The Winds of War/War & Remembrance

I watched the!m when first aired. Remember linking the miniseries.

I haven't seen the series, I've only read the books

But Rhoda Henry is one of the most hatable characters in literary history IMO.

I need to see the series, but I'm also guessing a refresh could do well.

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I haven't seen the series, I've only read the books

But Rhoda Henry is one of the most hatable characters in literary history IMO.

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My two favorite books of all time.

Agree on Rhoda, she's an infinitely hatable literary character. Judgmental, gossipy, and and adulterert to name a few. She was also miscast badly in both series, since Polly Bergen neither looked the part nor could act.

I've also never been a fan of Pug Henry. The more you read and reread the books, the more you get the notion that Wouk is going out of his way to tell you that Pug is this great and noble man. He even randomly sprinkles in people showering adoration on Pug overtly stating that they admire and respect him, when in actuality Pug is kind of a self-obsessed grouchy a-hole who carries on an affair of his own.

Also, Ali MacGraw may have put forth the worst acting performance in the history of television in TWOW.

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She didn't make me cringe by the things she did; it was just the actress playing her. She sounded like she was a four pack a day smoker, and generally annoying as hell.

IIRC correctly, the Winds of War Hitler had a lisp, and was overly dramatic. He made every scene as though he was addressing the Reichstag. I don't think the real Hitler would have been like that all of the time in small gatherings, in private, etc.

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The Winds of War was just miscast largely across the board. Bergen, Ali MacGraw, Jan-Michael Vincent, and the guy who played Hitler all come to mind.

They did a much better job of casting War And Remembrance with people like Jane Seymour, Hart Bochner, and the actors who play Aaron Jastrow and Hitler.

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and the actors who play Aaron Jastrow and Hitler.

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Sir John Gielgud and Steven Berkoff. Berkoff was actually the crazed Russian colonel in the Bond movie Octopussy.

Also...who can forget the upgrade we got with the character of Janice Henry: a then-relatively unknown actress named Sharon Stone?

Robert Mitchum was not my vision of Pug from reading the book; and his acting was wooden. And I like him in other movies.

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Robert Mitchum was not my vision of Pug from reading the book; and his acting was wooden. And I like him in other movies.

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Same here. I'm a big Michum fan, but he was miscast as Pug. He was too old for both series (especially W&R), and like you said he was just too stiff.