Young Bess (1953)

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Margaret Irwin (novel)
Jan Lustig (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 May 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Plot:

Chronicles the life of queen Elizabeth I, before she became the queen of England. Apart from taking part in the court intrigues...

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Admiral | Love | England | Queen Elizabeth I

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Simmons	...	Young Bess (Queen Elizabeth I)
Stewart Granger	...	Thomas Seymour
Deborah Kerr	...	Catherine Parr
Charles Laughton	...	King Henry VIII
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Ashley
Guy Rolfe	...	Ned Seymour
Kathleen Byron	...	Ann Seymour
Cecil Kellaway	...	Mr. Parry
Rex Thompson	...	Prince Edward / King Edward VI
Robert Arthur	...	Barnaby
Leo G. Carroll	...	Mr. Mums
Norma Varden	...	Lady Tyrwhitt
Alan Napier	...	Robert Tyrwhitt
Noreen Corcoran	...	Bess as a child
Ivan Triesault	...	Danish Envoy

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #16304)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Cast as on-screen lovers Young Bess (Queen Elizabeth I) and Sir Thomas Seymour, in real life Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger were married to each other when this movie was filmed.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The royal badge on Barnaby's livery consists of a crowned Tudor rose with four red-and-white petals, but the real Tudor rose emblem had five petals, the crown flush with the top petal.

Quotes:

Thomas Seymour: If you were queen of England, what would you do, eh? Would you give your admiral the opportunity to do great deeds?
Young Bess: I'd give him the opportunities he never dared to dream about. I'd send him around the globe as the Portuguese do. I'd send him to the New World to let the Spaniards know that they are no longer masters of it.
Thomas Seymour: That won't be easy. We're a small country, Bess.
Young Bess: That can be remedied, Tom. It CAN be remedied!

a great love story.

Never mind about the historical accuracy, the movie is very enjoyable as a great love story. It is well written and elegantly portrayed by a good assemble of actors. Simmons is excellent as Young Bess, a smart and strong minded princess growing from adolescence into young womanhood, falling for a much older heroic Admiral, attracting his love from his beautiful and tender loving wife. Granger is a great match as Simmon's lover, the arrogant adventurous war hero, also the loving husband of the more classical beauty Kerr. The love triangle between the three is convincing and moving, and its tragic end is heart broken.

The costume is wonderful, especially of Granger's.