Queenie was an ABC miniseries based on the eponymous Michael Korda novel.
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Background
In April 1985 Michael Korda published Queenie, a roman à clef about his aunt, the actress Merle Oberon, who had married his uncle Alexander Korda. Queenie Kelley (Oberon was known in early roles as Queenie Thompson) is an extremely beautiful girl of Indian and Irish descent, fair enough to pass for white. Growing up in Calcutta, however, Queenie is made all too aware of her "chi-chi" background by her enemies, including wealthy, jaded socialite Penelope Daventry.
Daventry, though racist, attempts to seduce Queenie's uncle, who steals Daventry's bracelet. After pawning the bracelet, Queenie and her uncle travel to London. Totally lost in London, Queenie soon finds a career as a stripper, Rani. Later, she makes her way to Hollywood, where she is renamed Dawn Avalon.
Avalon becomes one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, soon attracting many eligible suitors.
In May 1987, Queenie aired in two parts on ABC. Winston Beard and April Smith adapted the novel for television and Larry Peerce directed. The cast, headed by Mia Sara as the titular character, included Joss Ackland ("Sir Burton Rumsey"), Kirk Douglas("David Konig"), and Topol ("Dimitri Goldner").
Critical Reception
In 1987, the New York Times criticized the miniseries for not only being "absurd" but also being politically incorrect: "Even the details show an insensitivity no longer acceptable in today's global village. Why, for instance, when so many Indian actors have excelled in such productions as A Passage to India and The Jewel in the Crown, do we still have to find Indian characters played by British actors using dark makeup and a singsong accent?"[1]
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