallery of the House of Lords as
the King spoke she wept openly a young man offered words of comfort Is it Antic Haye? What? the Huxley Normal where the man markets trousers
with the inflatable seats. there's a service of thanksgiving in
town next month this is for family and friends yes
I'm here with the countess von hötzendorf then perhaps you can persuade her to
pipe down. despite her disappointment
when the new king and queen were crowned in May 1937 bejou was one of
four duchesses to hold the canopy over the Queen during the anointing ceremony
Cynthia asquith has left a portrait of the Bijou of this period has an
unforgettable jewel like beauty a soul full of fire
he's only reached 1937 we shall be here all day. quiet Gräfin von Hötzendorf. Constanza, gutten tag.
Grow up Jeremy. how are you dear boy? very well and you?
held together my gum I fear. such a splendid coat. now I hope you're notbeing rude this coat was
given to me by my Aunt May in 1953 of course Connie would do away with them fur coats I mean apparently I can expect to be spat on outside Harrods. are you going into the
house? oh yes yes certainly. I'll see you later. yes
later. countess ah now which one are you? my name's Nick Black from Albany Magazine.
not family? no I'm a journalist I don't think I care much for journalists. well you're doing a photo session for us oh yes yes.
and an interview. oh am I ?
with me. where on earth are my gloves? don't tell me I left them in the church
and where has Constanza got to. Constanza? my daughter. would you like me to
look for them? Oh would you? which one of us will be next to go I wonder you make it sound hardly worth our
going home at all. my only fears of being
reunited with my husband. your gloves countess. thank you. this is
my daughter Constanza. mr. Black is from the magazine that wants to
interview me. I hope you're going to get paid. well I imagine that's all being
discussed. has it? well I suppose so when would you be free? oh well now let
me think tomorrow say tomorrow afternoon. thank you
at 3:30 goodbye why shouldn't she go? no reason Tilly no
reason in the world. but why does it have to now? because she can. reunification. anschluss I'd call it come don't be beastly to the
Germans. it's not as if I'm abandoning her I want us to go together. I am too
old to go. Tilly is always going abroad. in search of a rich widower. i used to want a
sugar daddy now I'm looking for a toy boy. you seem to forget that Hötzendorf was a place of heartache to me a place of suffering. of course I don't forget but it was also my father's - the house will be
in ruins there be nothing to see. I am NOT going and there's an end to it I'll go on my own. You'll do as you please
my dear you always do how can you say that well I think you should both go
it'll be fun well I'm off. your supper's in the oven just heat it through when you want it. I may be late so don't bolt the front door
before you go to bed. you know mama we would have fun. you could help me with my German. Constanza haven't I made myself plain? I am NOT going back. if you feel you must yes? then please go when I am dead. [Speaking German] [Speaking German] [Speaking German] nothing all past [door bell] gray the sky gray the sea and gray my heart. good [door bell] what a nuisance. excuse me a moment. you're early mr. black. will you wait there please? oh do come in. I was finishing a lesson. Deborah this is mr. Black. did you read the
poem? [speaks German] no I didn't have time. well then keep it and make time. I will. do you have many pupils? well I used to have now i have two Deborah who's the daughter
of a loyal former pupil and a fat businessman who
assures me that German is now the lingua franca. it's a lovely room.
have you lived here long? 45 years it belonged to an aunt of
mine and she let us live here when I returned to England. I should
never have been able to afford it otherwise. now mr. Black you sit there.
no sit here. i sit there. now watch out for Pushkin. He bites. what did you actually wear to the
charity ball? Seven Veils of course oh the original photograph was even more
revealing but I insisted on it being cut down like that. it was something to do
with the way she positioned her lights. yeah I should have known of course Masher was notorious
for that sort of thing. what sort of thing? well how shall
one put she was fonder of women than of men. I see well you were very
beautiful. once upon a time. you still are. now I know you're teasing me. did you meet your husband at one
of these parties? no I met him at the May Ball. he was a great friend
of one of my cousin's and then I went to
Munich for a month to stay with his great aunt who
took paying guests. I went with Freddie we sat on
the pier and dangled our feet in the lake. he put the rings for my fingers onto my toes
to see how they'd look in the water. he was he was so free so alive so different from the men
I'd known at home. he simply bowled me over. well at the end of the month I stayed on. six weeks later
we were married. really?
yes it was something of a minor scandal you see apart from marrying a
foreigner and so suddenly I was already engaged to be married in England. weren't you worried about the way
things were going in Germany? but of course but by the time things had
turned really ugly it was too late. you see I had exchanged my
British passport for German one and I was expecting my first child. your first? a boy Otto what happened to him? he was a delicate child he didn't survive. you knew there would be a war?
one feared as much you knew that your husband would fight?
