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++ GUIDES :: THE FORSYTE SAGA++

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6-part ITV1 drama based on the books by John Galsworthy

:: MONTY ::

What does Ben have to say about his character?

"I do feel as if I'm on Stars in their Eyes sometimes", says Ben Miles, who plays the ne'er-do-well Montague Dartie. "It's the moustache. One day I'm going to look into the camera and say "Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be Freddie Mercury." Dartie is a dapper fellow and Miles certainly gets the best of the men's wardrobe in The Forsyte Saga. "He tries to be overly English, because he's from a slightly lower social level than the Forsytes so he's trying to compensate. There's one school of thought that says he's from a Jewish background, which would make sense - he's trying to curry favour with a class not known for its sympathetic attitude towards Jews. The English Upper classes were terribly anti-Semitic at this time. It works with the Forsytes because, lets face it, they're not the cleverest family in the world."

Miles is used to playing attractive smoothies, most recently in BBC 2's hit comedy Coupling, and he sees the key to Dartie's survival in the family in his ability to charm Winifred. "There's a very strong bond between them, and, even though he's an absolute sod to her and runs off to Buenos Aires, she takes him back. She loves him because he's a bit of a rough diamond, he's got style and wit, and we must assume that they have a great sex life. He loves her because she's intelligent and funny as well as rich. He desperately craves her approval and forgiveness, but he acts like a child as soon as he's reproved. They have big slanging matches. He's one of the few characters who ever loses his temper and gets a bit carried away. He's the polar opposite to Soames: he's the technicolour to Soames's black and white."

Son of a once wealthy family who lost all their money, Montague Dartie has good looks and an easy charm - formidable weapons in the search for a wealthy wife. How his eyes must have lit up when he got Winifred Forsyte in his sights: here's a woman of means, not unattractive, who's on the lookout for a bit of a rough diamond just such as himself. Dartie is man-of-the-world enough to know that posh girls like a bit of rough, and so he's quite rude with his 'Freddie' while maintaining the sleek outer surface required by the rest of the family. The strategy works well, and Dartie marries into money.

Sadly for all, the Forsyte's aren't quite as easily won over as Winifred. Dartie was hoping for a great big marriage settlement that he could then have squandered on the gee-gees, but instead he finds that they're on an allowance and living in a rented house in Green Street - not at all what he'd envisaged. From that point on, married life is never quite what it might have been for Monty and Freddie. They have two lovely children, Imogen and Val, but Dartie's an absent father, busy chasing dancers and borrowing money. For all his swagger and charm, Dartie's a coward and a bully, and when Winifred catches him stealing her pearls to give to a dancer he resorts to cruelty, then runs away from his responsibilities.

Dartie's adventures in Buenos Aires are comically murky; all we know is that he comes back to Winifred with his tail between his legs, and spends the rest of the story as a bit of a joke, desperate to retain the respect of his daughter; the only one in the family who doesn't see straight through him. But, for all his failings, Dartie's not stupid. He recognises the more venal side of human nature - he should, he's an expert - and can see what's going on underneath the polite surface of a Forsyte family party. He recognises the attraction between Bosinney and Irene(but of course, being Monty, he thinks this means he can have a go at Irene himself). He's quick to discern Soames's failings, and can always cut through the cant to the baser motive beneath. This doesn't make him particularly likeable, but he's a necessary foil to his repressed in-laws. And Winifred never stops loving him, for all his faults.

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:: EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS::

Episode One

London, 1874. The Forsyte family are gathering for the engagement party of Winifred Forsyte and Montague Dartie. At the dinner Monty makes a speech in praise of 'Freddie' and calls her 'the finest filly I've ever clapped eyes on.' The Forsyte family are less than impressed by Monty, particularly as he's bringing no money to his marriage. Soames advises his father not to settle any money on Winifred. Freddie has to break the news to Monty during a walk in the park, her father will rent a house for them but that is all. Monty is distraught, he really only needed a bit of money to turn his luck. The next time we see them it is years later, Soames has invited Irene to a ball, and the Forsyte family are all in attendance as usual. Irene is talking with Freddie and Monty, she would like to dance but Soames won't ask her - she's supposed to be in mourning for her father and it's not the right thing to do! Freddie asks Irene to dance instead which causes quite a stir, whilst they're waltzing, Freddie tells Irene that she is in 'an interesting condition' :D Monty tells Soames that they can't leave the ladies to dance by themselves and he goes to dance with Freddie. Six months later, Freddie gives birth to a daughter, Imogen. Elderly Aunt Anne is cooing over the baby and commenting on all the Forsyte characteristics that Imogen has. Monty asks what is there of him, but Anne dismisses him with 'You were expecting something?' To celebrate the birth, Monty has bought Freddie some pearls. She's delighted, but questions whether they can afford them, he replies "Ways and means, old girl. Ways and means."

