Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)

During the sixteenth century, the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots engages in over two decades of religious and political conflict with her cousin, the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England, amidst political intrigue in her native land.

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writer:

John Hale (original screenplay)

Stars:

Vanessa Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Patrick McGoohan

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Mary, Queen of Scots
Glenda Jackson	...	Queen Elizabeth
Patrick McGoohan	...	James Stuart
Timothy Dalton	...	Henry, Lord Darnley
Nigel Davenport	...	Lord Bothwell
Trevor Howard	...	William Cecil
Daniel Massey	...	Robert Dudley
Ian Holm	...	David Riccio
Andrew Keir	...	Ruthven
Tom Fleming	...	Father Ballard
Katherine Kath	...	Catherine De Medici
Beth Harris	...	Mary Seton
Frances White	...	Mary Fleming
Bruce Purchase	...	Morton
Brian Coburn	...	Huntly

Storyline

Mary Stuart, named Queen of Scotland when she was six days old, is the last Roman Catholic ruler of Scotland. Her cousin Elizabeth Tudor, Queen of England, and her arch adversary, has her imprisoned at age twenty-three. Nineteen years later, Mary is executed, removing the last threat to Elizabeth's throne. The two Queens' contrasting personalities make a dramatic counterpoint to history.

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Plot Keywords:

mary queen of scots character | queen elizabeth i character | robert dudley earl of leicester character | female ruler | character name as title | 

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Taglines:

ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF ENGLAND, who reigned with the power of a man.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1972 (UK)

Also Known As:

Maria Stuart, Königin von Schottland

Filming Locations:

Northumberland National Park, Northumberland, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Hal Wallis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (world premiere) Mono (35 mm prints) 4-Track Stereo (some 35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gone with the Wind (1939) Producer David O. Selznick owned the rights for many years. Veteran Director Alexander Mackendrick had been trying to set it up for many years. In April 1969, he was finally set to go, with Mia Farrow starring, a James Kennaway script, and sets built at Pinewood, when Universal, burdened by heavy losses, cancelled all of its European productions.

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Goofs

The meetings between Queen Elizabeth I of England and Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland in the borderlands and in Mary's cell before her execution have no basis in any factual/historical account of these rulers. However, it is stated in the film that these meetings were secret and never mentioned even to Elizabeth's closest advisers.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Francis - King of France: [screams] La Vierge!
Mary, Queen of Scots: What is it? What is it?
Francis - King of France: My head! My head!
Mary, Queen of Scots: Be still, be still, put your head down.
Francis - King of France: Please, help me.

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Connections

Referenced in Columbo: Identity Crisis (1975)

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Soundtracks

Vivre et Mourir
(uncredited)
Music by John Barry
Sung by Vanessa Redgrave

User Reviews

Mary Queen of Scots

I am not a die-hard fan of Miss Redgrave's, but I will acknowledge her talent as one of our finest actresses of our day. Her portrayal of Mary of Scotland is brilliant. The cast is excellent and you will find yourself engrossed in a history lesson before you realize it. Even the portrayal of John Knox is as accurate as one can get by delving into the archives. I found myself transported back into Tudor England with one of the most dysfunctional families of all time, Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary of Scotland. Both women were anointed Queens which lends to a problem situation that many did not consider for the English Hierarchy.

With both cast and acting shimmered in excellence, you will not be disappointed in this film.