The heir to the throne

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Movie
German title The heir to the throne
Original title Young Bess
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1953
length 112 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director George Sidney
script Jan Lustig ,
Arthur Wimperis
production Sidney Franklin / MGM
music Miklós Rózsa
camera Charles Rosher
cut Ralph E. Winters
occupation

The heir to the throne (original title: Young Bess ) is the title of a historical film about the youth of Queen Elizabeth I of England from 1953. The novel Die Junge Bess (original title: Young Bess ) by Margaret Irwin served as a literary model .

action

November 16, 1558. It is the day before the accession of 25-year-old Elizabeth I of England. At Hatfield House Castle , her maid and governess Mrs. Ashley and Mr. Parry remember the childhood of the new queen:

Elisabeth, called "Bess" by her father Henry VIII , is very dependent on his moods and those of her respective stepmothers. Very early on she lost her mother Anne Boleyn , Heinrich's second wife, who was beheaded together with her three lovers. Catherine Howard , Heinrich's fifth wife, suffers the same fate . Other marriages are subsequently declared null and void and the children from these marriages are declared bastards. Only Bess' younger half-brother Eduard , the son of Heinrich's third wife Jane Seymour , who died in childbed, is the legitimate heir to the throne, long awaited by the king. Sometimes Bess lives with her father, sometimes she is deported to Hatfield House, depending on her father's mood and the outcome of the current marriage. The young princess suffers from constant insecurity.

When Heinrich marries for the sixth time and for the last time, this time Catherine Parr , Bess, now a teenager, finds herself once again in her father's favor and is supposed to live at court. Lord Thomas Seymour has come to collect them from Hatfield House. She doesn't trust the offer and at first refuses, but he can persuade her. His understanding of her situation and his admiration for her ostracized mother let Bess develop feelings for Thomas. She gets along well with her new, understanding stepmother, and with her very young half-brother Eduard VI. Her affection is still for her crush, Lord Thomas (Tom) Seymour. This in turn is Edward's favorite uncle, who will soon become Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. His older half-sister Mary , daughter of Heinrich's first wife Katharina von Aragon , and Bess himself rank in the further line of succession . Tom becomes a fleet admiral and can achieve success in the sea war with the French. He is supported in building an English fleet by Bess, which is itself quite well versed in this field and dreams of sending its ships to the New World.

Henry VIII has been ailing for a long time. Before he dies after 37 years in government, he appoints Tom to the Privy Council and asks him to take care of Eduard. Bess and Catherine, who had briefly introduced Protestant ideas to their royal husband, step into the second row. But shortly after Henry's death, the Privy Councilor changed Henry's regulations and appointed Ned Seymour , Tom's brother, as lord protector and official guardian of the underage King Edward VI. Tom is now Grand Admiral and extremely successful, much to the displeasure of his brother and sister-in-law. Bess' feelings for Tom remain unchanged, which arouses suspicion from Ned's wife, Anne Seymour. But it quickly turns out that Tom loves the king's widow Catherine. When Bess happened to observe the two of them at a secret meeting, she was initially deeply affected. Then, with Edward's help, she finally brings the two together. Catherine, suspecting that the young girl made her marriage to Tom possible, invites her to stay in her house.

Soon, however, Bess is to marry herself. Diplomatic contacts with Denmark are established. During a ball, Bess lets Tom's squire Barnaby Fitzpatrick kiss him to make Tom jealous. The Danish ambassador who catches them breaks off the marriage negotiations. On the way home, Tom Bess blames that if she's not more careful, she will end up like her mother and bring her lovers to the scaffold. After a violent argument, his jealousy leads to Bess confessing her love to him. These things are not hidden from Catherine. She speaks to Bess about her feelings and asks her to either renounce her love for Tom or move out. With a heavy heart, Bess leaves her beloved stepmother, who soon becomes ill. Catherine is already bedridden when she and Tom talk. She confesses her fears to him, whereupon he assures her that he will not leave her because of Bess, although, as Catherine realizes, he loves both women.

A year later, Catherine is dead, and Bess has not seen Tom since. This one is at sea most of the time, fighting pirates. But at these clashes he falls victim to an intrigue of his brother and is accused of high treason. Tom goes to Bess one last time to say goodbye to her before he has to answer in London. He is detained in the tower and is supposed to end up on the scaffold. Bess is also cited as a confidante before the Privy Council. She combats the lord protector and accuses him of fratricide out of envy. With the support of her brother Eduard, she is finally acquitted. But Tom can no longer be saved, he will be executed. As a result, Bess never mentions his name again.

November 16, 1558. Mrs. Ashley and Mr. Parry are back in the present with their memories. The 15-year-old Edward VI. has long been dead. Bess' half-sister Mary, queen from 1553 to 1558, is dying and Ned was also executed. Then the door opens and Elizabeth I visits her loyal servants from back then.

background

  • The film shot in Technicolor doesn't take historical facts so seriously. Edward (Ned) Seymour, among many other things, was actually not as negative as he is portrayed. On the other hand, Thomas Seymour was not as personable as he is portrayed. But as a love story, the film is nicely staged, and the actors act in the same way.
  • Deborah Kerr's role was small here, with Jean Simmons in the lead. If you remember “ The Black Narcissus , the roles of the two were reversed.
  • Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger were married to each other in the 1950s.

Reviews

"As a contemporary painting in costume and equipment carefully designed, dramaturgically neat and acting solidly."

Awards

Academy Award

The film was nominated for an Oscar in 1953 in the following categories:

  • Decor (F): Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary, Edwin B. Willis, Jack D. Moore
  • Costumes (F): Walter Plunkett

but without winning one.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. The heir to the throne. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 11, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used