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

The masked girl who interrupts Queen Katherine's prayers is played by an unbilled Elizabeth Taylor.

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Goofs

When Katherine is listening to music with her ladies in waiting, a tapestry from the cycle of the Lady and the Unicorn is clearly visible in several shots, as well as in a few other subsequent scenes. These were made in Florence and were eventually rediscovered in France. They were never in England.

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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

Version of The Tudors: You Have My Permission (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Galliard"
(uncredited)
Music by Anthony Holborne

User Reviews

First Class historical Drama

Despite historical inaccuracies necessarily prevalent in historical dramas (i.e. not documentaries), this film is exquisitely conceived, written, directed, and performed. In my opinion, it is perhaps one of the best historical dramas ever produced, and both Bujold and Burton are remarkable. It's a pity that this film is not more widely known. I highly recommend it.