Silhouette Romances On the (Small) Screen
In the 1980s and 1990s, romance imprints Silhouette and Harlequin teamed up with Showtime and CBS to create television adaptations of some category novels. Here we’re covering the movies based on Silhouette romances.
Diamond Girl by Diana Palmer
Diana Palmer‘s 1984 Silhouette Desire, Diamond Girl is about a mousy secretary who gets a makeover. Her boss wants her to catch the eye of his stepbrother. However, a romance ensues between the boss and the secretary.
A television movie based on the book came out in 1998. It starred Jonathan Cake and Joely Collins.
Clair Barnard is an attractive–if somewhat dowdy–paralegal who takes care of the everyday running of a law practice owned by playboy lawyer Denny Montana. Denny is oblivious to the fact that Clair harbors romantic feelings for him.
Since the death of Denny’s father the family wine estate has been in financial decline and the family is considering a merger. Denny’s brother Regan has arrived to help protect the family’s interests as he does not have confidence that Denny will negotiate a suitable settlement, nor does he trust his gold-digging girlfriend Margo.
Regan has commandeered an office at Denny’s practice and the intrusion has meant that Claire and Regan bicker constantly. Despite this fact, he recognizes that Claire is a diamond in the rough and sets about transforming her into a ravishing beauty. Regan intends to enlist the air of the transformed Claire to lure his brother away from the seductive charms of Margo. She gets the man she loves and he gets Denny away from Margo’s evil clutches.
DIAMOND GIRL
Watch Diamond Girl on Youtube
Love with a Perfect Stranger by Pamela Wallace
Love With a Perfect Stranger, Silhouette Special Edition #63, was the first of three books by Pamela Wallace that were adapted to the screen.
This 1986 film starred Marilu Henner and Daniel Massey.
A beautiful wealthy American businesswoman meets an eccentric Irishman on an Italian train, who sets out to woo her. What ensues is something neither imagined happening.
LOVE WITH A PERFECT STRANGER
Watch Love With a Perfect Stranger on Youtube
Dreams Lost, Dreams Found by Pamela Wallace
Dreams Lost, Dreams Found was the next Pamela Wallace Silhouette Special Edition to come out as a film on Showtime. This romance took place in Scotland.
This 1987 production starred Kathleen Quinlan and Nick Nolte’s look-alike, David Robb.
A young American widow is mysteriously drawn to a historic castle in the Scottish Highlands…and finds herself at the center of a 200-year-old ghost story.
DREAMS LOST, DREAMS FOUND
Watch Dreams Lost, Dreams Found on YouTube
Tears In the Rain by Pamela Wallace
Tears In the Rain is the third Patricia Wallca Sihouette romance to be adapted into a movie.
Wallace had experience working in Hollywood, having developed two previous stories for film She had worked on the story for the film Witness, starring Harrison Ford.
She would then go on would go on to write scripts for other television productions. These include Christmas movies and other films for the Hallmark Channel.
The book blurb for Tears In the Rain:
Kentucky born Casey Cantre London, determined to fulfill her last request and deliver a letter to a mysterious stranger.
But when she reached the home of wealthy old Lord Bredon, she was met with only coldness and anger. Vowing to solve mystery, Casey went in search of an answer–and walked straight into the arms of a golden-haired aristocrat.
As open and sensual as his father was` and distant, Michael Bredon filled Casey with a tender, passionate longing. But could she give Michael her heart, when the . key to their future happiness lay in the dark shadow of a past love?
TEARS IN THE RAIN
This 1988 film had Sharon Stone and Christopher Cazenove in the lead roles.
When Casey Cantrell’s mother died, her last wish was that her daughter would give a letter to Lord Richard Bredon, living in the UK. When Casey arrives in London, Lord Bredon denies ever having known her mother. Casey meets Lord Bredon’s son Michael and they fall in love. When Lord Bredon finds out about this new relationship he furiously assumes that Casey wants to blackmail his family and starts to investigate her background. The plot heightens dramatically when it appears that an event from the past might part the lovers.
TEARS IN THE RAIN
Watch Tears In the Rain on YouTube
Cloud Waltzing by Tori Cates
Tori Cates Cloud Waltzer is yet another Silhouette romance novel made into a movie.
The title Cloud Waltzer was changed to Cloud Waltzing for the 1987 adaptation of the 1984 book.
The lead roles went to Kathleen Beller and François-Eric Gendron.
Journalist Meredith Tolliver is sent to do a story on wealthy wine vineyard owner Francois De Paul. Francois is a mysterious, gentle man who never talks about his personal life and seems to be hiding a secret. Meredith is a woman determined to get a story on him like no one has ever written-including an in-depth story on his personal life. Meredith is determined to become a fantastic journalist, even if it’s against her rich domineering fathers wishes. With Francois love, he’ll help her overcome her own secret, and she’ll help him overcome his.
CLOUD WALTZING
Watch Cloud Waltzing on YouTube (Part I)
At the Midnight Hour by Alica Scott (aka Lisa Gardner)
Silhouette Intimate Moments #558, At the Midnight Hour by Alicia Scott, was a 1995 release about a nanny caring for a scientist’s child.
The film version starred Patsy Kensit and Keegan MacIntosh.
Watch In the Midnight Hour on YouTube
Young nanny Elizabeth Guinness arrives at the mansion of the brilliant, widowed scientist Richard Keaton, to care for his gifted but troubled son Andrew. Complications arise when the scientist’s younger brother, Blaine and his girlfriend Jillian arrive at the mansion for an extended visit.
While trying to reunite father and son, Liz attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Richard’s wife and at the same time find herself falling in love with the mysterious Keaton.
AT THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
Watch At the Midnight Hour On YouTube
Your Opinion
Have you seen any of these movies based on Silhouette romance novels? Or have you read the books that the movies were based on? If so, what did you think of them?
As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.
Links
- At the Midnight Hour IMDB
- Diamond Girl IMDB
- Tears in the Rain IMDB
- Harlequin_Romance_Movies
- Fishpond; Movies
Thanks, Jacqueline. I saw these movies many years ago. I’d like to watch them again. So I’m grateful you included the YouTube links.
Since these films are closely tied to vintage romance novels, are you open to the idea of reviewing them for SSF?