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Mary of Scotland (1936)

6.4
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Ratings: 6.4/10 from 1,203 users  
Reviews: 19 user | 14 critic

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

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(screen play), (from the play by), 1 more credit »
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Title: Mary of Scotland (1936)

Mary of Scotland (1936) on IMDb 6.4/10

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Florence Eldridge ...
Douglas Walton ...
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Robert Barrat ...
Gavin Muir ...
Leicester
Ian Keith ...
Moroni Olsen ...
William Stack ...
Ralph Forbes ...
Randolph
...
Throckmorton
Frieda Inescort ...
Mary Beaton
...
David Torrence ...
Lindsay
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Storyline

Mary Stuart returns to Scotland to rule as queen, to the chagrin of Elizabeth I of England who finds her a dangerous rival. There is much ado over whom Mary shall marry; to her later regret, she picks effete Lord Darnley over the strong but unpopular Earl of Bothwell. A palace coup leads to civil war and house arrest for Mary; she escapes and flees to England, where a worse fate awaits her. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

england | scotland | queen | throne | escape | See more »

Taglines:

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


Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

28 August 1936 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Mary, Queen of Scotland  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Victor System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

E.E. Clive is listed in casting records for the role of Burghley, but that role was played by Lionel Pape See more »

Goofs

When an overzealous Bothwell pulls at the window bars of his cell, the prop bars move. See more »

Quotes

Mary, Queen of Scots: [to Bothwell] What's my throne? I'd put a torch to it for any one of the days with you.
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Connections

Referenced in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

John Ford's look at royal history
9 July 2003 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

Katharine Hepburn plays the young queen in this John Ford version of the rivalry between Mary of Scots and her cousin, Elizabeth I (played by Florence Eldridge; whose husband Fredric March plays a jaunty Lord Bothwell). Cut back to the bare bones, and squarely on the differences between the two women, it isn't altogether successful.

John Knox rants his Protestant spiel, Bothwell appears with a retinue of pipers (at several points); Darnley's murder is glossed over, as is his smallpox. John Carradine has a well-defined role as the ill-fated David Rizzio, while Mary's parasitical court of Lords are quirkily represented and dismissed.

Hepburn isn't as bad as one would fear, but it wasn't really a suitable role for her, nor, one would expect, was the material enough for tough director Ford to make much of. So this film remains a misfire, with some interesting sequences and some strong performances, but as a whole, it just doesn't work.


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