Young Bess (1953)

The early life of Elizabeth I, from her childhood until her accession to the throne of England in 1558.

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Margaret Irwin (based on the novel by), Jan Lustig

Stars:

Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Simmons	...	Young Bess (Queen Elizabeth I)
Stewart Granger	...	Thomas Seymour
Deborah Kerr	...	Catherine Parr
Charles Laughton	...	King Henry VIII
Kay Walsh	...	Mrs. Ashley
Guy Rolfe	...	Ned Seymour
Kathleen Byron	...	Ann Seymour
Cecil Kellaway	...	Mr. Parry
Rex Thompson	...	Prince Edward / King Edward VI
Robert Arthur	...	Barnaby
Leo G. Carroll	...	Mr. Mums
Norma Varden	...	Lady Tyrwhitt
Alan Napier	...	Robert Tyrwhitt
Noreen Corcoran	...	Bess as a child
Ivan Triesault	...	Danish Envoy

Storyline

Chronicles the life of queen Elizabeth I, before she became the queen of England. Apart from taking part in the court intrigues, she is unhappily in love with admiral Thomas Seymour, and dreams of building a navy to match the Portuguese and the Spanish.

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Plot Keywords:

woodpile | character name as title | king edward vi character | king henry viii character | queen elizabeth i character | 

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Taglines:

A Great and Spectacular Drama!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was young Rex Thompson's film debut as Prince Edward/King Edward VI. He turned in a truly engaging performance as the ill-fated young King of England, remarkable considering he was only eleven years old, and was not British but a native New Yorker.

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Goofs

In the shot showing Elizabeth leaving Whitehall after Edward becomes king, her carriage becomes transparent (due to the matte painting of trees and sky behind it).

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Quotes

Anne Boleyn: [referring to her involvement in little Elizabeth's birth] But Henry, didn't I have a hand in it?
King Henry VIII: Of course.
[smiles wickedly at Anne]
King Henry VIII: But I gave you the idea.
[laughter from Anne and the courtiers]

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Connections

Referenced in Kiss Me Kate (1953)

User Reviews

Hollywood gloss triumphs - as usual.

Its historical inaccuracies aside (including its scrubbed and polished depiction of a far less sanitary time, even, most probably, amidst the pomp and pageantry of the royal court), this costume romance is typical of the very carefully produced and handsomely mounted style of M-G-M in the waning days of its preeminence among the major Hollywood studios. Its well-chosen cast performs most satisfactorily under George Sidney's assured direction and the artistic and technical credits are impeccable, notably the art direction and the almost absurdly luxurious costuming. This film was nominated in the color categories for those two contributions and, most unjustly in my opinion, lost out to Twentieth's first CinemaScope blockbuster, "The Robe," in both cases. The prolific Miklos Rozsa provides one of his more sprightly scores, deftly enhancing the script's focus on the romantic entanglements of the principals. Still, enough attention is paid to the great peril of being close to the apogee of power in England at the time. Throughout a sense of dread pervades the audience's hope that Young Bess might actually survive to realize her dream of a love fulfilled.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Young Bess

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,423,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1