Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Bridget Boland (screenplay), John Hale (screenplay),

Stars:

Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold, Irene Papas

Won 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton	...	King Henry VIII
Geneviève Bujold	...	Anne Boleyn (as Genevieve Bujold)
Irene Papas	...	Queen Katherine
Anthony Quayle	...	Wolsey
John Colicos	...	Cromwell
Michael Hordern	...	Thomas Boleyn
Katharine Blake	...	Elizabeth Boleyn
Peter Jeffrey	...	Norfolk
Joseph O'Conor	...	Fisher
William Squire	...	Thomas More
Valerie Gearon	...	Mary Boleyn
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Mendoza
Gary Bond	...	Smeaton
Terence Wilton	...	Lord Percy
Denis Quilley	...	Weston

Storyline

Henry VIII of England discards one wife Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of a young and beautiful woman, Anne Boleyn, whose one-thousand-day reign as Queen of England ends with the loss of her head on the block. Henry weds Ann and soon she gives him a child. The girl, Elizabeth, is a bitter disappointment to Henry, who desperately wants an heir. Anne promises Henry a son "next time," but Henry is doubtful. Shortly thereafter, rumors begin that the King's eye has already wandered. One Jane Seymour is at court for a moment. The Queen has her sent away, but, if Anne will bring Jane back to court, the King promises to sign the Act of Succession to insure that Elizabeth will be Queen.

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Plot Keywords:

england | queen | heir | king | marriage | 

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Taglines:

He was King. She was barely 18. And in their thousand days they played out the most passionate and shocking love story in history!

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

M

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anne of a Thousand Days

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (some 35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) 4-Track Stereo (some 35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film received mixed reviews, it was a financial flop on release.

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Goofs

In one scene Mary and her mother Catherine of Aragon are talking, it is very obvious that Anne is Queen. When Anne was Queen, Mary and her mother were forbidden to see each other, yet the movie shows Catherine and Mary talking about Henry and Anne's marriage.

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Quotes

[first lines]
King Henry VIII: What is the verdict?
Thomas Cromwell: Guilty - Your Grace.
King Henry VIII: All of them?
Thomas Cromwell: Guilty.

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Classics from the Vault: Great Performances That Oscar Ignored (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Galliard"
(uncredited)
Music by Anthony Holborne

User Reviews

a must see for lovers of history, film, drama and beauty

15 minutes into the movie, you forget that you are not seeing Henry VIII and his soon to be beheaded Queen Anne. The costumes and sets are breathtaking and the end, even tho you know what will happen, still illicits an audible gasp from everyone who sees it for the first time. Along with Lion in Winter and a handful of others, this should be required viewing for every student of history, film and drama.