Notorious Woman (1974)

The title character in this British historical miniseries was 19th century French novelist Aurore Dupin (1804-1876), who wrote under the nom de plume of George Sand. Audaciously adopting male clothing and scandalizing her contemporaries by talking and behaving in a mannish fashion, George Sand also conducted several high-profile romances with members of the opposite sex. Much of the series' running time was given over to the heroine's torrid nine-year affair with Polish composer Frederick Chopin. Although American actors Rosemary Harris (who won an Emmy Award for her performance) and George Chakiris starred as Sand and Chopin, the rest of the cast was largely comprised of Britons, including Alan Howard as novelist Prosper Merimee and Jeremy Irons as composer Franz Liszt. First telecast by the BBC in 1974, the four-part Notorious Woman was seen in America via the PBS anthology Masterpiece Theatre beginning November 16, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi