Joseph Balsamo

Joseph Balsamo is a 1973 French-German television miniseries directed by André Hunebelle. Adapted by Pierre Nivollet from Alexandre Dumas's eponymous novel in the Mémoires d'un médecin cycle, it stars Jean Marais in the title role and consists of seven episodes of roughly 52 to 55 minutes each. The series aired in France on ORTF's first channel from 8 January to 19 February 1973, and was rebroadcast on France 3 in 2002. In Québec it was shown on Radio-Canada beginning in February 1974. In Germany it ran on ZDF under the title Cagliostro, edited into three longer installments. The production was a co-venture between Tele-München and the Paris-based Technisor, made on behalf of ZDF and ORTF. Drawing on Dumas's novels, the story follows the adventures of the enigmatic Joseph Balsamo, also known as Cagliostro. Udo Kier appears alongside Jean Marais in the cast.