Favorite of a queen

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Movie
German title Favorite of a queen
Original title The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1939
length 107 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Michael Curtiz
script Aeneas McKenzie ,
Norman Reilly Raine
production Hal B. Wallis
music Erich Wolfgang Korngold
camera Sol Polito ,
W. Howard Greene
cut Owen Marks
occupation

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (original title: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ) is an American historical film drama of the director Michael Curtiz in 1939, based on the play Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson . The film premiere in Germany took place on November 9, 1951.

action

Bette Davis and Errol Flynn

After winning a sea battle against the Spaniards, the Earl of Essex returns to London triumphantly . Queen Elizabeth awaits him with love and fear. The ambitious Earl is highly respected by the citizens, but has many enemies, including Sir Robert Cecil , Baron Burghley and Sir Walter Raleigh . His only friend at court is Francis Bacon .

The Earl is stunned to hear criticism from the Queen because he was unable to find the Spanish treasure fleet as he had promised. When his officers are rewarded, Essex protests, leading to the rift between him and the Queen. Essex returns to his country estate. The queen remains tough and lets him go, even though she longs for him.

In Ireland, the English occupation forces are routed by Hugh O'Neill, Second Earl of Tyrone . The Queen calls Essex to court. She makes him her chief of protocol, but the earl's enemies incite him to lead a campaign to crush the revolt in Ireland . Although the Queen does not answer his letters with requests for more men and supplies, Essex manages to chase Tyrone away. The Queen is not to blame, because Lady Penelope Gray, who is in love with Essex, intercepted the earl's letters and also those of the queen.

The disappointed Queen orders Essex to disband its force and return to London. Essex is angry and chases after its opponent with a night march. During a negotiation with Tyrone, the latter draws Essex's attention to the smoke in the English camp. The British supplies and ammunition are destroyed. Essex must give up, disarm its men, and sail back to England.

Essex believes he was betrayed. He has his men march to London to overthrow the Queen. Elizabeth doesn't resist. She enters into talks with Essex and offers him to rule the kingdom with him. Essex is pleased and dismisses its army. But he is put in chains and sentenced to death. On the day of the execution, the queen offers him to spare his life if he renounces his political ambitions. But Essex tells her that he will always be a danger to her and goes to the execution block.

Reviews

“[A] top-class but pseudo-historical colossal film in the Hollywood picture book style. Impressive: Bette Davis in the role of the lonely, aging ruler who ultimately has Essex beheaded for high treason. "

- Lexicon of international film

“The opulent history painting 'Favorite of a Queen ' is a real feast for the eyes. This is ensured by the reveling color camera, the magnificent costumes and backdrops, the lively staging by Michael Curtiz, underlaid by the emotionally charged music of Erich Korngolds. "

- Bavarian radio

Awards

1940 Oscar nominations in the categories:

background

  • The play, Elizabeth the Queen , on which the film is based, premiered in New York on November 3, 1930. Lynn Fontaine played the Queen there, Alfred Lunt the Earl of Essex. First the film was supposed to get the title of the play, but Flynn protested. After Flynn's death until it was released on video, the film was shown again as Elizabeth the Queen .
  • Tension arose between Bette Davis and Errol Flynn during filming. Davis thought Flynn was unprofessional, while Flynn thought Davis took himself too seriously. Bette Davis originally wanted Laurence Olivier for the role of Earl of Essex, but had to give in on that point. However , she declined Flynn's suggestion to name the film The Knight and the Lady .
  • Director Curtiz, responsible for over 170 films, received an Oscar five years later for Casablanca .
  • The film had numerous well-known collaborators: In addition to the Oscar-winning actors Davis (1936, 1939), de Havilland (1947, 1950) and Crisp (1942), there were also co-authors Raine (Oscar 1938), composer Korngold (Oscar 1937, 1939) , Cameraman Greene (Oscar 1944), costume designer Orry-Kelly (Oscars 1952, 1958 and 1960), sound engineer Levinson (Oscar 1948), the musical director Leo F. Forbstein (Oscar 1937) and the orchestra director Hugo Friedhofer (Oscar 1947) on the set.
  • Byron Haskin , who made a name for himself as a director of science fiction films in the 1950s and 1960s, was responsible for the special effects .
  • Bette Davis slipped back into the role of Queen Elizabeth in 1955 ( The Virgin Queen - Director: Henry Koster )

Real people in the film

  • Queen Elizabeth (1533–1603) was Queen of England from 1558 until her death. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn . The first English colony was established during her reign.
  • Earl of Essex (1565-1601) was, despite his marriage to Frances Walsingham, as a lover of the 33 years older queen. The coup attempt depicted in the film actually happened. Devereaux was executed in the Tower of London .
  • Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (1540-1616) came into conflict with the English crown in 1595, whereupon the Nine Years War broke out. His fights with the Earl of Essex are based on facts. After the end of the war, O'Neill had to flee and went into exile in Rome in 1608.
  • Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was a philosopher and statesman. There are conjectures that Bacon is the actual author of the works of William Shakespeare .
  • Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) was a navigator and explorer. He planned the establishment of English colonies in North America. On royal orders, however, he was not allowed to take part in the expeditions. Only later trips took him to Guiana . Raleigh was captured and executed by the Spanish.
  • Sir Robert Cecil (1563-1612) was the first Earl of Salisbury and statesman and minister under Queen Elizabeth.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ cf. Lexicon of International Films 2000/2001 (CD-ROM)
  2. ↑ Bayerischer Rundfunk : Favorite of a Queen (PDF; 47 kB), from January 28, 2006
  3. ↑ The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) on movies.nytimes.com, accessed October 20, 2012