Original subtitles

JAUNTY BRASS BAND MUSIC

NANCY: It has always intrigued me,

coming from a family of seven children,

all with the same upbringing,

how we turned out to be so different.

Some of my sisters wanted to change the world.

While the rest of us took life less seriously.

Come here?

Unity was definitely the most determined of us.

What is she doing?

As a child, she'd been prone to developing obsessions,

which she pursued with great fervour.

These fads didn't usually last long

and were a terrific source of entertainment for the rest of us.

It was only Decca who feared that this one was becoming a campaign

that would define the rest of her life.

Sieg Heil!

Meanwhile, for me, despite the worry of our growing debts,

the novelty of being a housewife had not yet worn off.

Oh, hello there!

QUIET CHATTER

CHILD:No! My turn!

You see, how impressive is this?

I can now make tea, fry eggs and light fires.

Hugely impressive.

It's the least I can do, really, as my poor husband...

..trudges off to the City looking for a new job, bless him.

Ooh, and I've even started work on a new novel.

There you go. I'm making very good progress.

Naunce, I'm sorry...

..I have a favour to ask.

Oh, God.

What is it?

I think I'm...

Well, I'm certain actually, that I'm...

Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Oh, my Lord.

I mean, I can't possibly have Mosley's child out of wedlock.

No?

No, no. I suppose...

But what about in wedlock?

No. Good God, his wife hasn't been dead a year.

The papers would have a field day if he married me.

It's the last thing he needs right now.

And everything is going so well for the party.

Membership is increasing, we've got a huge rally planned for June.

The least whiff of a scandal

could ruin all that.Oh, Nard.

Not to mention Muv and Farve.

They're still getting over my divorce.

So...

..what are you going to do?

Well, there's only one thing I CAN do, isn't there?

Jesus.

Really?

Of course, I would dearly love to have his child, but...

..it's impossible, so...

..I've found a clinic in the West End that will...

..oblige. Lordy, Nard. Those, those...

Those places, that's a risk, isn't it?It's a reputable place.

Or expensive anyway.

Mosley will pay, of course, but he can't, for obvious reasons...

..come with.

I wondered...

..could YOU bear to?

Well, of course.

But, God, you...

You are making an awful lot of sacrifices, aren't you?

No choice.

MILITARY DRUMBEAT

Nancy had a year abroad. So did Pam, so did Diana.

It seems only fair that I should, doesn't it?

We offered to send you to Paris to learn French and you flatly refused.

But the French are so affected and snobbish, aren't they?

Whereas the Germans are so much friendlier.

More like us.

I want to learn German properly.

You know, to have proper discussions.

Who the devil do you want to have discussions with in Germany?

Well...

Just everyone.

And, of course, there is such a rich culture to discuss.

Beethoven, Bach, Wagner.

And this school in Munich has an awfully good reputation.

It's run by a baroness.I thought you hated the idea of school?

Well, yes, ordinary schools for children.

But this one is a finishing school for young ladies.

Lucy Hesket and her sister went there.Really?

You could talk to their mother if you like?

And because of the German exchange rate,

it's really unbelievably cheap.

Less than my allowance.

And one less mouth to feed here.

All expenses are included.

Well, she does seem much improved

since her trip to Germany with Diana last year.

And, in fact, for the first time since she was a small child,

she seems positive.

Helpful, happy.

That's just because she's just trying to persuade us to let her go.

No, I know, I know. But it is a finishing school.

It might actually do her some good. She might make some friends.

I've spoken to Lady Hesket

and she says that Munich is terribly clean and safe,

full of British students, and she says that her daughters loved it.

Well, I suppose we can't actually forbid her from going,

now that she's of age.

Exactly, so I told her that we'd think about it.Mm.

Mm.

And, by the way, I've invited Diana and her boys here for Easter.

What?Yes, yes.

And you're going to welcome her with open arms.

Ah.

Am I, now?

Because I know you miss her just as much as we all do.

And we can't carry on punishing her, can we?

No.

No, I suppose not.

All well at the bank?

Yes, yes, all in hand.

All in hand.

I didn't sleep last night.

Of course.

But look, Nard, this...this... this is a reputable place.

The surgeons are...

..highly paid professionals, real doctors,

with all the latest, you know...

..things.

Not so much worried about the op, but, erm...

..the boys.

I haven't made a will. Oh, don't be silly.

But you would look after them for me, wouldn't you?

If anything were to...

..go wrong?Of course.

I would spoil them rotten for the rest of their lives.

But you're going to be fine.

DOOR OPENS

And it will all be over before you know it.

