Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play)
Bridget Boland (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

He was King. She was barely 18. And in their thousand days they played out the most passionate and shocking love story in history!

Plot:

Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.

Plot Keywords:

Heir | Queen | England | King | Male Heirs

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	King Henry VIII
Geneviève Bujold	...	Anne Boleyn
Irene Papas	...	Queen Katherine of Aragon
Anthony Quayle	...	Cardinal Wolsey
John Colicos	...	Thomas Cromwell
Michael Hordern	...	Count Thomas Boleyn
Katharine Blake	...	Elizabeth Boleyn
Valerie Gearon	...	Mary Boleyn
Michael Johnson	...	George Boleyn
Peter Jeffrey	...	Duke of Norfolk
Joseph O'Conor	...	Bishop Fisher
William Squire	...	Thomas More
Esmond Knight	...	Kingston
Nora Swinburne	...	Lady Kingston
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Mendoza

Also Known As:

Anne of a Thousand Days

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1988) | USA:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Maxwell Anderson's play "Anne of the thousand days" was originally produced on Broadway at Shubert Theatre. It premiered on 8 December 1948 and closed on 8 October 1949 (288 performances in total).

Goofs:

Factual errors: In one scene Mary and her mother Catherine of Aragon are talking, it is very obvious that Anne is Queen. When Anne was Queen, Mary and her mother were forbidden to see each other, yet the movie shows Catherine and Mary talking about Henry and Anne's marriage.

Quotes:

King Henry VIII: I am accursed! A live daughter and a dead son! Did I accept excommunication for this? Did I send More and Houghton and Fisher to their deaths for this? She cannot give me living son! Very well then, if she cannot give me a male heir, I shall rid myself of her.

Movie Connections:

Version of Anna Boleyn (1920)

Passionate, historical and sombre

It is a memorable film, well nominated, exquisitely costumed. I like Richard Burton best of all in this one. He takes up the role of Henry VIII and gives it many subtle shades of feeling so that you almost understand what might have really transpired in such a king's turbulent soul. He was somewhere between a rock and a hard place and rushed headlong into history with his determined efforts to change the rules of kingship.

Anne Boleyn, here played by Genevieve Bujold, was caught up in these events and ultimately became a casualty of circumstances. I'm not a history buff so can't fill in the true story but it's obvious there was much political intrigue taking place. Also, it rather reminded me of "Othello" in which the ill-fated Desdemona was victimized by Iago's slander. Genevieve portrays Anne with deep conviction and her tremendous vehemence at times sweeps us along through happy moments as well as fiery clashes with family, king, and authorities.

I was enthralled by the excellent supporting actors who formed the king's entourage, and hope to know them by name one day. In particular was their exchange of witty dialogue in the captivating scene which ended in a reference to a "venison haunch." I believe one of these actors later appeared in "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1971) as I recognized the same wonderful voice, and I think it's Vernon Dobtcheff. Well, it's a bit of detective work I must do to confirm.

Anthony Quayle's portrayal of Cardinal Wolsey was right on. Oh the glories of power in high places, so many titled positions he held! Yet in the end the Cardinal could hold onto none of them in a true sense. I feel this is one role where Quayle really excelled as an actor and a very dramatic presence.

For me this film goes hand in hand with "A Man for All Seasons" and "Mary, Queen of Scots" for some great drama on screen.