
We’re all huge fans of Helena Bonham Carter around here, so I thought it’d be fun to look at some of her super early, lesser known work. Thus, when the Regency romance novel TV movie A Hazard of Hearts (1987) showed up on Amazon, I was thrilled! Yep, it’s cheezy, but it’s not actually Snark Week fodder. The acting is decent, the costumes are quite nice, and this is a 90 minutes of frothy fluff that’ll brighten your day!
The story has, in no particular order: an orphaned heiress, a spooky castle, gambling, an evil lecherous older man, the spunky leading lady riding a dangerous horse, rum smugglers, a mysterious playboy, a faked death, a highwayman, secret staircases, a bitchy fabulous older lady, military men, both a pistol duel and a sword duel, and, of course, romance, including jealousies! All packed into an hour and a half. Author Barbara Cartland said of this novel, published in 1949: “This was my first costume book, so I put in everything — highwaymen, jewels, the kitchen stove.” Oh yes she did.

Some time ago, Kendra wrote this flick off, without seeing it, as having “standard 1980s Regency rental costumes,” but as soon as I saw this promo pic of HBC in a delightful pink pelisse, I was intrigued.
While I can’t find details about making the costumes for this film, they were designed by Julie Harris. She got her start at Gainsborough Pictures, a British film studio known for period melodramas made from the 1920s to 1950s. In fact, the Gainsborough brand was very briefly revived and made A Hazard of Hearts, so perhaps that’s how Harris got involved? One of the designer’s favorite jobs was working on The Slipper and the Rose (1976), and she won a Best Costume Oscar for the swinging ’60s Darling (1965). Her credits also include two Beatles movies, an Alfred Hitchcock film, a James Bond movie, the Frank Langella Dracula, and The Great Muppet Caper (1981). I’m thinking this little TV movie got at least a touch of her original costume love!
Some of the costumes are simplistic:

But the fit and materials are good, hats and caps are attempted, and the overall affect is pleasing. The outfits include lots of lovely period details like adorabe puffed-and-slashed or double-capped sleeves on these spencers.

Helena Bonham Carter gets a couple smart riding habits for all those riding scenes:
The only character who stands out a bit is Lady Harriet Vulcan (Diana Rigg). Though she’s an over-the-top bitch, so it makes sense IMO for her to dress OTT, like in this pink evening gown that skews a bit 1820s.
Only at one point, she wears this straight-up 1980s sparkley number. No clue why!
Find this frock flick at:
Have you seen A Hazard of Hearts?
I love this movie! Pretty sure it’s on youtube.
Yes, it is on YouTube, which is where I watched a few years back. Does come in seven parts, but that allows the chance to break off and do something else.
The costumes look better than on the newest adaptation of S&S on Hallmark! I’m sorry.