The Virgin Queen (1955)

Copyright 1955 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 5 August 1955. U.S. release: August 1955. U.K. release: 26 December 1955. Australian release: 1 December 1955. Sydney opening at the Regent. 8,242 feet. 92 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Walter Raleigh makes the most of a chance encounter to gain an audience with Queen Elizabeth.NOTES: Fox's 35th CinemaScope feature. Le Maire and Wills were nominated for an Academy Award for their Color Costumes, losing to Le Maire's own "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing".Photographer Charles G. Clarke states that the dazzling camera-work in the movie was entirely due to his expertise. Koster was completely under the thumb of Bette Davis, who tried to interfere with the cinematography too. "She thought she knew something about cinematography and lighting. A couple of times she'd try and tell me my job. But I don't put up with that kind of business."VIEWER'S GUIDE: Parental supervision is advisable to encourage children to watch this historically valid interpretation.COMMENT: Originally intended as a routine CinemaScope romance between Walter Raleigh (Richard Todd) and one of Elizabeth's Ladies- In- Waiting (Elizabeth Throgmorton played by Joan Collins), this film became "The Virgin Queen" when Bette Davis, somewhat tardily was signed as its star. The script changes Miss Davis demanded, in order to build up her part, entailed considerable literary carpentry. Despite this, and despite the fact that Miss Davis claims to have completed all her scenes in eleven days, "The Virgin Queen" is wholly successful as a film.It is rare, in historical movies, for the dialogue to contribute to a sense of the reality of the period. In "The Virgin Queen", Elizabethans speak to their contemporaries, for the most part, in the language Will Shakespeare wrote. Many phrases have wit, and not a few period idioms are very happily used indeed. Bette Davis plays to perfection the role of Elizabeth — an elderly, watchful, suspicious, carping, greedy, lonely, proud, vicious and dangerous woman.Especially pleasing in the supporting cast, are: Robert Douglas as Sir Christopher Hatton; Romney Brent, a New York Stage Director, as the French Ambassador; Jay Robinson (who does not overact to the extent he did in "Demetrius and The Gladiators"), as Chadwick; and Dan O'Herlihy as Lord Derry, (a role entirely different from his previous Robinson Crusoe). Todd, Collins and Herbert Marshall (Lord Leicester) are all quite adequate.Director Henry Koster evidently agreed that fluid camera-work would enhance the film's pictorial effectiveness. Indeed, Koster's emphasis on pictorial effectiveness and his love of picturesque backgrounds, are very well illustrated in this film. The roads are as rutted and muddy, and the cobbled London streets as filthy, as were those of Good Queen Bess' time.To Sum Up: No matter what reservations individual spectators may have respecting liberties with history, "The Virgin Queen" is an excellent example of how Hollywood, at its best, can evoke the past with both skill and interest.

16 years after portraying Queen Elizabeth I in Michael Curtiz's THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (1939), Bette Davis donned the garments of the fiery British monarch once more for this fine (if largely unhistorical) costumer about another tumultuous relationship of hers – with Sir Walter Raleigh (here played by the late Richard Todd, who died just the other day aged 90). Although Davis unsurprisingly dwarfs the rest of the participants in the acting stakes, she is still surrounded by a most able cast that also includes Joan Collins (as one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting who, much to the latter's chagrin, becomes Mrs. Walter Raleigh and is carrying his child), Herbert Marshall (as the long-suffering Chancellor of England), Robert Douglas (as Elizabeth's villainous chief adviser), Dan O'Herlihy (as, controversially, an Irish lord and Raleigh's best friend) and Jay Robinson (as Douglas' reptilian henchman). There are some good lines (especially when Davis and Todd indulge in verbal sparring), two good fight sequences both involving Todd (a vigorous swordfight in a tavern at the start and an animated fistfight with Douglas towards the end), a serviceable score from Franz Waxman and, as is to be expected from a Grade-A studio product, the film is very handsome to behold (the costume designers nabbed its sole Oscar nod).

A very impressive movie, almost majestic. The untouchable Bette Davis appears flawless as Queen Elizabeth I. A well intentioned, albeit conniving Sir Walter Raleigh(Richard Todd) petitions to see the Queen in hopes of getting funds to sail three ships and promising Her Highness the riches found. The Queen is not so quick with the idea, but she does want him as an assistant to flirt with. Beth Throgmorton(Joan Collins)is the lady-in-waiting and the secret object of Raleigh's true affections. I really got into the first half of the film; then for some unexplainable reason my interest waned. Costumes, sets and scenery are super. Miss Collins is very pleasant to watch. Other players: Jay Robinson, Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Douglas, Leslie Parrish and Herbert Marshall.

Basically a soap opera of it's day with Queen Liz and Elexis Carrington fighting over the handsome, young cad, Sir Walter Raleigh who among other things introduced cigarettes to the world. The movie won an academy award for its costumes which unlike the events depicted in the film are spot on in their historical detail.Bettie Davies is brilliant as The Queen (the template for Miranda Richardson's version in Blackadder II) and Richard Todd looks the part as the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh. The DVD cut of this film, issued as part of the Studio Classics series, is pristine with the digital format bringing out the sheer spectacle of colour in the scenes in the royal court.A great old fashioned drama.