To wonder why a film has never been made of the story of the Mitford Sisters

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(First timer here)...anyway have read a couple of books by/about the Mitfords and am currently reading Letters Between the Sisters, their story is unbelievable, fascinating, etc. As they say - you couldn't make it up. It also exposes the nepotism of the ruling classes that you could still argue exists today (as in Sam Cam et al). It could be made into an epic 3 hour blockbuster me thinks....or may it is just me and my current obsession with the Mitfords....

I've bought all of their books and never got round to reading them - but I agree the story about them is fascinating

I will add it to my imaginary list of screen plays to write

Totally agree! I've read Wait For Me by the Duchess of Devonshire and I've got the Letters one too. Their lives and those of the people they knew are fascinating.

Have you ever seen the TV version of The Pursuit of Love from the early 80s?

Not the one from the 2000s which was shit. To be fair I haven't seen it since it was first transmitted so it might well look pretty slow now.

my honest feeling is that the story would look so unbelievable that it wouldn't work. The only possibility would be to make a film about a single episode, perhaps Nancy's horrible final illness when all the sisters came in sequence to her bedside - a big flashback film. I'm not sure people could handle hours of 30s received pronunciation either, and I bet the director would try to make the accents authentic.

Yes may be it would be too much to pack into one film. Maybe the story of Unit and Diana and their involvement and adoration of Hitler in contrast to Jessica's life devoted to the cause of socialism. But imagine the locations for filming, costume etc

typo 'Unity' not 'Unit'

Because the last one is still alive and so you might run into libel problems. They're probably waiting until she's no longer with us, god bless her.

Yep, the fact that Deborah is still alive has probably ot something to do with it.

It would be an incredible movie, although I doubt a movie could do the story justice.

Yes good point! Perfect material for a film.

I'm reading another one atm by Diana Mitford. All good stuff but it made me where she kept saying they were 'poor'. Think I have a different definition of being poor to her

yes, they were 'poor' relatively speaking, but is funny how when reading the letters, every now and again they moan about having only 1 parlour maid in whichever country house they were residing at. I may be wrong but reading the letters, it is all there from the horses's mouth as it 'Wait for Me' (written by Deborah) so not sure about issues of libel.

This chap pitched his tent on a beach near Edinburgh recently and planned to live there permanently with his piano! He wanted the piano to be available for the public to play whenever they wanted. Eccentric man, but whenever I saw him seemed harmless.

He didn't last there more than a couple of weeks until he was found 'alternative accommodation'. It turns out that he is the son of Jessica Miford.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/the-strange-saga-of-the-portobello-piano-man-hitler-mosley-and-the-mitford-sisters.23945957

Incredible when you think about it. Their lives interweaved with pretty much everyone of note in 20th Century life.

I read all the autobiographies and the Letters a few years back, they're absolutely fascinating. I agree about the libel thing, but I have a vague recollection that a musical was made about them and they went to see it. Isn't that in the Letters?

As someone above said, there's a lot of stuff to get through - perhaps a TV series would be better?

dotdotdotmustdash - that's a great article and excellent potted history of the Mitords. The incredible thing as well was that they were first cousins (I think) to the Churchills and it was Churchill who pulled strings to let Mosely (the facist) and Diana live together when they were incarcerated - as I would say ' they piss in the same pot'

Isa2 - I am reading the Letters book at the moment and get really confused by all the nicknames and play on words - found the numbered notes for each letter really helpful and interesting. But I think that the letters give such an insight to their relationships and personalities and what I think, wicked sense of humour, in spite or despite of everything that was happening.

I think it needs to be a mini series a la downton perhaps

Also fascinated by their unusual lives and stories.

Wasn't there a film about The Bolter, or did I make that up? (I might well have done).

Ooh, I wonder if the nest series (is there one?) of Downton will feature one/some of them, must be coming into that era...

JapaneseMargaret - if they did would probably be some ridiculous caricature of them. Sorry not a massive fan of Downton - think it is Upstairs Downstairs lite, it's like a PR exercise for the landed gentry, they really weren't that nice, I'm sure

I agree - they are intriguing.

'In Tearing Haste' is a great read for those that like letters.

I totally agree!

There was a musical, written by Ned Sherin which was rather good!
Here

I saw it sheesh I'm old it had Patricia Hodge in it.

Isa2 - I've got the book from the library, it's like carrying a brick around !

This is so strange! I literally just said the same thing to DH and then there was this thread!i love the Mitofrds and have read tons about them and think their story would make such a great mini series.

Just the juxtaposition of unity's obsession with Hitler, Diana's relationship with Mosely, Nancy's writing career and Decca's communism. Bonkers!