The Lion in Winter (1968)

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:

Battle Of The Sexes | British History | Marriage | Heir | Extramarital Affair

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 Ltd.  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:

Anachronisms: The song Alais sings while Henry is fighting John is called "Allon, Gay Bergeres." This chanson was written by Guillaume Costeley during the Renaissance, nearly 400 years after the events in the movie take place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry II: Come for me!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 76th Annual Academy Awards (2004) (TV)

This film makes a great educational tool!

I am a high school history teacher, and I use this film to give students insight to the way Medieval kings, queens, and princes plotted and schemed with and against one another, how marriages were arranged with political motives, and how the relationships between these self-important royals shaped the history of the time. When I first introduced the films plot to my student, I was met with apathy and predisposed boredom, but they quickly were caught up in the intrigue and plot twists. At each major turn (an impromptu wedding, a surprise revelation about one of the character's sexuality, etc.), the students were often literally gasping.

As for the film itself, I can not think of a movie with more solid acting from the headliners (O'Toole and Hepburn) to the other principal players (Hopkins, Dalton, Terry, and especially Castle), and even the other characters are well cast (Merrow as Alais is not especially solid, but she is at least adequate in her portrayal as "the only pawn" in this game of kings, queens, and knights).

It is, of course, not to be seen as wholly accurate historically, as it would be near impossible to achieve such for events that took place 800 years ago, but the major themes are true to form, and the film is wonderfully engrossing. Highly recommended!