Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play)
Bridget Boland (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

England | Anne Boleyn | Male Heirs | Sent Away | Capital Punishment

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	King Henry VIII
Geneviève Bujold	...	Anne Boleyn
Irene Papas	...	Queen Katherine of Aragon
Anthony Quayle	...	Cardinal Wolsey
John Colicos	...	Thomas Cromwell
Michael Hordern	...	Count Thomas Boleyn
Katharine Blake	...	Elizabeth Boleyn
Valerie Gearon	...	Mary Boleyn
Michael Johnson	...	George Boleyn
Peter Jeffrey	...	Duke of Norfolk
Joseph O'Conor	...	Bishop Fisher
William Squire	...	Thomas More
Esmond Knight	...	Kingston
Nora Swinburne	...	Lady Kingston
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Mendoza

Also Known As:

Anne of a Thousand Days

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1988) | USA:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Richard Burton loaned the coat he wore as Henry VIII to Sid James to wear when he played Henry VIII in Carry on Henry (1971).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Irene Papas is Greek by origin. Thus, she is Orthodox Christian. But when she acted the role of Katherine, it is supposed to be Spanish and Catholic Christian. When she entered the court and sweared by making the cross on her chest, she did it in the Orthodox way, using the three fingers not the whole palm if her right hand.

Quotes:

Anne: [before her execution] I have a little neck.

Movie Connections:

Version of Anna Boleyn (1920)

Outstanding historical drama, well acted and gorgeous.

A great play by Maxwell Anderson, history, a wonderful cast, magnificent production values and 10 "Oscar" nominations. What more could you ask for. Producer Hal Wallis assembled some of Great Britain's greatest talent at the time, and it shows.

Richard Burton has the role of a lifetime and he is great. His Henry VIII wants a male heir and his eyes are set on Anne. He is randy, ready to get started and the hell with everything else.

Genevieve Bujold is wonderful as Anne Boleyn. Biting the hand that feeds her and her family, she stands firm, and will not bed the king until she is married. She does not make the mistake her sister made. It cost Anne her life, but Elizabeth I was no bastard and did rule England.

The supporting players are a joy to watch, most notably Anthony Quayle as Cardinal Wolsey and Michael Hordern as Anne's father, Thomas. Mr. Hordern possess in my opinion one of cinemas greatest speaking voices, rivaled only by Michael Rennie and Alexander Scourby. Thank goodness for film. The lesser known John Colicos as Thomas Cromwell slithers through his scenes leaving a slime trail only an ambitious lawyer could make. Irene Papas makes the most of her role, but she has too little to do, considering the importance of her character in real life.

From a visual and audible standpoint this movie could not be better. It is like a Hans Holbein painting come to life. The photography by Arthur Ibbetson, Maurice Carter's production design and Margaret Furse's "Oscar" winning costume design are all perfect. Composer Georges Delerue blends contemporary and period instruments into a beautiful but sparse music score. For the banquet scenes, Delerue incorporates some of Henry VIII's own compositions into the galliards. Though it is debatable whether or not his music was any good, it got airplay. It IS good to be the king.

The same events as seen from a different characters point of view can also be seen in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. It is also an excellent movie.

Get historical and watch it. Feast.