The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
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- Approved
- 1h 46min
- Biography, Drama
- 11 Nov 1939 (USA)
- Movie
A depiction of the love/hate relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 5 Oscars.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Bette Davis | ... |
Queen Elizabeth
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| Errol Flynn | ... |
Earl of Essex
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| Olivia de Havilland | ... |
Lady Penelope Gray
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| Donald Crisp | ... |
Francis Bacon
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| Alan Hale | ... |
Earl of Tyrone
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| Vincent Price | ... |
Sir Walter Raleigh
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| Henry Stephenson | ... |
Lord Burghley
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| Henry Daniell | ... |
Sir Robert Cecil
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| James Stephenson | ... |
Sir Thomas Egerton
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| Nanette Fabray | ... |
Mistress Margaret Radcliffe
(as Nanette Fabares)
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| Ralph Forbes | ... |
Lord Knollys
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| Robert Warwick | ... |
Lord Mountjoy
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| Leo G. Carroll | ... |
Sir Edward Coke
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Guy Bellis | ... |
Lord Charles Howard (uncredited)
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Jacob Dance | ... |
Essex's Soldier (uncredited)
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| Forrester Harvey | ... |
Bit Part (uncredited)
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| Holmes Herbert | ... |
Majordomo (uncredited)
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| I. Stanford Jolley | ... |
Spectator Outside Whitehall Palace (uncredited)
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| Doris Lloyd | ... |
Handmaiden (uncredited)
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| John Sutton | ... |
Capt. Armand of the Queen's Guard (uncredited)
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| Rosella Towne | ... |
Lady of the Court (uncredited)
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| Maris Wrixon | ... |
Lady of the Court (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Michael Curtiz | ||
Written by
| Norman Reilly Raine | ... | (screen play) and |
| Æneas MacKenzie | ... | (screen play) (as Aeneas MacKenzie) |
| Maxwell Anderson | ... | (from the stage play by) |
Produced by
| Robert Lord | ... | associate producer |
| Hal B. Wallis | ... | executive producer |
Music by
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | ||
Cinematography by
| Sol Polito | ... | director of photography |
Film Editing by
| Owen Marks | ... | film editor |
Art Direction by
| Anton Grot | ||
Costume Design by
| Orry-Kelly | ... | (costumes by) |
Makeup Department
| Perc Westmore | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Jack L. Warner | ... | in charge of production |
| Frank Mattison | ... | unit manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Sherry Shourds | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| C.A. Riggs | ... | sound |
| Nathan Levinson | ... | special sound effects (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Byron Haskin | ... | special effects |
| Hans F. Koenekamp | ... | special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp) |
Stunts
| Buster Wiles | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| W. Howard Greene | ... | associate director of photography |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Leo F. Forbstein | ... | musical director |
| Hugo Friedhofer | ... | orchestrator |
| Milan Roder | ... | orchestrator |
| Faith Kruger | ... | singing voice: Olivia de Havilland (uncredited) |
Other crew
| Ali Hubert | ... | technical advisor |
| Natalie Kalmus | ... | technicolor color director |
| Stanley Logan | ... | dialogue director |
| Morgan Padelford | ... | associate technicolor color director |
| Herman Lissauer | ... | historical advisor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Warner Bros. (presents) (A Warner Bros. Picture)
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1939) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1940) (United States) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1945) (United States) (theatrical)
- M.P.E.A. (1951) (Austria) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros. (1951) (United States) (theatrical)
- Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1956) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (United States) (DVD)
- Divisa Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
- Warner Home Video (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
- Epoca (Argentina) (VHS)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Theatre Guild (stage play produced by)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
- Internazional Film Union (IFU) (German dubbing) (1951)
- Max Factor (wigmaker)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex. Ever the victor on the battlefield, Devereux returns to London after defeating Spanish forces at Cadiz. Middle-aged Elizabeth, so attracted to the younger Devereux but fearful of his influence and popularity, sends him on a new mission: a doomed campaign to Ireland. When he and his troops return in defeat, Devereux demands to share the throne with the heir-less queen, and Elizabeth, at first, intends to marry. Ultimately sensing the marriage would prove disastrous for England, Elizabeth sets in motion a merciless plan to protect her people and preserve her throne. Written by IMDb Editors |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,075,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Bette Davis had originally wanted Laurence Olivier for the role of Lord Essex, claiming that Errol Flynn could not speak blank verse well. She remained extremely upset about this through the entire filming, and Flynn and Davis never worked again together in a film. According to Olivia de Havilland, she and Davis screened the film again a short while before Davis suffered four strokes in 1983. At film's end, Davis turned to de Havilland and declared that she had been wrong about Flynn, and that he had given a fine performance as Essex. See more » |
| Goofs | The real Robert Cecil was small and had a curved spine, and was one of Queen Elizabeth's chief counselors, not the supercilious character portrayed in this film, or in Maxwell Anderson's original play. The queen would affectionately refer to him as "my dwarf". He is more accurately portrayed in the TV miniseries Elizabeth I (2005). See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Adventures of Don Juan (1948). See more » |
| Soundtracks | The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (Come Live With Me and Be My Love) See more » |
| Crazy Credits | The Warner Brothers shield is in the form of an English coat of arms. This logo was seen in Errol Flynn's previous film The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). See more » |
| Quotes |
Queen Elizabeth I:
And when he takes you in his arms again, thank heaven you are not a queen. Mistress Margaret Radcliffe: But I thought to be a queen... Queen Elizabeth I: To be a Queen is to be less than human, to put pride before desire, to search Men's hearts for tenderness, and find only ambition. To cry out in the dark for one unselfish voice, to hear only the dry rustle of papers of state. To turn to one's beloved with stars for eyes and have him see behind me only the shadow of the executioner's block. A queen has no hour for love, time presses, and events crowd upon her, and her shell, an empty glittering husk, she must give up all the a woman holds most dear. See more » |