The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 November 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom.

Plot:

This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England...

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Ireland | Earl | Queen Elizabeth I | Conspiracy

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars.

Cast

Bette Davis	...	Queen Elizabeth
Errol Flynn	...	Earl of Essex
Olivia de Havilland	...	Lady Penelope Gray
Donald Crisp	...	Francis Bacon
Alan Hale	...	Earl of Tyrone
Vincent Price	...	Sir Walter Raleigh
Henry Stephenson	...	Lord Burghley
Henry Daniell	...	Sir Robert Cecil
James Stephenson	...	Sir Thomas Egerton
Nanette Fabray	...	Mistress Margaret Radcliffe (as Nanette Fabares)
Ralph Forbes	...	Lord Knollys
Robert Warwick	...	Lord Mountjoy
Leo G. Carroll	...	Sir Edward Coke

Also Known As:

Elizabeth and Essex
Elizabeth the Queen (USA) (TV title)
The Knight and the Lady (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Vitaphone)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #5411)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Errol Flynn and Bette Davis disliked each other, and when Elizabeth slaps Essex in front of the entire court, Davis hauled off and unexpectedly belted Flynn for real. The anger on Essex's face is quite genuine, as is Flynn's visible imposition of self-control to avoid hitting Davis back.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the horseman rides up to the "Red Lion" inn, a gorgeous sunset is behind him; the shadow he casts is inconsistent with the placement of the sun, revealing this sunset to not have been in the original shot.

Quotes:

Queen Elizabeth I: ...the necessities of a queen must transcend those of a woman.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elizabeth and Essex: Battle Royale (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Love's Answer

A stunning tour de force by Davis and Flynn.

One of my top 10 best movies of all time! This has to be Davis' best dramatic performance ever - the voice, the mannerisms, the psychological torment between Queen and woman. Never have I seen a character performance like Davis' where she literally shakes with the emotion and tension she feels! Even her eating habits are a source of fascination.

Flynn gives another dashing performance of an emotionally shallow, politically incorrect Essex - he never really quite understands just what he is dealing with until towards the very end. To Essex (and probably to Flynn too!) a woman is just a woman ready to acquiesce to her man at his whim and his detractors at court are simply disgruntled competitors for the affections of his woman. Honest and trustworthy, he has no time patience or comprehension of the treacheries of Raleigh and Cecil or the political considerations of Elizabeth.

Though the plot is quite straightforward it is the absorbing script that allows this actors' tour de force - this is one of the few movies ever where the lead characters are allowed to talk from their hearts. Davis portrays a bitingly intelligent woman in desperate need of one honest voice she can trust and depend upon in a sea of political plots and assorted self-interests. Her determination to rule her people wisely avoiding senseless wars is constantly assailed by her great doubts to continue to command respect and love of her people as she ages and must seek impartial counsel amongst a court of self-seeking, two-faced advisors. She walks the razor's edge of lonely command and tormented despair.

DeHavilland's Penelope is a pivotal character whose envy of the queen and discounting by Essex drives her to attempt to destroy their relationship but finally realises where her loyalties lie.

But the highlight of the film is the intimate exchanges between Essex and Elizabeth that bring out the very best and the very worst in each as they explore their true intentions and their boundaries. The quality of these exchanges are so good that they rival today's psychological thrillers as Elizabeth finally uncovers Essex's true ambitions. It makes you realise how few relationships today could withstand such sincere probing as to the real character of the couple. And the dramatic finale is truly heart-wrenching when Essex becomes the true unselfish hero Elizabeth has been seeking upon finally realising what he would do to England if he shared her throne and that even Elizabeth herself is prepared to sacrifice everything she holds most dear for the man she desperately loves.

They just don't write movies like this any more and it is an excellent example of a masterpiece that can never age.