Oh certainly his was a military family.
did he support Hitler? he was a loyal army
officer he loved his country. so why didn't you return to your country? I have
already told you mr. Black I no longer held a British passport. but if you knew
there was going to be a war why did you give up your British passport in the
first place? why did you marry the count? did you have to? I'm sorry I didn't mean... I married my husband because I loved him with a passion that I found frightening. when he was away fighting I thought if he is killed I do not think that I shall be alive six months hence. well Here I am 46 years later. of course there have been other... no one no one has been able to
take his place. oh I was right to marry him because in spite of everything
that happened afterwards no one can take that away
from me good heavens, its Constanza. good gracious listen to me blathering away about the past
like that old vicar. thought you'd be finished by now we have more or less I've more than enough for the article. don't suppose you've offered
mr. Black any tea. well dear we were busy.
i'll get you some. should i give your daughter a hand? no thank you there's no need
she can manage. I'd like to if you don't mind.
oh well just as you please do you live here? at the moment. what you do for a living? is it my turn to be interrogated? shouldn't you get your tape
machine first? I'm sure your readers would be fascinated to
know about my work at the University Library. I'll have to check the spelling of some of the
names your mother's used. what was the house called?
Altenwald. A - L - T - E -N W - A - L - D have you ever been there? what's she been saying to you? what you mean?
about me going back. nothing. are you going back? Here, let me. what are you doing? none of your business. why? it's all I can afford. no I mean surely she can tell the difference. your father always took
his tea with lemon though of course the tea there has
a much stronger flavour. mr. Black. show my daughter
the magazine. look my dear your mother
the cover girl. I have something to show you. I'm flying to Hamburg on Thursday.
so you are going back? I didn't realize when I said... so you two have been conspiring
behind my back. don't be ridiculous. I don't understand why you're
so against the idea. the past is dead and
buried Constanza it has gone forever it cannot
be revisited. I want to see Altenwald for
myself that's all. I can understand that
just from what you've told me. your opinion was not
asked for mr. Black. I was born there after all.
she seems to forget that. so she's going on her own. for some reason the old lady's really
against it and... oh my god obviously the countess liked to party.
she let slip that the picture that appeared in Albany had been cropped.
I'm not surprised. so I went down to
the Masher archive. they let you have this. well I
had to turn on the old charm obviously told him I was writing a piece on masher
that the public should be allowed to see the photo she intended.
that's not charming that's deceit. what's the difference? come on Margo
there's a story there. Nick I'm building a feature around a
set of society photographs. I'm talking about another piece all together. i like my
original idea. do both. look you think there's a skeleton in the cupboard. well
maybe yeah I don't know. but that's not our style. I married a Nazi? I think she
was pregnant at the time. so what? I'm not sure what happened to
her child. Nick the reason people like these let us into their lives is because they know we're not going to dig the dirt. that sounds like hello you'll be
giving them veto of a copy and pictures next. well that's crap and you know it.
fact is I'm not prepared to let you turn this into an
opportunity to advance your career. I really must look at these. will you use the photograph?
no. then I'll take the story elsewhere. I'm sure you will Nick but not until our issue is out
on the stands. any shine Terence? no just do the nose can you fix the bow? yes that's enough girls. out. out! [chatter] Just a bit more dignified. Try a bit taller. Grow you mean? I'm too old to grow. [chatter] Let's take a break. OK champagne for those that want it [chatter] [Chatter] Marcia's portraits were all the rage. what was she like? you should really talk to Alice about her. she and Marcia were as
thick as thieves for awhile. really? Oh yes. did your daughter go last night
countess? yes she did I'm sorry about that business with the
tickets. Nothing to do with me I know mr. black thank you I was wondering whether
I could talk to you again surely haven't you, haven't you got
enough material? there just a couple of things I'd like
to clear up if you don't mind. well then, you better well you'd better come to dinner tomorrow night say
7:30. thank you. black tie or white? I leave it to you. thank you [Speaking in German] [Speaking in German] [Speaking in German] [Speaking in German] hello. mother its me. oh my darling where are you? oh I
see oh yes yes of course I am yes have you seen the house? not yet. oh when will
you go? tomorrow. yes I know must you go now already? yes. of course
of course good night my darling. good night I speak English. if German's
a problem for you seems you met Bruno.
