Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.
1842, a special summer day at the huge plantation of Mont Royal. A South Carolinian young man, Orry Main (Patrick Swayze), leaves his rich home for West Point Academy. On his way northwards, in very strange circumstances, he meets two people who will play a decisive role in his life: beautiful lady Madeline Fabray (Leslie-Anne Down), who Orry helps and with whom he falls in love, and a "Yankee", George Hazard (James Read), by whom Orry is helped, and who is also on his way to West Point Academy. From that time, Orry and George are best friends and help each other at every moment, they fight for the U.S. in the Mexican War at Churubusco, where George saves Orry's life. A few years later, the friendship of Orry and George spread to the friendship of their families, the Mains from South Carolina and the Hazards from Pennsylvania. Yet, the love of Orry's life, Madeline gets married to Justin LaMotte (David Carradine), the rich cruel owner of a nearby plantation in South Carolina. Their love cannot be fulfilled, and they only meet in secret. Years pass by and the relations between north and south are not that calm as in the past. Northern abolitionists demand the end of slavery while the south demands secession and separation from the "damn Yankees". Although George and Orry badly want peace between north and south, there is no escape from the inescapable fate. April 12, 1861, and the attack on the northern fortress Fort Sumter done by the southerners means the beginning of war. The two men, who fought together at Churubusco, will have to fight against each other. Friends will have to become enemies. Will war be stronger than peace of mind? Might the storm and noise of canons, rifles and bullets destroy honour, respect and true friendship?—Marcin Kukuczka
Based on John Jakes' best selling novel, this is the story of the friendship between two boys, George Hazard (James Read) and Orry Main (Patrick Swayze), who meet on their way to West Point Academy. George is from a wealthy Pennsylvania steel family and Orry is from a southern plantation where his family owns slaves. In the years leading up to the Civil War, their friendship is tested as their families interact and hostilities between the north and south increase.—Susan Southall <[email protected]>
This sweeping, star-studded epic about two powerful families before and during the Civil War is based on John Jakes' popular novels. The show tells the saga of the Hazards of Pennsylvania and the Mains of South Carolina and their loves, hatreds, jealousies, and robust rivalry.
Two teenage boys; Orry Main (Patrick Swayze) from South Carolina and George Hazard (James Read) from Pennsylvania, meet on their way to West Point Military Academy. Very soon, they become the best friends ever. In the Academy, they spend lots of time together and the two make the biggest enemy; Elkanah Bent (Philip Casnoff). After graduation, they fight together in a war with Mexico, where Orry gets hurt really bad, but is saved by George. When they return home, they don't give up on their friendship, their families spend summer together, their siblings falls in love, they become business partners, etc. But the situation in America is not getting better, also not all the family members and neighbours like the idea of people from North and South being friends. In December 1860, South Carolina leaves the Union. Civil war is much closer then it has ever been. In Spring 1861, George and Orry must fight against each other.—Annie