And I shall be right here waiting for you.

Oh, God.

Now, one, two, three...All right? four, five, six, seven.

Where are the others?

Never mind Easter Sunday, it'll be Christmas soon!

There she is! Where's Mummy?

INAUDIBLE

Baa. Can you say, "Baa"?

CHURCH ORGAN PLAYS

# He who would valiant be

# 'Gainst all disaster

# Let him in constancy

# Follow the master

# There's no discouragement

# Shall make him once relent... #

You all right?

Still bleeding.

Prod, have you got the flask?

# Who so beset him round

# With dismal stories

# Do but themselves confound

# His strength the more is

# No foes shall stay his might

# Though he with giants fight

# He will make good his right

# To be a pilgrim. #

CHATTER

Come here.

Darling, where are you going? I won't be a minute.

"Another shipyard closes."

It's all doom, gloom and more doom about the economy. It never ends.

Thank you.Thank you.

Oh, here. Listen to this.

"Winston Churchill's nephew vanishes."

Oh, no!What's this?

What, into thin air? Like a magician's rabbit?

Oh, that'll be Nellie's boy. He was always trouble.

"Esmond Romilly absconded from his school, Wellington College,

"yesterday at dawn, and travelled to London, where he is believed to be

"under the influence of a group of communist agitators."

Oh, no!How wonderful!Oh, Decca. Isn't he a cousin of ours?

Yes. Second cousin.

"His mother said... HE CLEARS THROAT

"He has caused us enormous anxiety and made us terribly angry.

"He is ruining his future."

Well, he IS ruining it.

And for it to be splashed all over the papers like that, poor Nellie.

"The boy's obsessed with politics and thinks of nothing and nobody else.

"I wish a couple of sturdy fascists would pick him up, tuck him under their arms..."

Hear, hear. "..and keep him out of harm's way until all this trouble is over."

Oh, Unity, sit down.That's enough.

LAUGHTER That is enough!

It's not funny.

He's an ungrateful boy.

Appalling behaviour.

I-I-I won't hear another word about it. Is that clear?

Right, in you go, Prod. Roast beef waits for no man.

What did you do? You're not going to get any roast beef.

You should have stopped me.

Come along.

I'll give you a couple of scraps.

This way.

Did I tell you about my book?

I'm calling it Wigs On The Green.

The idea came to me when I saw Unity giving a full-on fascist salute

to the poor woman in the village shop. I mean, it's insane.

And I thought - "this needs to be ridiculed.

Shown up for the utter rubbish it is.

What, the fascist movement? Yes. Don't you think?

Have you told Unity about this?

Or Diana?

Not yet, but of course I will.

What?

You know how seriously they take their politics.

It's just a tease.

No more than they deserve.

Besides, my publishers are dead keen on it

and have already paid me an advance, thank God.

Because we're really on our uppers. Prod still not found a job?

He's come close a few times,

but they all seem to slip away at the last moment.

Right.

Here she is.

Allow me to introduce the new love of my life.

Isn't she a beauty?

Oh, my word, yes!

I bought her with my earnings from the farm.

In the summer, we're going down through France,

across the Alps, and over the Dolomites, on to Venice.

Fabulous.

And who's "we"?Me and her.

You're going across Europe, alone? Yes, why not?

Good God, Pam, how did you get to be so brave?

I should think you're the brave one...

ENGINE STARTS ..writing that book.

Spin?

I mean, you don't think they'll REALLY object, do you?

Diana and Unity?

No, I shouldn't worry about that. Unity's on another planet anyway.

What do you mean?

Well, she's not quite the full shilling, is she?

It's not that. She's just...

..different.

She's not stupid. Her mind just works differently to most.

She's not normal. Well, none of us are.

Good God, if it's normal you want, you're in quite the wrong family.

No, anyway, I just don't want to upset her or Diana.

Well, you're not making fun of THEM, are you?

It's of the politics and the movement. It's satire, isn't it?

Mm.Oh, you know what?

We should actually go and hear Mosley speak, as research.

Yes, satire has to be accurate to work.

Anyway, we've spent your advance, so there's no going back, is there?

It'll be fine.

SHE SIGHS

I'm going.What?

To Germany.

Muv just told me. They've decided...

..to let me go.

To live there.

No.Yes.

She's spoken to the school.

It's all arranged.

I'm going in a fortnight. I can't...

I can't believe it.

Blimey, Boud.

You...

You...you wore them down. You broke their will.

I'm going to Munich.

City of filthy Nazis.

The same city as him.

Boud, you're trembling.

Feel my heart.

Bloody hell!