he's the caretaker he's an old apparatchik you know. oh yes I'm sorry. I'm Constanza von Hölzendorf Werner Betts. did you say von hölzendorf?
yes this was my father's home. of course and the English countess.
yes. what is it now? it was occupied by the military when they left some of the rooms were let as
apartments to artists or academics like me. you live her? can I at least look
around the grounds? I have no objection. there's a family graveyard.
yes. and a summer house. that has gone I'm afraid
oh. well. thank you for your help. do you know where you're going? I feel as if I do
from my mother stories. she wanted to come
but she's too old now. am i right?
in those woods? yes you're right. I've been looking forward to dinner.
i fear it'll have to be baked beans on toast. my favorite. personally I would prefer to go out ah it's just that I
dressed for dinner here. oh my dear boy that
was me teasing you. and this is me
teasing you back. I spend the afternoon in
second-hand shops to achieve this effect. I think you look very handsome.
if a trifle overdressed for the local trattoria. nonsense. people will assume
that we're going on to somewhere splendid and they're envious. now what about a
glass of that delicious champagne. I think that's an excellent idea. there's a place I know
just around the corner oh good there I'll get my coat I'll ring and book a table yes. yes do. what do your people do? I'm sorry. your parents. oh they're both teachers have you heard from
your daughter? yes she telephoned last night
to say she'd arrived safely. had she seen Altenwald? today I think. I shouldn't have let you
come here like that. I thought you were joking
when you said your name. what do you mean? you must understand the village bears that name
the whole area that family owned
everything for 30 miles many people including my
parents worked for them. it is not just any name. since unification there have been many stories.
aristocrats coming east to visit family homes. the next thing they tried to
reclaim them. they have been coming from all over
the world in search of real estate. that's not why I came. you didn't believe me. but you understand what I really -
i am... I am. Constanza von Hölzendorf. I am. Look see my photograph. so what's that
supposed to mean? and then my husband returned
to Altenwald to convalesce. his right leg had been shattered and the army surgeons had
removed it. when was this? oh it was 44 yes February February 1944. he was wounded
at Anzio. yes I... I remember the horror
of making love. in spite of his wounds he
wanted to. I was so scared that his
injuries would be too much for me. he was such a proud man. when the dressings were being changed
he used to place a handkerchief over his face so that the nurse
shouldn't see him cry and then I discovered that
I was expecting again. Connie? yes Connie. she was born on Christmas Eve. I didn't want another baby. the winter was bitterly cold. the Red Army was advancing fast and convoys of refugees were passing by the
edge of the estate in open wagons. sometimes we'd find their dead
abandoned on the road in the morning. no it was no time to
have a new baby [music] you must tell me what you know. yes. everything. we gave them what food and blankets
we could but there were so many. they brought news of the Russian advance.
women abused anyone in uniform shot landowners shot as a matter of course and
still and I couldn't dissuade my husband to leave. you see his family had succeeded
to Altenwald for over 700 years he knew every tree every shrub but each day
he made preparations to go. burying things in the woods boxes of papers
silver always something else. it suddenly dawned on me he couldn't leave. he would never leave. what did you do? I put on clothes that had belonged to a kitchen
maid and I fled with Constanza. we joined an alliance of refugees. you left him? I had to save the child. how old was she? she was four months what happened your husband? as Russia Falls Germany rises. both world
wars were in great measure awful struggles between Germany and Russia for
control of Europe. now again the balance it has changed is changing. it's exciting but it's also very frightening. I'm sorry I'm lecturing you. I still don't know if my faculty
will survive the take over by the West. these days I teach when I can why did you come back Connie? what did
you hope to find? I don't know I'm middle-aged I have no children my work bores me I don't know. how long but it no I understand okay no
thank you. look I'll take the car. I'll be okay.
no i don't think you should. if I got my head
down and sobered up a bit. there's a couch in the study. I suppose you could
lie down there for a while. just for an hour or two. it's this way I'm sorry it's so untidy. the rooms rather being taken
over by Constanza. the bathroom's next door. would you please see that the front door
is shut securely when you leave? I will. thank you good night.
good night it's alright I feel so adrift. as if I'm not here at all [speaking German] hold me. I am tighter here. I want you to have this. oh no no no
no I couldn't. I insist. hide it well. write to me. hello? yes and I'm sorry to have bothered you
doctor. thank you goodbye.