Episode Two

Monty is still having money trouble, at Aunt Anne's funeral he tries to borrow money from George without success. At home, Monty is sneaking around the bedroom, Freddie arrives just in time to catch him with the pearls he bought her for Imogen's birth. She tells him, jokingly, that he looks like a burglar. He laughs the incident off, saying he was just feeling sentimental. When the Bailiffs come to the house and take goods to the value of 100 guineas, we discover that Monty had never actually paid for the pearls at all. He did have the money but as he tells Freddie, he got a tip from a trainer and lost the money on a bet. Freddie calls him feckless and irresponsible and tells him she no longer trusts him. At a Ball, Monty is dancing with Irene and trying his luck. She escapes to meet Bosinney in the gardens but Monty has followed her. Bosinney pushes him away and explains exactly what he will do if Monty doesn't leave Irene alone. Monty leaves, and on his way back to the Ball, warns Soames to keep an eye on his wife and the 'Buccaneer'.

Episode Three

Monty and Freddie are visiting the Aunts. Monty is telling them all the gossip about Irene, Soames and the Buccaneer. He tells them a little more than they'd like to hear and Freddie gets them out before he can tell them anything else! Later, George and Monty go to the Court house to 'support' Soames in his legal battle with Bosinney.

Episode Four

At the club, George and Monty are playing snooker. Old and Young Jolyon arrive. Monty makes a joke about the Irene/Soames situation putting forward his theory that Soames has 'done her in and buried her under the patio.' Neither of the Jolyon's are impressed with his remark. 5 years later we see Soames waiting outside the theatre, trying to see if he can glimpse Irene. Monty appears and tells him that he must hurry inside if he's to catch the show. As soon as Soames is gone, Monty is joined by a 'lady friend' and they go off together! Later, we see all the Foryste family at the funeral of old Jolyon, the Soames/Irene situation is still the talk of the family.

Episode Five

It's now 1899. The Darties are at a suprise birthday party for Soames. Monty's less than interested but Imogen is very fond of her uncle and has arranged the party for him. Later at the gambling club, George finds a drunken Monty has won some money for a change. He has two Spanish 'ladies' with him and one of them is wearing the pearls he bought for Freddie. Despite George's warnings, he blows all his winnings and more on the throw of a dice and loses. Monty tells George that he has no money or assets of any kind other than his race horse. George agrees to buy the horse for £400. Monty staggers out of the room and falls over at the feet of his son, Val who is ashamed to know him. When he arrives home, Freddie is waiting for him. They have a blazing row over the pearls and his behaviour. Monty says he's fed up of being lower than the servants in his own home. He brandishes a pistol and attempts to commit suicide but the trigger jams. Laughing pathetically he says it's just his luck and a distraught Freddie leaves the room. Monty pours another drink and sobs. The following morning, things aren't looking any better and he leaves. he's left Freddie a note saying he's left her to go to Buenos Aires with a dancer he knows. Soames advises Freddie to begin divorce proceedings and she does, even though they are publicly humiliating for her. At the end of the episode, Freddie returns home one evening to find a disheveled Monty has returned home.

Episode Six

Winifred asks Monty why he's come back - he had nowhere else to go. There's a man waiting outside the house, he leant Monty the money to get back to Southampton and he wants paying. Freddie can't help but laugh at this typically Monty behaviour. Val arrives home and is suprised to see his father. They exchange harsh words and Val makes his feelings quite clear to his parents,that he would have preferred them to have gotten a divorce. Monty asks himself what kind of an example is he and Freddie replies that he's a bad one. The Forsyte and Dartie families are seeing off Val and Jolly as they go to fight in the Boer War. The next time we see them, Val has returned from South Africa having been discharged from the Army - he'd been shot in the leg - and he's married to Holly Forsyte. He introduces her to his parents. At a family party, Soames introduces Annette to his family. The Aunts are quite insulting about the French and Monty and George are amused by where Annette is living (Soho). Soames marries Annette and we later see all the family again at their home, Maple Durham, to celebrate James' 90th birthday. Monty and his family arrive in a motor car. Later, he and George are looking at the car and Monty tries to teach George how to tango - something he picked up in Argentina :) Some time later, Monty has been sent to Maple Durham to fetch Soames - James does not have long to live. Soames has a dilemma as Annette is in labour and there are difficulties with the birth. The Dr tells Soames that an operation could save his wife but would probably kill the baby and that a natural labour would probably kill Annette, he asks him to decide what to do. Soames decides not to go ahead with the operation, luckily for him both Mother and daughter survive.

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:: LINKS ::

Masterpiece Theatre website - episode summaries, cast/character information and interviews.
Screenshots from the series on this website

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