Prevost: Manon Lescaut 1 (F 1978); Episode 1 part 1

Episode 1 part 1 Amiens et Paris
Automatic translation in all other languages is working.

Part 1:
After 17 years old Chevaliere Pierre Des Grieux, son of a old rich noble family, closed his studies on theologian college in Amiens with honoris causa, he want to become a theologian in St. Sulpice together with his friend Tiberge. But his father decided a Malteser carriere for him. After last schoolday they follows the carriage from Arras, where a charming and beautiful 16 years old girl gets out. Des Grieux immediatly is fallen and loses his natural shyness. He learns to know that Manon Lescaut is sent by her parients to monastery to become a nun because she is hooked of luxury, and entertainment and seduces mens head. She is more experienced and clever than Des Grieux and persuades him to escape to Paris at morning. The plans to marry on the way are forgotten quickly.
Both, still children they waste their few money and Des Grieux has no permission for marriage by his father yet. They make depts. But a rich old bankier Bretigny, living nearby is interested in Manon, and uses his network to get in contact with her, pay her depts and make her his mistres. Des Grieux noticed nothing till his father and brother, informed by Bretigny, kidnapped his son and bring him home. Des Grieux is broken learning truth, knowing that Manon loves him. But his family closes him for months in till he decided to follow his plan, becoming priest.. After 2 years he absolves his studies and had to held a public speak in St. Sulpice. After gratulations a lady wants to speak him, Manon. After resisting her for a while, she seduces him to escape with her money to village Chaillot, where they live a happy life with entertainment and luxurary. Till Manons Brother founds her and lives on their costs. After her appartement is burnt down , Manon gets again panic. To avoid that she is perfide again, Lescaut trains Des Grieux for cheating in card plays to win a huge sum of money. So they can continue a luxury life. When their servants abuse their absence in paris, robbing the whole valuables, Lescaut sells his sister to a rich old nobile GM and present Des Grieux against his will as younger orphaned nerd- brother to could live with her in GM s houshold. Des Grieux forces Manon to give up this plan, and she agree, when she could take all the jewelleries, money and clothes she got by GM. They escape at night and were arrested at morning. GM let close her in womens labour prison Hospital General and Des Grieux in a clerical prison St. Lazare. where Des Grieux escapes from with Tiberges and Lescauts help, killing a guardian.
He contacts a former commiliton who is son of principal of Hospital General. a gamer. When Des Grieux wins in Tennis against him, he will help him to liberate Manon.,

Many years ago this outstanding adaptation of Abbè Prevost's famous novel "Les avventures du Chevalier Des Grieux et del a Manon Lescaut" came on German television, which I liked very much from the opera and as a read. Unfortunately I wasn't able to record parts 5 and 6 at the time. It is a pity that this adaptation, which is true to detail and original and consistently perfectly cast and lived, is as forgotten as the novel itself. It is my absolute favorite movie and I m so glad to have found him after 40 years.

It was a cooperation with English TV, so there must be an English version. Also, the material was already somewhat damaged, so it would be worth reconstructing it.
In the hope that someone will notice, still has the German or English dubbing or surtitles, or can create them, my French isn't quite good enough for this beautiful, heartbreaking but also funny and cheeky mini-series to come back to consciousness. SO PLEASE BUY THE DVD: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270777/...


CAST
Book and adaptation: Jean Anouilh
Directed by Jean Delannoy

Manon Lescaut: Fanny Cottencon
Chevalier Pierre Des Grieux: David Franck
Manon's brother Jean Lescaut: Jacques Balutin
Des Grieux's friend Tiberge: Maurice Vaudaux
Abbé Prévost, Calais: André Reybaz
in addition to that:
Jacques Castelot: Gauthier de Montrond
Bernard Le Coq: his son
André Dumas: Des Grieux pere
Philippe Rondest : Des Grieux fils
Gerard Caillaud: De Touzac
Maurice Jacquemont : The governor of Saint-Lazare
Marc Fayolle: Marcel
Philippe Desboeuf: Prince Cullograti
Jacques Monod: The governor
Karoly Vogt: Synnelet
and many more: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histoir...)