Oh doctor - is it worth me ringing the hospital? yes yes I'm sure you're right thank you goodbye where have you been?
we've been to the Savoy for tea. Oh Connie, you would have roared when we arrived they wouldn't let us in. Nicholas Nicholas not wearing a proper jacket. well I'd no
idea such things were still de rigueur. we had to wait till one was
returned to the cloakroom then poor Nicholas had to wear a jacket several
sizes too big. still warm! I thought you were staying until
Wednesday dear. I never said that. how was your trip?
fascinating. then I'd like to hear about
it sometime. would you? I'm writing a
piece about your mother. yes I know. no this is another one dear in depth for a sunday supplement. look I'd best be off. you two
obviously have lots to talk about. yes thank you for tea Nicholas. goodbye. goodbye. goodbye. now come my child and and tell me all about it. is the big catalpa tree still there and the summerhouse? I'm going to run myself a bath. now?
yes now. do you remember somebody
called Heinrich Betts? Betts? no no
you don't remember. I met their son Werner. he lives in the house. who does? who lives there? Werner Betts. some of the rooms have
been turned into apartments. he gave me permission to
walk in the grounds. I went to the family graveyard there's some statue there of Jesus. the hands have been broken off the face smashed but the graves
haven't been touched I saw Otto's. [speaking German] and two more recent ones. oh no dear no. Otto was the last v
on hölzendorf to be laid to rest there. no two others since. in the firmly graveyard? who? who have they buried there? you don't know do you?
well know what Connie there're two more recent inscriptions. yes? one reads graf Frederick von hölzendorf Freddie. there's a memorial to Freddie?
no not a memorial a grave! the other reads Constanza Alice. What do you mean? born 24th of December 1944
died April 1945. a mistake. that's what I thought. of course a stupid mistake. but then I spoke to Werner. who?
who I told you Werner Betts. it seems they were... building in the grounds clearing
some woodland digging foundations they found two bodies in a shallow grave.
the soil there it's peaty. the remains were
quite well preserved. the body of a man
and the body of a baby. so many people died.
the man's right leg had been amputated at the hip. no a lot of the villagers were still
loyal to the von hölzendorfs despite the risk of punishment they reburied the bodies in
the family graveyard. a local stonemason even
carved the inscriptions. a mistake.
another child. they say he was still holding
the baby in his arms. no! a mistake!
then explain it to me because I want to
believe it's a mistake. why did you have to go? what do you know of the past?
nothing. who ever told you this was lying. this man what was his name Betts?
this Betts. ridiculous lies. the authorities were convinced
enough to issue that. I went to the records office. I told them I was a writer working on your biography. they let me have a copy. my death certificate! such errors occur in wartime.
this was issued in 1961 ! nothing to do with the war! say something. I don't know what to say. tell me the truth.
the truth? Connie it all happened so long ago.
your a liar. bloody sodding liar. if you don't tell me what happened I'm going to leave and I swear I'll never come back. and where would you go? I'll walk out of here and you'll never see me again. no don't!
not your precious book! they're not my books are they? get off me! get off me! [crying] all right. [crying] please don't cry. I can't bear to hear you cry. how long did the journey
from Atlenwald take you? five hours? the first time it took us five weeks
what do you mean - us? you and me my child. here wipe your face. I couldn't make Freddy leave. in the end I decided to
leave by myself but seeing him in such pain
struggling with his crutches I kept staying on one more day
one more day. and then the servants
came to us and said that the keeper had seen Russian troops
at the edges of the... of the estate. we hitched the horses to the wagon and started down the drive. you Frederick and Constanza. yes it was chaos. Russian soldiers
everywhere they dragged us from the wagon and they took the child from me
and they they made Freddie watch. watch? watch... while they... they used me. i must have passed out they left me for dead. later I remember villagers villagers and soldiers looting. people were running with pictures...
