Mary of Scotland (1936)

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
Maxwell Anderson (play)

Release Date:

28 August 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

One of the greatest love stories of all time... brought to the screen in throbbing glory by a wonderful cast of stars!

Plot:

The recently widowed Mary Stuart returns to Scotland to reclaim her throne but is opposed by her half-brother and her own Scottish lords.

Plot Keywords:

Scotland | England | Queen | Escape | Throne

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Katharine Hepburn	...	Mary Stuart
Fredric March	...	Bothwell
Florence Eldridge	...	Elizabeth Tudor
Douglas Walton	...	Darnley
John Carradine	...	Rizzio
Robert Barrat	...	Morton
Gavin Muir	...	Leicester
Ian Keith	...	Moray
Moroni Olsen	...	John Knox
William Stack	...	Ruthven
Ralph Forbes	...	Randolph
Alan Mowbray	...	Throckmorton
Frieda Inescort	...	Mary Beaton
Donald Crisp	...	Huntly
David Torrence	...	Lindsay

Also Known As:

Mary, Queen of Scotland (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2052) | Argentina:13

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

According to Katharine Hepburn's autobiography "Me", director John Ford lost interest in the film when he discovered that the plot was not particularly strong. She recalls one day Ford announced that he was leaving early and would allow Hepburn to direct a scene with Fredric March. Hepburn feared that March would not listen to direction from her, but when he acquiesced she directed her first and only scene.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When an overzealous Bothwell pulls at the window bars of his cell, the prop bars move.

Quotes:

Darnley: You never can count on a woman. Marry her, and she turns to ice.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Directed by John Ford (1971)

Academic biography based on tragic figure of the sixteenth century, Mary Quen of Scotland

This is a good costume design historic-drama and Katherine Hepburn is well cast in the title role. She plays a tragic, romantic heroine that contends with various treacheries. Mary(1516-1558) inherited the throne of Scotland from Jacob V. She was next in line to the English kingdom, she married Francisco II, king of France, but died early. Having been in France for thirteen years she returned Scotland, and arrives from France with some misgivings. Then, she disembarks in Leith and goes to a castle near Edimburg, along with David Rizzio(a cadaverous John Carradine), court musician and confidant. There, she's received by his brother, the Earl James Stuart,(Ian Keith).Later, Queen Mary married a foppish named Lord Darnley(Walton). Mary falls in love with Bothwell(a stylish Fredric March), a kilted Earl and her supporter in her battle for power.Then, Rizzio was reputed to be the father of Mary's, the future James I of England. Darnley, with some underlings, murdered Rizzio in Mary's presence. But Darnley is killed by an explosion in his refugee, outskirts Edimbug, and the God-fearing Calvinists led by John Knox(Moroni Olsen who played same role in stage))accused to Bothwell. John Knox and the rebels Lords besiege Holyrood and the Borthwell's stronghold,Dumbar castle .The Calvinists forced her abdication Mary escapes and asks protection to Queen Elizabeth I(Florence Eldridge), but she is double-crossed and is taken imprisoned in the Tower of London.Although supposedly May and Elizabet never met face to face, the movie have them doing so and the screen crackle when both have their rencontre, because they are strong rivals for power in Tudor, England. After, Mary confronts her English accusers in court in a stylized trial.Finally, the film reflects splendidly when Mary goes to beheading block with all due pomp and circumstance .

The motion picture is finely performed by Katharine Hepburn, in spite of this was in her ¨box-office poison¨days, the last scenes, where Mary confronts trial is so well played and photographed in a stylized manner- with Mary on the floor and judges in a sort of balcony-by Joseph August. However, the picture is interminable and overlong and some moments is frankly boring.Writings credits with excessive speeches by Maxwell Anderson(his own playwright) and Dudley Nichols, a Ford's habitual screenwriter .The motion picture is lavishly produced by Pandro S. Berman, an usual costume's producer and professionally directed by John Ford. Followed by a remake with the same title(1971) with Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson and directed by Charles Jarrott.