Felix Aylmer

The stories of several people are told as they stay at a seaside hotel in Bournemouth. Life at the Beauregard Hotel in Bournemouth during the off-season livens up when beautiful Ann Shankland arrives to see her alcoholic ex-husband John Malcolm, who is secretly engaged to Pat Cooper, who runs the hotel. Meanwhile, snobbish Mrs. Railton-Bell discovers that the kind if doddering Major Pollock isn't what he appears to be--particularly shocking news for her frail daughter Sibyl, who is secretly in love with him. —Shannon Patrick Sullivan <shannon@mun.ca> In Bournemouth, England, the Beauregard Hotel is located three minutes from the sea and managed by Pat Cooper. It is off-season and only the resident guests are lodged in the hotel. Timid Sibyl is a hysterical spinster totally controlled by her arrogant, snobbish mother, Mrs. Maud Railton-Bell, who doesn't want her to work. Sibyl is secretly in love with the reformed Major David Angus Pollock and enjoys listening to his stories. Lady Gladys Matheson is the only friend of Mrs. Railton-Bell. Medical student Charles wants to marry his fiancée Jean but she refuses. Miss Meacham and Mr. Fowler like to play billiards and she always wins the game. American John Malcolm is an alcoholic writer who is secretly engaged to Pat. When elegant, gorgeous Ann Shankland checks into the hotel, John is affected by her presence and Pat learns that Ann is his ex-wife and he'd tried to kill her five years ago. Meanwhile, Major Pollock unsuccessfully tries to steal the West Hampshire Weekly News from reception, but Mrs. Railton-Bell finds an inflammatory article about him and tries to expel him from the hotel. These events will affect the residents' lives. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Managed by the efficient Pat Cooper, the Beauregard Hotel on the English coast in Bournemouth is a stuffy, second-rate establishment. Only a handful of mostly resident guests are currently staying at the hotel. They include: retired and decorated Major Angus Pollock; elderly Maud Railton-Bell, who needs to control everything, especially her mousy spinster daughter Sibyl Railton-Bell, who has a quiet bond with and crush on the Major; Lady Gladys Matheson, who follows whatever Mrs. Railton-Bell wants purely out of camaraderie; straightforward, slightly gruff Miss Meacham; staid schoolteacher Mr. Fowler; students Charles and Jean, a young unmarried couple who are the primary focus of Mrs. Railton-Bell's ire for probably doing it out of wedlock; and writer John Malcolm, a brash American who hides his issues behind his excessive drinking and who is in a secret liaison with Pat and wants to marry her. Their relationship is threatened by the unexpected arrival of Ann Shankland, who has a turbulent, passionate history with John. Ann's arrival is not by accident; she says she wants to help John before she remarries, but she might have other, more self-motivated reasons. The focus of the entire group changes when Mrs. Railton-Bell learns of a secret the Major is hiding. As Mrs. Railton-Bell tries to control the situation with the Major to her satisfaction, which includes bending the truth to suit her own needs, the others out of their own situations, especially Sibyl, might eventually come to their own conclusions on how best to deal with the Major's issue with respect to his stay at the hotel. —Huggo During the off-season at the Beauregard Hotel, the secrets of some guests are exposed. Lovely but vulnerable Ann Shankland travels to the hotel in hopes of starting over with her ex-husband, John, but she does not know that he is already engaged to Pat Cooper, the manager of the hotel. Meanwhile, Mrs. Railton-Bell and her daughter Sibyl discover the hidden truth about war veteran Major Pollack. —Jwelch5742

King Arthur's rule is threatened by the adulterous love between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, a relationship the king's enemies hope to exploit. King Arthur establishes the greatest reign England has ever seen, and along for the ride are his indispensable Knights of the Round Table, particularly Sir Lancelot. Then, Arthur finds himself a bride, the beautiful Guenivere. While she loves Arthur, she also loves Lancelot and though Lancelot repeatedly fights it, he loves her, too. Treachery is brewing as the evil Morgan le Fay and her knight Sir Modred work to trap them. So begins the decline and eventual fall of Arthur and Camelot. —Tommy Peter Sir Lancelot travels from France to pledge his allegiance to Arthur Pendragon, whose fame has spread far and wide. Arthur is named king after he draws the sword Excalibur from the anvil in which his father had placed it. Arthur isn't the only claimant to rule as Mordred also has his eye on the throne. Sir Lancelot is immediately attracted to a beautiful woman not realizing she is Guinevere and promised to Arthur. He is loyal and true to his King. Mordred takes advantage of the situation but his treachery is uncovered in the end. It does not lead to a happy ending however. —garykmcd In the middle ages, the knight, Sir Lancelot of the Lake, travels from his home in Benwick, France to England in search of Arthur Pendragon, who, on reputation alone, he plans to serve loyally as the rightful sovereign ruler of England. There has already been much bloodshed over the issue of rule in England, with Arthur's half sister, Morgan Le Fay, claiming she is the rightful ruler, while Arthur has demonstrated such by the legend of being able to remove the sword Excaliber from its anvil, something that Morgan's knight champion, Modred, was unable to do. In ruling, Arthur plans to marry his childhood sweetheart, Lady Guinevere, in Camelot. Upon their meeting, Lancelot and Arthur become steadfast friends with Lancelot making that commitment to Arthur's service as long as he is needed. The pair prove to be an unbeatable combination as they defeat Modred and his men in battle, with Arthur ascending to the throne. In wanting peace in England and against the advice of Lancelot, Arthur, as King, pardons all those against who he fought in battle, including Modred. Merlin, the sorcerer who has been like a wise father to Arthur, believes it best to keep both Modred and Morgan close to their breasts to be able to watch their actions more closely. Indeed, Modred and Morgan plan to overthrow Arthur by exploiting something that Arthur does not know: that Lancelot and Guinevere have fallen in love with each other. Indeed, Lancelot fell in love with her at first sight before knowing who she was, with both knowing that nothing can happen between them, which may not be enough to prevent Modred's plan. Meanwhile, Percival, Arthur's knight errant, has seen visions that he is to go on a quest in search of the Holy Grail, that search may affect the fates of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. —Huggo