my clothes and great long
curtains dragging in the mud. I tried to look for you -
for Constanza! for Constanza and for Freddie I must have passed out again
but I was lucky because a maid and her father found me and took
me to their house in the village. they told me that my husband and my
child had been shot. but she gave me her clothes and... I joined the convoys of
refugees who were heading west. when Freddy came back so horribly wounded he
used to cry out at night from the pain in his leg
the leg they amputated. the one that wasn't there.
he still felt it you see and that's how it was for me. I felt the loss of Constanza like
the loss of a limb I felt it here. I traveled with an old couple
and their daughter. the daughter had a baby.
she let me hold her. her milk had dried up and I fed you. you were so hungry but you cried and and cried until you were too weak to cry anymore the old woman died the old man was dying the fields were flooded and frozen. we made slower and slower progress. I should have gone on alone
but I couldn't leave you I called you Constanza the daughter was ill and one night I knew
I had no choice if you were to live. I took you and moved on. you took me from my mother? yes what was my name? what was my real name? I don't know.
liar! truly I don't know. she must have called me something.
my mother must have called me something. they spoke a language I
didn't know. it might have been Serb or Polish perhaps even Russian. or Jewish. I don't know. so there's nothing to tell me
who I really am. no... no. nothing. why have you never told me this before? Oh My Darling... I had lost everything. I couldn't face losing you as well. you've been through my things. my letters.
my letters from Richard. I haven't. believe me. Why I should I believe you?
Here you want to read them? read them all. you'll find them interesting.
more lies and deceit. more lies! I wish I could hurt you
the way you've hurt me. You are hurting me nowhere near enough please I beg of you don't go like this?
please! I thought there was something wrong
somewhere but it's not what I expected. what did you expect? I don't know. that your father worked
for the Gestapo or something. you've seen too many war
films. no I'm serious. if you had a German name
you'd understand. stupid jokes at school
the seig heils. she wouldn't change it. said I should be proud of my
European blood and I was. that hasn't changed. everything's changed. you take so much
for granted and little things like... what star sign you are suddenly you're told it's all been a big
mistake. your life is based on lies. what am I supposed to do? just start again? forget the last 40 years? so why do you want to see your life story splashed
across the pages of a sunday supplement? will you write it? no I don't think so. Why? I don't like being used. I thought you were a journalist.
besides I like her. I don't want to hurt her.
so she's charmed you too? in a way. she needs you Connie. as nurse perhaps. cook,
housemaid. oh come along. as more than that. I know it's awful for you
but I think you should... forgive and forget. oh that's
easy for you to say. she's been through so much, you've got the rest of your life ahead of you.
have i? all I do know is that I spent far
too much of it looking after her. my mistake was in needing a place
to stay for a while. but that's three years ago. it was your decision to leave Richard. how do you know that? what? what do you know about Richard? just what Alice told me. what did you tell you?
nothing really. it was you who read my
letters wasn't it? what letters? look just forget what I
just told you all right? forget?.
yes I was making it up whatever you say. tell your mother I'll send her a copy of
the magazine when it's ready it was a dark and rainy night when we
had our first glimpse of the harbor lights at Dover. I wrapped you inside my
coat and took you on deck. the rain and sea spray was cold on
our faces but you didn't cry. I knew then, there in the darkness that we were being reborn together. that from that moment on we
were mother and daughter. bound as inextricably as any
two human beings could be. those weeks with you as we
traveled west struggling to survive were a kind of labor for me. as painful as
joyous as real as anything I'd felt before. nothing can destroy that for me. I understand your anger. I recognize my cowardice
and selfishness but you are and always will be
my beloved daughter. where did you get that? Werner found it
buried in the woods. Freddie! I have some photographs
from Germany already? would you like to see them? yes I would it tastes so much better
from this glass? you know the tea I buy is the
cheapest I can find. floor sweepings really. I pretend it comes from Fortnum's. the sherry, the coffee
all the cheapest. I know looking at that picture now one
realizes how drastically one has aged. these days I should have to pose as one
of those frightful crones they used to paint looking on in the background. Too old
would even for Salome's mother. NICK: I asked the countess if it was her idea to pose
as Salome and for a moment I could see again the 22 year old who danced with
such abandon for Masher's camera. it oh yes was my idea.
I loved to dance.