So, you're leaving me, then?

Sorry.

No, you're not.

You're not one bit sorry.

It'll happen for you too, Boud. One day.

If you're going, just go.

Just go.

DOORBELL RINGS

DRUMBEAT

Frau Mitford?Yes.

Bitte, kommen Sie rein.

Bitteschon.

Ich lasse Ihren Koffer sofort nach oben bringen.

Sorry, I beg your pardon?

Erm, I shall have her trunk sent up immediately.

Oh, thank you very much. Thank you.

Tea is taken at four o'clock, where you can meet the other girls.

The timetable is posted here every Monday.

Every Monday.Mm-hm.

I myself teach German.

We also have lessons in literature,

in history of art and in piano.

Unity?

So, if you would care to take a seat.

Darling?

I shall bring refreshments, yes? Thank you very much.

Well, everything seems very clean and well organised, doesn't it?

And the girls seem quite nice, do they?

Unity, while you're here, I want you to remember

that you are representing the entire family.

So, Unity, please behave appropriately.Of course.

And...

..if you're unhappy in any way, you can always use the telephone,

and your father and I will come and pick you up

and take you home immediately. Yes?

Oh!

Thank you for letting me come. Thank you so much.

Anyway, it's just really a very good-natured tease,

which I hope you'll find amusing.

And, of course, you can read the manuscript before I send it off,

and I will cut out anything too close to the bone, I promise.

Thank you. Promise noted.

Actually, I think you're going to have such a marvellous time tonight,

you'll be a total convert to the cause anyway.

Obviously I'm biased, but he is a truly magnificent speaker.

I only wish I could come with you. Are you sure you can't?

No. If the newspapers got hold of it,

well, it's not worth the risk.

But you will telephone me when you get home?

Tell me all about it? Yes, of course.

There. How's that?

Much better. Thanks.

Now, let's see what your husband thinks.

Darling, what on earth are you doing?

Well, I'm sure your sister doesn't mind, do you, Diana?Fine.

I took the liberty while I was waiting because, before we go off,

I thought we could at least toast our glorious leader.

One for you. And one for you, Diana.

To Mosley and the Blackshirts.

NEWS REPORT:This evening, at the Great Exhibition Hall in Olympia,

Sir Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists,

addressed a full house of his followers.

Only fascism can succeed

in bringing order out of the chaos,

strength out of weakness and prosperity out of poverty.

You fascist pig!

Seize that man. Seize him!

I warn you now.

NEWS REPORT:The gathering quickly became contentious,

as hecklers in the audience attempted to disrupt proceedings.

Any red agitators, any foreign friends,

you will be removed at once.

And with force!

NEWS REPORT:Violence spilled out into the surrounding streets,

where 2,000 communist and civilian protesters clashed

with Mosley's Blackshirts in scenes unprecedented in British politics.

We will be heard!

Well, we were lucky to get out of there alive.

Bunch of absolute thugs.Never again am I wearing this thing.

The naked ambition he has of destroying democracy

and becoming a dictator.Setting himself up as the country's saviour.

Whipping up the mob to fever pitch.

He was...he was encouraging the violence.Yes.

TELEPHONE RINGS

Oh, no.

No, no, no. What on earth am I going to say to her?

What? Now she...

Now she knows we're here. She'll think I've done that on purpose.

Oh, who cares? Bloody fascist.

Come on, she's...she's my sister.

She'll think it's a fault on the line.

Anyway, tonight just proves your book is needed now more than ever.

My book isn't going to stop this. I wish I could burn the book.

Well, then, you'll have to pay back the publishers, won't you?

And with what? I mean, we owe money everywhere.

I have drained my savings dry, I've sold every last bit of jewellery.

Well, I'm out there every single day looking for work.

I'm doing my level best.Are you?

Am I?

Sorry, what do you think I'm doing?

Do you think I'm sitting around in bars?No, of course not.

I just mean...Do you notice how I support your writing?

How I encourage you and help you? Yet when it comes to my work efforts,

all I get is wild accusations of dishonesty.I'm not accusing you.

I'm just worried because our debts are so huge

and yet you don't seem at all worried about how we're...

I don't think you realise just what a mean-spirited

and suspicious little wife you've become, Nancy.

BICYCLE BELL RINGS Hello.Hello, Miss.

Here you are, more brain fodder.

Oh, thanks, Stubblow.

You are a brick.

Yes!

It's Out Of Bounds by Esmond and Giles Romilly.

Look.

Look, Esmond is handsome, isn't he?

Do admit. Most communists are, you know.

Is he the one that ran away?Yes.

