The Lion in Winter (1968)

Director:

Anthony Harvey

Writers:

James Goldman (screenplay)
James Goldman (play)

Release Date:

30 October 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The most significant reserved seat attraction of the year!

Plot:

1183 AD: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.

Plot Keywords:

King | Christmas | King Henry II | Throne | Mistress

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Henry II
Katharine Hepburn	...	Eleanor of Aquitaine
Anthony Hopkins	...	Richard
John Castle	...	Geoffrey
Nigel Terry	...	John
Timothy Dalton	...	Philip II
Jane Merrow	...	Alais
Nigel Stock	...	William Marshal
Kenneth Ives	...	Queen Eleanor's Guard
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Bishop of Durham
Fran Stafford	...	Lady in Waiting
Ella More	...	Lady in Waiting
Kenneth Griffith	...	Strolling Player
Henry Woolf	...	Strolling Player
Karol Hagar	...	Strolling Player
David Griffith	...	Strolling Player (as Mark Griffith)

Directed by
Anthony Harvey

Writing credits
James Goldman		(screenplay)
James Goldman		(play "The Lion in Winter")

Produced by
Joseph E. Levine	....	executive producer
Jane C. Nusbaum	....	associate producer
Martin Poll	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Douglas Slocombe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Paul Lee Lander		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Peter Murton

Costume Design by
Margaret Furse

Makeup Department
Bill Lodge	....	makeup artist
A.G. Scott	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Basil Appleby	....	production manager
Jim Brennan	....	unit manager
René Brun	....	production manager: French
Víctor Merenda	....	production manager: French
John Quested	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Burgess	....	second assistant director
Kip Gowans	....	assistant director
Patrick O'Brien	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ted Clements	....	assistant art director
Peter James	....	set dresser
Gilbert Margerie	....	art director: French
Gus Walker	....	construction manager
Alan Roderick-Jones	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Chris Greenham	....	sound editor
Gerry Humphreys	....	dubbing mixer (as Gerry Humphries)
Simon Kaye	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Wally Armitage	....	special effects (uncredited)
Garth Inns	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Browne	....	chief electrician (as Michael Brown)
Robin Vidgeon	....	camera assistant
Michael Walter	....	grip
Chic Waterson	....	camera operator
Keith Blake	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Baker	....	wardrobe
Vi Murray	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Lesley Walker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Sidney Margo	....	music contractor (uncredited)
Robert Richards	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John Scott	....	musician: flute (uncredited)

Other crew
Emanuel Azenberg	....	play produced on Broadway in association with
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
Walter Hyman	....	play produced on Broadway by (as Walter A. Hyman)
Alan King	....	play produced on Broadway by
Joseph E. Levine	....	presenter
Jilda Smith	....	production secretary
Eugene V. Wolsk	....	play produced on Broadway by

Production Companies

• AVCO Embassy (as an Avco Embassy film)
• Haworth Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• AVCO Embassy (1968) (UK) (theatrical) (as an Avco Embassy Pictures release)
• BMG Video (1998) (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (for New Line Home Video)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (UK) (VHS)
• Globo Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Magnetic Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Nelson Entertainment (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• New Line Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1981) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2000) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• L. & H. Nathan  costumes (as L.& H. Nathan Ltd.)
• Lee Electric  lighting equipment (as Lee {Electric} Ltd.)
• Solters & Digney  publicity (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

134 min | UK:137 min (70 mm version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor) (uncredited)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) (1998) (2000) | Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:12 (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

AVCO Embassy

Trivia:

Katharine Hepburn is descended from Elinor of Aquitaine in numerous lines, from both Elinor's marriage to Louis VII, King of France, and Elinor's marriage to Henry II, King of England.

Goofs:

Continuity: For a moment Eleanor appears in front of Henry and Alais. Then she puts her hands one on the other, about her breast, and says to Henry she wants to watch him to kiss Alais. In the following shot her hands had changed position.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry II:Come for me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sports Night: What Kind of Day Has It Been? (#1.23)" (1999)

THE film of 1968!

What were those Academy fools thinking?! They ignore a powerhouse performance by Peter O'Toole and trounce Anthony Harvey's inspiring direction! But the final indignity was in giving the best picture award to an over-praised, undeserving, insignificant musical called OLIVER! If they had a least half a brain in their heads they could've given to FUNNY GIRL but they only shoot themselves in the foot when the deserving go unrecognized. It only goes to show the Academy's just jealous. The script and Kate's performance at least were given the royal treatment but it still leaves bitter resentment when Cliff Roberston, one of Hollywood's most less-than-adequate actors cops the best actor away from O'Toole... possibly Hollywood's most underrated, not to mention unrecognized actors of the highest caliber. Hepburn's Eleanor of Aquitaine had witty lines, quiet but still present anger and fire underneath the surface but O'Toole as Henry II gave the more powerful performance... an aesthetic that echoed Taylor and Burton for WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? only Taylor was the gutsy performer and Burton doled out the cut-lows and the intellect. To coin a phrase from the British... "he (O'Toole) was bloody robbed!"

The story is set in Britain, 1183. Henry II is on the throne and has ten years earlier imprisoned his wife Eleanor of Acquitaine after co-conspirating a civil war against him. She and their three sons (Richard, the eldest, a brave warrior on the battlefield, whom Eleanor wants to succeed Henry as king; Geoffrey, the quietly vicious, unappreciated middle son of whom neither of them love with a plot for every occurrence and John, the piggish, dirty, thieving brat is their youngest whom Henry for some unknown reason wants on the throne) are all requested to appear at their palace of Chinon for the Christmas holidays. Also invited is young King Philip II of France whose elder sister Alais is the treasured and much-loved mistress to Henry. Philip wishes to have Alais mearried off to one of Henry's sons (preferably Richard) in order to form an alliance between England and France made between Henry and Philip's father, the late King Louis. But meanwhile, Philip is also plotting with all three boys and Eleanor to tear Henry's kingdom apart. Eleanor is merely in on it to get back at Henry for loving Alais (whom she had raised as a surrogate daughter) and the late Rosmund, an old rival of Eleanor's whom Henry replaced her with.

This film has it all: infidelity, betrayal, family dysfunction and a script that crackles with venom, wit and plot-twisting motivation. See it if only for O'Toole and Hepburn's first-rate performances.