BEACON HILL (1975) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

BEACON HILL (1975) – An attempt at an American version of Great Britain’s Upstairs, Downstairs, this short-lived series was set in Boston following World War One. As opposed to the British program’s “rich pigs upstairs” and “servants downstairs” dichotomy, Beacon Hill presented the wealthy Irish-American family the Lassiters and their servants, who live in a cheaper neighborhood. 

The one and only Marvin Hamlisch composed the music for this series.

Stephen Elliott starred as Benjamin Lassiter, tycoon and political puppet master. Nancy Marchand portrayed his wife Mary, who married him in a virtual royal wedding to cement power between her wealthy parents and Benjamin.   

George Rose co-starred as Arthur Hacker, head butler and quasi-patriarch of the servants. Beatrice Straight played his wife Emmeline, the head housekeeper. Arthur’s nephew Brian Mallory (Paul Ryan Rudd) was the Lassiter chauffer who was having an affair with one of the Lassiter women, and his niece Maureen Mahaffey (Susan Blanchard) worked as one of the maids.

The children of Benjamin and Mary Lassiter were Maude Lassiter-Palmer (Maeve McGuire), oldest daughter and wife of yachting snob Richard Palmer (Edward Herrmann). Next was daughter Emily Lassiter-Bullock (DeAnn Mears), wife of stockbroker Trevor Bullock (Roy Cooper) and mother of their bratty child Betsy (Linda Purl).     

The remaining Lassiter children were Robert Lassiter (David Dukes), a returning veteran who lost an arm in the World War, Rosamond (Kitty Wynn), who is having an affair with the chauffer Brian and Fawn (Kathryn Walker) who is having an affair with Giorgio Bellonci (Michael Nouri), her Italian piano teacher.

THE EPISODES:

PILOT – With Prohibition going into effect the next morning (January 17th, 1920), many of Boston’s wealthiest families party at the Lassiter mansion, enjoying their last legal booze for years to come. Maimed war hero Robert, meanwhile, drinks himself into a stupor at a black brothel that he finances with his family’s money. This was a 2-hour premiere episode.   

THE COLONEL AND FAWN – Fawn Lassiter throws a party for a visiting opera star but things get rowdy and scandalous, providing a gossip columnist with fodder to publicly embarrass the Lassiters. 

THE MARBLEHEAD CLUB – Boston’s wealthy WASPs, who have heretofore looked down on the Lassiters as barely one step above “two-toilet Irish”, begin acknowledging Ben Lassiter’s success and nominate him for membership at an exclusive club. 

THE POOR LITTLE THING – Mrs. Hacker’s niece arrives from Ireland. She is put to work as another maid for the Lassiters, but teases and charms all the men and alienates the female Lassiters.

THE SOLDIERS – Piper, a black soldier (and son of the Lassiter cook) who had served in the World War is rejected for job after job in Boston, but then falls in with the Lassiter’s former chauffer Harry Emmett, who wants to launch a speakeasy with him. 

THE SHINING EXAMPLE – When Robert learns that speakeasy entrepreneur Harry Emmett is sleeping with Betsy Lassiter, he goes to the illicit nightclub with a pistol to shoot him. 

THE SPEAKEASY – Current Lassiter chauffer Brian is worried when other Lassiter staff members start moonlighting at Emmett and Piper’s speakeasy.

THE MILLION DOLLAR GATE – Brian becomes involved in a scheme to distribute bootleg film of the Dempsey-Carpentier fight. Ken Kercheval and Robert Prosky guest star.

THE SUITORS – Rosamund considers ending her affair with Brian and choosing a wealthy suitor.

THE TEST – Fawn Lassiter dares her father’s displeasure by doing a screen test with legendary silent film director D.W. Griffith (Roberts Blossom). 

THE PRETENDERS – The Lassiter family prepares for Betsy’s Debutante Ball in the last episode ever aired of this short-lived show. Two more episodes were being prepped but never made it to broadcast. 

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