He's only 17 and he's written a whole book.

Well, half of one.

What's it about?

How to change the status quo, I should think.

Why do you feel that it has to change?

I like it as it is.

I mean, look how lucky we are to live here.

Nice house, acres of countryside, dogs, horses.

That's just the problem.

We have everything, others have nothing.

That's not our fault.

No, but we can do something about it if we try.

You've got to have a goal in life, Stubbs.

What's yours?

I'd like to live in a nice house, in the country.

I expect...

I'll fall in love one day, with a rich, gorgeous man.

That is absolutely pathetic.

Well, not for me.

Romance isn't the answer, Stubbs. Politics is.

DRUMBEAT

Everything is so clean and pretty here, isn't it?

You know how in London, it's all so filthy and drab?

Is it?

I mean, Angela, we are so lucky to be right here,

right now, at the most exciting time in Germany's entire history.

Guten Morgen.

And the people, so welcoming.

This is the place.

It's where it all started.

God.

Do you think he's in there now?

No, he only comes at lunchtime.

And anyway, he's always surrounded by his men,

so there's never any chance of getting close to him.

How often does he come?

I don't know. Once a week, once a fortnight, so they say.

What are you doing?

QUIET CHATTER

Guten Tag. Kann ich Ihnen helfen?

Guten Tag.

Ich mochte gerne einen Tisch zum Mittagessen reservieren.

Klar, einen Moment, bitte.

Ein Tisch fur eine Person?

Ja, gerne.

Fur welchen Tag? Fur jeden Tag, bitte.

Jeden Tag.

Dankeschon.

What are you doing? When were you going to tell me?Huh?

Or were you going to make another public announcement

one day at breakfast so I'd be forced to support you?

I...didn't want to worry you.

It's just a matter of some bad luck on the stock market.

It's a temporary thing.

And if it isn't temporary...

..is there a plan in place?

It's ALWAYS temporary.

Markets fall and rise.

We've just got to sit it out.

Do try and trust me.

I'm going...Don't just disappear. I am going to wash my hands.

Hello?

Hello, darling.

Oh, what have you done with your husband?

Oh, sorry, he sends his apologies, but he's feeling a bit below par.

Really?

Everything all right? Yes, yes. Nothing to worry about.

Any sign of a job for him? Sadly not, no.

I've been thinking.

Might it be a good idea to have separate bank accounts?

I gather some women do these days.

There's nothing left to put in one, Muv.

But we live in hope. Now, I'm starving. What's for lunch?

Dankeschon, Rosa. Gern geschehen, Fraulein Mitford.

He normally comes in at about two, if he's coming.

And they eat through there, in the back room.

So he has to walk right past me.

And if I angle my stool slightly, I can just about see where he sits.

I wonder what on earth the staff make of you?

So, if the flag is flying at the Brown House,

that means he's here in Munich. But if it isn't,

it means he's either in Berlin or... DOOR OPENS

..somewhere else, in which case there's no point

in me coming here at all, so...

He looked. Did you see?

Well, I'm not sure it was you in particular he was looking at...Yes!

He recognises me, I'm sure he does.

I always stand up and salute and I'm always at the same table.

He must recognise me.

He's built new roads, he's roused Germany's national spirit

and he's fixed the economy.

Tom, he's crushed trades unions, persecuted the intellectuals,

and the Marxists and the Jews,

had them all beaten up and thrown in jail or carted off to camps!

Nonsense, it's not true!

I certainly didn't see any persecutions when I was in Germany.

He's shut down any newspaper or publication

who dares to criticise his regime and...

Wait, wait, where are you getting all this from?

From The Brown Book Of Hitler Terror.

It details all the violence and atrocities...Oh, God...

..committed by the SS...that book has been completely discredited.

It's nonsense, it's red propaganda.

Unity's letters don't mention any atrocities.

She says it's lovely there.

You can't believe everything that you read.

I have been there, Muv's been there, it's nothing like that.

They wouldn't let tourists see it, would they?

You believe it, don't you? Darling, I haven't read the book.

I don't know if it's communist propaganda or God's own truth.

You went to a Mosley rally. You said they were all vicious thugs.

Did you?

Yes, and they were. And Mosley was the worst of the lot.

Well, you should read this book, then,

because it shows you just where fascism leads.

Especially if you're writing a novel about it.

About fascism? You're not, are you, darling?No!

No. Well, not exactly. I mean, there are one or two fascists in it,

but it's really just a light comic piece.

There is nothing funny about fascism.

Please, could we stop talking about politics at the table?

I agree.

And besides, if any of those ghastly stories were true,

they'd be printed in the Times.

Exactly.

So, have you finished it?Yes.

I cut out all the stuff about "the leader",

changed Blackshirts to "Union Jack Shirts".

Toned the whole thing right down

and sent it off to Diana for her comments.

So, it's become a toothless tiger?

Oh...very much not my finest hour.

You don't think I should publish it at all, do you?

I think...

..Mosley and fascism, it did seem laughable,

even just a few months ago.

And then suddenly the temperature changed,

and it now feels very chilling indeed.

He's gained a lot of followers, frighteningly fast.

I never thought for a moment he would get this far.

I'm going to have to starve, Joss.

On the other hand, with respect...

..your readership is not large, and mostly women of a certain type.

I don't think your novel is going to help or hinder

Mosley's cause one jot. And you do need to eat, girl.

I reckon if Diana's any kind of sister at all,

she'll understand that.

I simply don't understand how she could have done this.

Take the thing, the very thing most important to us...

..and made it seem...

..ridiculous.

I don't mind for myself, of course...

..but for you, darling.

I mean, it would seem as if she set out deliberately to hurt you.

But why would she do that?

Well, jealousy, probably.

Jealous? Of what?

Because you've got a cause and a purpose in life.

Ideals that you would fight for.

Not to mention a rock...

..solid man, who utterly...

..adores every...

..delicious inch of you.

But sisters are supposed to support each other.

I agree.

No true sister...

..would publish such a book.

I would ask her to junk it, junk the whole bloody thing.

I think she needs the money. Darling...

..this is not about money.

It's loyalty, isn't it?

It's plain to me.

If you want to know what she loves most - you or the money...

..then, ask her to junk it.

PIANO PLAYS

LAUGHTER

Mosley's put years of work

into getting this movement off the ground.

It's everything to him.

And this, just poking fun at it...

I'm not poking fun, Nard. It's just a tease. A piece of froth.

This is a crucial time for us.

The party is finally gaining momentum.

This is the last thing we need.

And coming from my own sister, it's very hurtful.

God, I don't want to hurt you, never.

Look, look, tell me the bits that are hurtful and I will cut them out.

There is still time to do that. Just tell me, just mark them up.

I would much rather you didn't publish it at all.

Come on, Nard.

You know what our finances are like.

We haven't the funds to pay the publishers back.

I can't just scrap it.

Honestly, I do think you are being a tiny bit oversensitive.

It really is just meaningless fun

which a few hundred people will read, at most.

It is not meaningless because I know how much you dislike Mosley.

But I've never said that.

Not to me, but to Jessica, Tom and everybody else.

You can't have it all ways, Nancy.

You can't run him down behind my back

and be nice about him to my face and hope I won't care, because I do.

Very deeply.

Why are you always so...slippery?

Why can't you just say what you think and stand by it?

You're right.

I don't...

..warm to him.

I'm sorry. And I don't like his politics either.

His politics are my politics.

Really, Nard?

Yes. He's our only hope for a decent future.

But the violence at that meeting, he encouraged it.

He has a right to free speech.

If communists and their allies come armed with knuckle dusters

to try to shut him up, well, then,

his men have a right to defend themselves.

I support him, 100%.

I have total faith in his love and loyalty to me.

I wish I had faith in yours.

GLASS SMASHES

Oh, sorry. So sorry.

Entschuldigung. Keine Sorge, bitte.

Es tut mir wirklich leid.

Entschuldigen Sie, gnadiges Fraulein.

Der Fuhrer lasst seine Empfehlung ausrichten.

Und bittet Sie an seinen Tisch.

Good grief.

If my parents could have foreseen the terrible consequences

of Unity going to Germany, they would surely never have let her go.

Two of my sisters were now lost to the fascist cause,

and one of them, my dearest, closest sister,

was no longer speaking to me.

What on earth was happening to my family?

CHATTER

Oh, darling.Hello.Look who I bumped into on the way home.

We're having a little impromptu game of cards.

Yes, your brute of a husband is utterly fleecing us.

Why don't you come and join us?Yes, come on, I'll make you a drink.No.

Thanks, but I've got the most awful splitting head.

I'll just go up if you don't mind.

Right, well, who wants another martini?

I couldn't let Diana simply walk out of my life.

But how to build a bridge across the chasm that had opened up between us?

I felt I was losing my sisters...

..one by one.

SOFT SNORING

And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse...

HEAVY KNOCKING ON DOOR

Bailiffs! Open up, please!

UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC

That's the marvellous thing about life, isn't it?

One simply never knows what's coming next.

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