Henry VIII and His Six Wives (1972)

On his deathbed, King Henry VIII looks back over his eventful life and his six marriages.

Director:

Waris Hussein

Writer:

Ian Thorne (original screenplay)

Stars:

Keith Michell, Donald Pleasence, Charlotte Rampling

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keith Michell	...	King Henry VIII
Donald Pleasence	...	Thomas Cromwell
Charlotte Rampling	...	Ann Boleyn
Jane Asher	...	Jane Seymour
Frances Cuka	...	Katherine of Aragon
Lynne Frederick	...	Catherine Howard
Jenny Bos	...	Ann of Cleves
Barbara Leigh-Hunt	...	Catherine Parr
Michael Gough	...	Norfolk
Brian Blessed	...	Suffolk
Michael Goodliffe	...	Thomas More
Bernard Hepton	...	Cranmer
Garfield Morgan	...	Gardiner
John Bryans	...	Wolsey
John Bennett	...	Wriothesley

Storyline

On his deathbed Tudor-king Henry VIII remembers his long reign and especially the crucial part his six marriages played in it, without producing the male heir he desired most to prevent civil wars for the succession as England suffered before his father's ascent. His first queen, Spanish princess Kathryn of Aragon, had one fatal flaw: her children died, except daughter Mary, so he pressed Rome for an annulment, and when that failed out went cardinal Wolsey as chief minister and Henry made himself head of the Church of England instead of the papacy and married Anne Boleyn. When she too failed to produce a male heir, just princess Elisabeth, he had her head roll for 'infidelity'. The third queen, gentle Jane Seymour, died giving birth to sickly prince Edward. For diplomatic reasons Henry married minor princess Anne of Cleves, whose utter lack of female charms causes another annulment and the fall of Thomas Cromwell, who recommended her. Fifth is the lovely Catherine Howard, cousin of ...

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Plot Keywords:

libertine | anne boleyn | england | king henry viii | king | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1973 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

As Seis Mulheres de Henrique Oitavo

Filming Locations:

Hever Castle, Hever, Kent, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anglo-EMI, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Bernard Hepton also played the Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in the source television miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970) and its sequel Elizabeth R (1971).

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Goofs

No women, not even Queen Catherine Parr were present at Henry's deathbed.

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Quotes

Thomas Cromwell: Your Grace.
Henry VIII: Whom can a man trust in this world when there is nothing real in it?
[showing Cromwell a miniature portrait of Anne of Cleves]
Henry VIII: Is this a true likeness?
Thomas Cromwell: Yes, sire, I think.
Henry VIII: Where are the great pits in her face?
Thomas Cromwell: She has a queenly manner, I think, sire.
Henry VIII: I like her not!
[shoving and shaking Cromwell]
Henry VIII: She is nothing fair and I like her not!

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Connections

Version of Deception (1920)

User Reviews

Superbly Done

I thought this film was brilliant. The acting was so splendid it brought out each of Henry's wives as an individual woman, with the exception of Anne Of Cleves who appeared only twice and had a grand total of around three lines. Anne Boleyn was excellently played by Charlotte Rampling, and we really can believe that she is innocent of no crimes when she is sent to the block. Another standout is the late Lynne Frederick as Catherine Howard, as we see her fear, after her arrest. Knowing she will follow Anne Boleyn. We inthis marriage feel for king henry, as he thought he had found his perfect loving wife in Catherine Howard. In all i would say that this film is a must see, although it is slighty inaccurate. It also exaggerates, making Anne Boleyn hide numerous bodily deformations, while actually all she had was an extra lump of nail on her left small finger. But still see it!