Timothy Dalton, Jaclyn Smith in Florence Nightingale 1985 - Part 3/4

Florence becomes superintendent at the Institute for the Care of Sick Gentlewomen and gains respect in London. Richard proposes for the last time, stressing that he can no longer ignore his passionate side. Florence has to reject him in order to remain true to her calling, but they remain lifelong friends and correspondents. Their unfulfilled love is heartrending, as is this poem of Richard Monckton Milnes which gives us a glimpse of the depth of their feelings for each other during their seven year relationship:

Shadows by Richard Monckton Milnes

They seem'd, to those who saw them meet,
The casual friends of every day;
Her smile was undisturb'd and sweet,
His courtesy was free and gay.

But yet if one the other's name
In some unguarded moment heard,
The heart you thought so calm and tame
Would struggle like a captured bird:

And letters of mere formal phrase
Were blister'd with repeated tears, --
And this was not the work of days,
But had gone on for years and years!

Alas, that love was not too strong
For maiden shame and manly pride!
Alas, that they delay'd so long
The goal of mutual bliss beside!

Yet what no chance could then reveal,
And neither would be first to own,
Let fate and courage now conceal,
When truth could bring remorse alone.

This is a beautifully made-for-TV movie, a cut about the rest. Jaclyn Smith shines brightly as "The Lady with the Lamp" nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale and Timothy Dalton is drop-dead gorgeous as Richard Milnes, politician and poet, Florence's suitor and champion in her quest to liberate women from the mind-set of the day toward the 'scandalous' nursing profession. Their love story is short and sweet in this film since it is a historical drama which focuses mainly on the Crimean War and the small and large miracles Florence and her nurses worked on the British Army and it's soldiers from 1853-1856..

Timothy narrated this film and I am including those parts as well as his on-screen scenes in these clips in hopes of interesting you Dalton fans in this wonderful story so you'll go out and buy the DVD. I have watched this movie 4 times and cried twice everytime I see it; can't help it -- they break my heart

No copyright infringement intended -- for fan enjoyment only.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Florence Nightingale
• The Lady with the Lamp
• Jaclyn Smith
• Timothy Dalton
• Dalton
• Romance
• Historical
• Drama
• Biography
• Crimean
• War
• Nursing
• Nurses
• Richard Monckton Milnes
• Milnes
• Poet

[wincipoet]

Oh Richard...he really loved her :( I wanna cry...

[pacemoy]

@wincipoet I know :-( Did you read the poem I included in the description? It haunts me when I watch the movie: "But yet if one the other's name in some unguarded moment heard, the heart you thought so calm and tame would struggle like a captured bird: and letters of mere formal phrase were blister'd with repeated tears, -- and this was not the work of days, but had gone on for years and years!" *sob!*

[pecky143]

it's Rochester reincarnate lol !

[Elwayless]

@neliatopacio Yeah -- I feel sorry for both of them :-(

[pacemoy]

@neliatopacio I'm sure they did love each other very much, but thank God Florence followed her calling. She was not a very happy person in this life, but her reward must be great in the next . . .

[neliatopacio]

@Elwayless nursing will be entirely different.. but i can't help not to feel sorry for Richard.. she really loves florence..

[Elwayless]

Wow, that poem is awesome! "When truth could bring remorse alone." Wonder what would've happened if she had married him?