The Virgin Queen (1955)

Sir Walter Raleigh overcomes court intrigue to win favor with the Queen in order to get financing for a proposed voyage to the New World.

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Harry Brown, Mindret Lord,

Stars:

Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bette Davis	...	Queen Elizabeth I
Richard Todd	...	Sir Walter Raleigh
Joan Collins	...	Beth Throgmorton
Jay Robinson	...	Chadwick
Herbert Marshall	...	Lord Leicester (Robert Dudley)
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Lord Derry
Robert Douglas	...	Sir Christopher Hatton
Romney Brent	...	French Ambassador
Leslie Parrish	...	Anne (as Marjorie Hellen)
Lisa Daniels	...	Mary

Storyline

Sir Walter Raleigh gains audience with Queen Elizabeth I and soon wins her over to his way of thinking. He wants ships to sail and make a name for England. A young ward of the court, Beth Throgmorton, is strongly attracted to Raleigh and returns the attraction. But soon the Queen shows her desires and he bends in order to achieve his goal of ships. But still he loves Beth.

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Plot Keywords:

queen | sir walter raleigh | ship | intrigue | love | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sir Walter Raleigh

Filming Locations:

Stage 8, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints) Stereo (Western Electric Recording) Mono (Western Electric Recording) (optical prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Average Shot Length = 18.3 seconds. Median Shot Length = 16.2 seconds.

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Quotes

Queen Elizabeth I: There can be no funeral without a corpse.

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Connections

Referenced in All About Bette (1994)

User Reviews

historically inaccurate but a lavish production and great acting

Basically a soap opera of it's day with Queen Liz and Elexis Carrington fighting over the handsome, young cad, Sir Walter Raleigh who among other things introduced cigarettes to the world. The movie won an academy award for its costumes which unlike the events depicted in the film are spot on in their historical detail.

Bettie Davies is brilliant as The Queen (the template for Miranda Richardson's version in Blackadder II) and Richard Todd looks the part as the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh. The DVD cut of this film, issued as part of the Studio Classics series, is pristine with the digital format bringing out the sheer spectacle of colour in the scenes in the royal court.

A great old fashioned drama.