The Lion in Winter (1968)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Anthony Harvey

Writers:

James Goldman (play)
James Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The most significant reserved seat attraction of the year!

Plot:

1183 AD: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Throne | Mistress | King Henry II | Queen

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Henry II
Katharine Hepburn	...	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins	...	Richard
John Castle	...	Geoffrey
Nigel Terry	...	John
Timothy Dalton	...	King Philip of France
Jane Merrow	...	Alais
Nigel Stock	...	Capt. William Marshall
Kenneth Ives	...	Queen Eleanor's guard
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Bishop of Durham
Fran Stafford	...	Lady in Waiting
Ella More	...	Lady in Waiting
Kenneth Griffith	...	Strolling player
Henry Woolf	...	Strolling player
Karol Hagar	...	Strolling player
David Griffith	...	Strolling player (as Mark Griffith)

Directed by
Anthony Harvey

Writing credits
James Goldman		(play)
James Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Joseph E. Levine	....	executive producer
Jane C. Nusbaum	....	associate producer
Martin Poll	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Paul Lee Lander

Art Direction by
Peter Murton

Costume Design by
Margaret Furse

Makeup Department
Bill Lodge	....	makeup artist
A.G. Scott	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Basil Appleby	....	production manager
Jim Brennan	....	unit manager
René Brun	....	production manager: France
Víctor Merenda	....	production manager: France
John Quested	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Burgess	....	second assistant director
Kip Gowans	....	assistant director
Patrick O'Brien	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ted Clements	....	assistant art director
Peter James	....	set dresser
Gilbert Margerie	....	art director: France
Gus Walker	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer (as Gerry Humphries)
Simon Kaye	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Browne	....	chief electrician (as Michael Brown)
Robin Vidgeon	....	assistant camera
Michael Walter	....	grip
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Keith Blake	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Baker	....	wardrobe
Vi Murray	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Lesley Walker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)
Robert Richards	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Jilda Smith	....	production secretary
Emanuel Azenberg	....	play associate producer: Broadway (uncredited)
Walter Hyman	....	play producer: Broadway (uncredited)
Alan King	....	play producer: Broadway (uncredited)
Eugene V. Wolsk	....	play producer: Broadway (uncredited)

Production Companies

• AVCO Embassy
• Haworth Productions

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy (1968) (UK) (theatrical)
• BMG Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Embassy Pictures Corporation
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Momentum Pictures (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Nelson Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Universal Pictures (2000) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• L. & H. Nathan  costumes
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Solters & Digney  publicity

Runtime:

134 min | UK:137 min (70 mm version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

AVCO Embassy

Trivia:

Debut of Anthony Hopkins.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie Prince Richard (later King Richard I) is depicted as having a homosexual relationship with King Philip of France. Actually it was his brother Geoffery who was Philips lover.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry II: Come for me!

Movie Connections:

Version of The Lion in Winter (2003) (TV)

the lion is king of the jungle, and of England

Katharine Hepburn won her third Oscar for "The Lion in Winter", playing brassy queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her role is sort of an interesting counterbalance to Peter O'Toole, as King Henry II. That is, she's elderly and he's young. Maybe it was an allusion to the growing generation gap in the world at the time.

But anyway, this is what epic tales of royalty are supposed to be. It shows Henry's conflicts in wondering who will succeed him. Never dragging, the movie truly gives one the feeling of being with these people and understanding their lives. One of the most interesting scenes - in my opinion at least - is when Eleanor says something about sex. I usually wouldn't expect someone of Katharine Hepburn's generation mention sex in a movie. But she does a great job here (well duh). Also starring are a very young Anthony Hopkins and an even younger Timothy Dalton. All in all, "The Lion in Winter" is a perfect movie in every way, and affirmed 1968 as one of the best movie years ever, with "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Funny Girl", "The Odd Couple", "The Planet of the Apes", "Romeo and Juliet", "Candy", "The Night of the Living Dead" and "Bullitt".