Mary of Scotland (1936)

Director:

John Ford
(more)

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screen play)
Maxwell Anderson (from the play by)
(more)

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:

England | Scotland | Queen | Throne | Escape

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
Molly Lamont	...	Mary Livingstone
Anita Colby	...	Mary Fleming
Jean Fenwick	...	Mary Seton
Lionel Pape	...	Burghley
Alec Craig	...	Donal
Mary Gordon	...	Nurse
Monte Blue	...	Messenger
Leonard Mudie	...	Maitland
Brandon Hurst	...	Airan
Wilfred Lucas	...	Lexington
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Kirkcaldy
Frank Baker	...	Douglas
Cyril McLaglen	...	Faudoncide
Doris Lloyd	...	Fisherman's Wife
Robert Warwick	...	Sir Francis Knollys
Murray Kinnell	...	Judge
Lawrence Grant	...	Judge
Ivan F. Simpson	...	Judge (as Ivan Simpson)
Nigel De Brulier	...	Judge (as Nigel de Brulier)
Barlowe Borland	...	Judge
Walter Byron	...	Walsingham
Wyndham Standing	...	Sergeant-at-Arms
Earle Foxe	...	Earl of Kent
Paul McAllister	...	du Croche
Lionel Belmore	...	Fisherman
Gaston Glass	...	Frenchman
Neil Fitzgerald	...	Nobleman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Anthony	...	Man (uncredited)
John Blood	...	Man (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	(uncredited)
Tommy Bupp	...	Boy in Boat (uncredited)
David Clyde	...	(uncredited)
Hallam Cooley	...	(uncredited)
Harvey D'Roulle Foster	...	Man (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	Man (uncredited)
Jerry Frank	...	(uncredited)
Bud Geary	...	(uncredited)
Douglas Gerrard	...	(uncredited)
Hilda Grenier	...	Woman (uncredited)
Winter Hall	...	(uncredited)
Halliwell Hobbes	...	Man (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Shep Houghton	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Maxine Jennings	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jean Kircher	...	Prince James (uncredited)
Judith Kircher	...	Prince James (uncredited)
Fred Malatesta	...	Man (uncredited)
G.L. McDonnell	...	Man (uncredited)
Wedgwood Nowell	...	Queen Elizabeth's Majordomo (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	Soldier Dueling Bothwell (uncredited)
Father Raemers	...	Man (uncredited)
Robert Ryan	...	(uncredited)
Leslie Sketchley	...	(uncredited)
Wingate Smith	...	(uncredited)
Pat Somerset	...	Mary's Majordomo (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	One of Queen Mary's Guards (uncredited)
John Tyke	...	Man (uncredited)
Billy Watson	...	Fisherman's Son (uncredited)
Bobs Watson	...	Fisherman's Son (uncredited)
Niles Welch	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
John Ford
Leslie Goodwins		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Dudley Nichols		(screen play)
Maxwell Anderson		(from the play by)
Mortimer Offner		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Nathaniel Shilkret

Cinematography by
Joseph H. August		(photographed by)
Jack MacKenzie		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Van Nest Polglase

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett		(costumes by)

Makeup Department
Mel Berns	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Louise Sloane	....	hair stylist: Ms. Hepburn (uncredited)

Production Management
Bert Gilroy	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Louis Shapiro	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Charles Stallings	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Donahue	....	assistant director

Art Department
Carroll Clark	....	associate art director
Darrell Silvera	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Hugh McDowell Jr.	....	recordist
Denzil A. Cutler	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
George Marsh	....	sound edit (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	photographic effects (as Vernon Walker)

Camera and Electrical Department
Louie Anderson	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jane Loring	....	editorial associate
Robert Parrish	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (as Maurice de Packh)
Nathaniel Shilkret	....	musical director (uncredited)
Max Steiner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Jack Bond	....	stand-in: Fredric March (uncredited)
Patricia Doyle	....	stand-in: Katharine Hepburn (uncredited)
Idalyn Dupre	....	stand-in: Frieda Inescort (uncredited)
Georgia French	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Meta Stern	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Bill Worth	....	stand-in: John Carradine (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures (presents) (as Radio Pictures)

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1936) (USA) (theatrical) (A Radio Picture)
• Zenith Film (1936) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Filma (1937) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Theatre Guild  producer of stage play (as Theatre Guild, Inc.)
• Western Costume Company  costumes (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Certification:

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

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Katharine Hepburn, who played Queen Mary, is actually a distant relative of the Earl Of Bothwell, whose family name was, in fact, Hepburn.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Rizzio is stabbed, no blood is visible on the dagger, on him, or on the bed linens.

Quotes:

Mary, Queen of Scots:War! Is that all you men know?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Costume Designer (1950)

A Romantic Look at the passion of two female rulers

Mary of Scotland is not based on the exact historical record, but on Maxwell Anderson's play. However Anderson was trying to dramatize the difference between Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart. Elizabeth was first and foremost a queen who put her passions on hold when it was a choice between them and the country she governed. Mary Stuart was totally incapable of doing that.

Interesting that Katharine Hepburn played Mary. Hepburn who was probably the liberated woman of the 20th century would have been a natural to play Queen Elizabeth. Too bad in fact she didn't in her career. But she does fine her as Mary. Florence Eldridge plays a cold, calculating Elizabeth. Fredric March as Lord Bothwell is not the hero he's shone to be here.

One thing about Scotland in the 16th century. The kingdom had the unbelievable rotten luck of having a whole succession of minority rulers with regencies for a couple hundred years. The nobles who are depicted here are quite used to having their own way. And when Mary abdicated the throne it went to still another regency when her infant son James became king.

Ian Keith's part as Hepburn's illegitimate half brother the Earl of Moray is an interesting one. In history, I've always thought of him as the real hero. He gave Mary sound advice which had she taken, she would have died on the throne of Scotland.

Vanessa Redgrave's later film shows how the exiled Mary Stuart got tricked into a conspiracy to bring Elizabeth down. I wish that had been done here. She was essentially AbScammed.

Elizabeth and Mary never met in real life, but for dramatic purposes it had to happen here.

It's a good film, not one of the best for any of the principals in the cast or for John Ford. Still it's an interesting piece of cinema although some knowledge of Scottish history might help.