The dirty sparrow and the queen

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Movie
German title The dirty sparrow and the queen
Original title The Mudlark
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1950
length 99 minutes
Rod
Director Jean Negulesco
script Nunnally Johnson
production Nunnally Johnson for 20th Century Fox
music William Alwyn
camera Georges Périnal
cut Thelma Connell
occupation

The Dirt Sparrow and the Queen (OT: The Mudlark ) is an American film from 1950 with Irene Dunne in the role of Queen Victoria and Alec Guinness as Benjamin Disraeli . The fictional plot tells how the queen found out of her deep grief for her deceased husband Prince Albert by meeting a street boy .

action

Little Wheeler, a street boy, half starved and homeless, finds a medallion with the image of Queen Victoria in 1875. An older friend explains to him that this is "the mother of all English people". Wheeler, taking this literally, sets off on foot to Windsor to meet her. Victoria, however, has closed herself off from the outside world in her palace for the past 13 years and mourns her deceased husband. When Wheeler is discovered by the palace guards preparing for a state dinner, the boy is falsely suspected of being part of a plot to assassinate the Queen. Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli realizes that the boy is harmless and defends him in front of parliament. In his speech he indirectly criticizes the queen, who has withdrawn from public life. The Queen is upset by the speech, but she is genuinely moved by Wheeler, and she eventually returns to public life.

background

20th Century Fox acquired the film rights to the hit novel The Mudlark by Theodore Bonnet for $ 75,000 in 1949 and immediately began preparations for the film. The shooting was to take place in England with an almost entirely British cast. Studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck therefore expressly warned director Jean Negulesco against letting the actors speak with a British accent at the end:

“Nothing hurts a film from England in America more than a pronounced British accent. A British film has to be absolutely sensational to stand a chance in this country and to overcome American viewers' pronounced aversion to the British accent. ... A Scottish accent is the worst ever. If we let too much accented talk in the film, we have a real problem. "

Actress Irene Dunne was cast as Queen Victoria as most English actors were unknown in America and Dunne still had a lot of fans despite her 51 years. To make Dunne look like the real queen, she spent around 90 minutes in the mask every morning, where she was made older and plump with the help of latex and make-up. While most contemporary critics complained about Dunne and her portrayal and found her boring and static, today there are more voices praising the intensity of her interpretation. The actress completely disappears behind the character. For the only time in her career she has completely shed her slight southern accent and speaks rather flat and choppy, just like Victoria. Dunne also dispenses with her otherwise typical expressive movements with her hands in the role. Instead, she interprets the queen as a woman who has completely withdrawn into herself and her grief. Almost until the end she shows hardly any emotions and remains cool and repellent. Only when the Prime Minister explains to the Queen the seriousness of the situation, which has arisen from her complete withdrawal from the public for the monarchy, does she exclaim with a touch of self-knowledge

"They do not like me!"

Although there were initially some reservations in the UK about the occupation of Victoria with an American actress, the film was selected for the annual Royal Film Performance, a benefit event for the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. King George VI stayed for the performance . and the royal family. Irene Dunne repeated her role in August 1951 on the popular radio show Lux Radio Theater with Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Disraeli.

The role of Queen Victoria has been the subject of stage and film representations several times. Helen Hayes had the greatest success of her stage career in 1935 in the play Victoria Regina . In the three years after the premiere, the production had 963 performances and the actress toured the United States for a few more years. In 1937 Anna Neagle directed the English film Queen Victoria alongside Adolf Wohlbrück . The film focuses on the relationship between Victoria and Albert. Her husband Herbert Wilcox directed it . The great financial success prompted the star and director to document the entire reign of the monarch in 1938 with Sixty Glorious Years . The Queen's relationship with John Brown was released in 1997 as Mrs. Brown directed by John Madden II with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly . As early as the early 1970s, there were plans to film the project with Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery .

Awards

The film went with a nomination for the Academy Awards in 1951

  • Best costumes in a black and white movie

Reviews

Most of the critics found the film charming. Irene Dunne, however, received no praise for her portrayal as Queen Victoria.

In the New York Times , the reviewer used particularly harsh words towards the leading lady:

“[The] critic can report that this film [...] is a warm and positive production. [The] portrayal of Irene Dunne in the role of Victoria is rigid and implausible. Unfortunately, if not through her fault, she does not have the talent for the job. And although she has been heavily trimmed to resemble the overloaded queen, she hardly manages to bring the illusion to life or create real emotions, which is altogether very unfortunate. "

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Nothing has done more to kill English pictures in America than pronounced British accents. A British picture has got to be simply sensational to get by in this country and overcome the absolute hatred of American audiences for British accents .... A Scottish accent is worst of all. If we load this picture with pronounced accents we are going to be in serious trouble.
  2. ↑ They don't like me!
  3. ↑ [T] his reviewer should be able to report that this picture […], is a warm and rewarding show. [The] performance of Irene Dunne in the Victoria role is labored and superficial. Unfortunately, through no fault of hers, she is not possessed of the nature of the talent to do this job. And although she is made up stoutly to look like the overstaffed queen, she conveys very little illusion or real emotion, which is sadly missed.