In late 12th century England, the Saxons and Normans retain lingering hatred of one another. Unpopular Norman Prince John has ruled England since his brother, King Richard, left for the Holy Land to lead the Third Crusade, and many assume that Richard is now dead. During Saxon Ivanhoe's long journey back to England, however, he finds Richard in an Austrian prison, languishing because John will not pay his ransom. Once back in England, Ivanhoe disguises himself as a minstrel and goes to the castle of his father Cedric, with whom he became estranged when he left for the Holy Land. While Cedric offers hospitality in his banquet hall to both Norman and Saxon travelers, Ivanhoe is recognized only by his faithful servant, Wamba. Wamba takes him to see Rowena, Cedric's ward, whom Ivanhoe has loved since childhood. Ivanhoe returns to the banquet hall just as another traveler, a Jew named Isaac, seeks refuge for the night. Although the Normans present, including De Bois-Guilbert and Sir Hugh De Bracy, protest, Cedric offers hospitality to Isaac, insisting that everyone is welcome at his table. As they dine, the Normans discuss a tournament that will soon take place in Ashby, prompting Guilbert to recall a past tournament during which a masked Saxon knight named Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe bested him, then disappeared. Cedric then bitterly says that Ivanhoe was his son, but is now dead to him. Ivanhoe later reveals himself to Cedric and asks for money to save Richard, but Cedric is convinced the king is dead and refuses. Ivanhoe tells Rowena that he will see her after winning the tournament, then leaves with Wamba. Later that night, Norman soldiers attempt to rob Isaac, who has been forced to sleep in the barn, but Ivanhoe and Wamba interrupt the attack. A grateful Isaac then takes Ivanhoe and Wamba to his home in Sheffield, where Ivanhoe asks Isaac to help raise money for Richard's ransom. Isaac does not find Richard any more sympathetic to Jews than John, but because Isaac is in Ivanhoe's debt, he promises to supplement whatever money is raised. The next night, a young woman who says that she is the servant of Isaac's daughter Rebecca, approaches Ivanhoe at the inn at which he is staying and offers jewels to finance his kit in the tournament. Looking closely at her eyes, Ivanhoe recognizes her as the beautiful woman he noticed at the window of Isaac's house and deduces that she is Rebecca. On the day of the jousting tournament, Prince John presides as well-outfitted Normans defeat ragged Saxon challengers. Then Ivanhoe rides onto the field, suited in black armor and identifying himself only as a Saxon. The Saxons cheer as he challenges, then bests, five Norman knights in a row. Despite a wound in the shoulder, Ivanhoe stays on his horse and is declared the winner. As the victor, Ivanhoe selects Rowena as the tournament's Queen of Love and Beauty, then must fight Guilbert, who now recognizes him. After a fierce battle, Ivanhoe is knocked from his horse and carried off the field. Rebecca, who tells Rowena that she has learned the medical arts from a woman burned as a witch, attends to Ivanhoe's serious wounds. Although Rowena senses that Rebecca loves Ivanhoe, she knows that he will be well cared for by her and allows him to be taken to Isaac's house. Their departure is observed by a Norman who tells Guilbert. That night, Guilbert tells John about Ivanhoe's attempts to raise Richard's ransom money and the involvement of Isaac, who is a wealthy banker. Meanwhile, in Sheffield, Rebecca confesses her love to the unconscious Ivanhoe, but is gently warned by her father that her love is impossible because she is a Jew. When Ivanhoe awakens, Isaac tells him that money for the ransom is growing, just as Wamba and Locksley, a Saxon nobleman who lives in the forest, arrive to warn him that "Prince John's jackals" are after him. Wamba adds that Cedric and Rebecca have come to Sheffield to be near him, prompting Ivanhoe to ask Wamba to take Rebecca to Cedric while he hides in the forest with Locksley. By the time Guilbert and De Bracey arrive at Sheffield, Ivanhoe is gone, further angering Guilbert. He and his men soon find the caravan on which Rebecca and Rowena are traveling, and take the women, Cedric and Wamba prisoner. Hearing of their capture, Ivanhoe approaches Guilbert's castle and asks that he be allowed to take their place. Guilbert agrees, then Ivanhoe enters the courtyard and asks to speak to Cedric, with whom he reconciles. Instead of allowing Cedric and the others to leave, however, Guilbert breaks his word and puts both men in chains. Upstairs, the ambitious De Bracy proposes to Rowena, who is the last of the royal Saxons, but she slaps him. Later Guilbert, who desires Rebecca, tells her that he must possess her. She runs to the balcony and threatens to jump, but when he offers to free Ivanhoe if she returns his passion, she agrees. Just then Locksley and his archers surround the castle. Guilbert has Ivanhoe brought up from the dungeon and threatens to hang him, but Ivanhoe is able to escape when the archers fire arrows at his guards. As a battle ensues, Ivanhoe frees the men in the dungeon, but in doing so a fire erupts that envelopes Wamba. As more of Locksley's men storm the castle, Ivanhoe rescues Rowena from De Bracy, but Guilbert escapes by using Rebecca as a shield. When Guilbert brings Rebecca to Prince John's court, John and his advisers come up with a plan to use their captive. A few days later, Isaac tells Ivanhoe that the king's ransom money has been raised, but Ivanhoe reveals that John has demanded the same amount to free Rebecca or she will be burned as a witch. Isaac tells Ivanhoe that it is his responsibility to free Rebecca and insists that the money raised be sent to ransom Richard. Seeing Ivanhoe's concern, Rowena reveals her fears that he is in love with Rebecca, but he denies it. At Rebecca's trial, paid and coerced witnesses testify that she is a witch, and only Guilbert defends her. After Rebecca denies that she is a witch, Guilbert asks to speak with her privately and begs her to renounce her faith to save her life. After her refusal, the court sentences her to burn at the stake. Just then, Ivanhoe, who has secretly watched the trial, throws down his glove and challenges the court to determine her guilt by a battle with her champion. John accepts the challenge and chooses Guilbert as his champion for a fight to the death at Ashby. Moments before the tournament, Guilbert offers to default to Ivanhoe if Rebecca will only accept his love, but Rebecca answers that they are in God's hands. While Guilbert and Ivanhoe battle hand-to-hand with ball and chain, Richard and his men ride onto the field, forcing John to bow in submission. Ivanhoe finally defeats Guilbert, who dies after telling Rebecca he loves her and that fate made her love Ivanhoe instead of him. After Guilbert dies, Rowena questions Rebecca about Ivanhoe, but she insists that his heart belongs to Rowena.

