PORTRAIT: THE WOMAN I LOVE (1972)

STARS: Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain.

DIRECTOR: N/A. DURATION: N/A.

SYNOPSIS: Biographical drama based on the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

RC PLAYS: King Edward VIII/Duke of Windsor.

Believe it or not, this inoffensive ABC-produced TV movie whipped up quite a bit of controversy, and it also provided Chamberlain with another of the many real-life characters he's played throughout his career.

Back in the Sixties, it was rumoured that Richard was the British royal family's favourite actor and that they tuned in every week to watch Dr. Kildare. However, with this project he certainly sullied his reputation with them: Unsurprisingly the Duke and Duchess of Windsor themselves were particularly upset and disapproved of the film, which was made without their permission and against their wishes.

Chamberlain though believed they had little to worry about: "Actually, it's a very sympathetic portrait," explained the actor. "Had they seen it I think they would have approved, but I was surprised to learn that they hadn't been consulted on the project. The studio took the view that the abdication was in the public domain. It was a valid position, I suppose, but I personally was worried. As an actor I can easily understand the value of privacy."

Richard's concerns about the production also began to effect his work. "I didn't feel at ease with playing the part at first. I felt a real person's spirit was breathing down by neck. I had to be very careful, dignified and respectful. We could take no liberties, so we worked straight from biographies and news accounts." But of course secondhand accounts such as these are no guarantee of accuracy...

In the end, the whole movie ended up being a rather sorry affair. Chamberlain was particularly miserable about it - in fact, the only time he seemed happy was when talking of the make-up used on himself and Faye Dunaway. "We managed to look very much like the couple without becoming carbon copies," revealed the actor. "Bags were added under my eyes since the duke was 42 when he abdicated (Richard was 37 at the time), plus some rubber pieces were used, and my hair was changed to make the transformation. I found it helped, too, to have lived in England; to have absorbed the attitude of people toward the royal family."

Unfortunately, Portrait: The Woman I Love wasn't shown in Britain, so the population were unable to cast their own judgement on whether it was a worthy depiction of arguably the 20th century's most romantically-viewed relationship. The Duke of Windsor died shortly before the film was due to be aired, and a decision was made not to broadcast it in an effort to avoid upset or embarrassment to his grieving relatives.

In the end, Chamberlain was probably relieved his British fans didn't get to see it: By his own admission he "slid through" his performance. An ABC executive was even more scathing, claiming, "he (Richard) brought nothing to the role."

And as if that wasn't bad enough, the whole experience had begun to sour the actor's enjoyment of playing historical figures.

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