Taking inspiration from a well-known Victorian play, a modern-day prankster poses as a wealthy woman in a ploy to prevent him and his friends from being expelled from college. After a night of drunken revelry, Oxford student and prankster Arthur Linden-Jones is confined to school grounds. That evening, Arthur has the lead in the Victorian farce "Charley's Aunt." Not wanting to loose the profit from ticket sales, Arthur sneaks off campus. His escapades find him and his friends, Burton and Brown, in even deeper trouble. Appealing to their Dean's interest in Egypt, they create a story about Brown's philanthropic aunt being an Egyptologist. When the Dean requests a meeting with the lady, Arthur puts on a dress and becomes "Aunt Lucy." —L. Hamre

Lady Lebanon urges son William to marry cousin to maintain family prestige. William's betrothed desires an architect instead. Household staff behave peculiarly. Conflicting romantic interests and societal pressures clash. "Mark's Priory", the Lebanons' family seat, is a house of terror to Isla Crane, Lady Lebanon's niece and secretary. The strange behavior of two sinister footmen, Gilder and Brooks, adds greatly to her fear, and her sole consolation lies in the sympathy extended her by Lord William "Willie" Lebanon. A young architect, Richard Ferraby, arrives from London to inspect the ancient home in regards to renovations, and he and Isla are immediately attracted to each other. Lady Lebanon tells her son that he must marry Isla to carry on the family name, but Lord Willie tells her he has no intentions of marrying. Later, the family physician, Dr. Amersham, arrives and it is evident he has some hold over Lady Lebanon. The chauffeur, Studd, hints that he knew Amersham in India and that he was discharged from the Indian Army under unsavory circumstances. Isla and Richard find Studd murdered and suspicion falls on the gamekeeper, Tilling, whose wife had been more than a little friendly with Studd. But Chief Inspector Tanner and Deputy Sergeant Totty arrive from Scotland Yard and uncover evidence that points to Dr. Amersham as the killer, and Lord Willie substantiates the clue by telling them that Amersham had strangled a young Eurasian girl in India by using a red scarf--and Studd was found strangled with a red scarf. Just when the police are about to fold up their tidy little case, a telegram arrives from "Mark's Priory" informing them that Amersham has just been found murdered--strangled with a red scarf. Back to the drawing board. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>