Young Bess (1953)

Director:

George Sidney

Writers:

Margaret Irwin (novel)
Jan Lustig (writer) ...

Release Date:

29 May 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Chronicles the life of queen Elizabeth I, before she became the queen of England. Apart from taking part in the court intrigues...

Plot Keywords:

Queen | Queen Of England | Court | Unhappy Love | England

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #16304)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jean Simmons almost don't get the part of Elizabeth because she was considered too pretty.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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).

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]

Entertaining, sumptuous treatment of historical drama...

With an exceptionally good cast headed by Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and Charles Laughton, costumes by Walter Plunkett, music by Miklos Rozsa and all the technical wizardry of MGM's vast resources, YOUNG BESS is the kind of historical romance that comes to life on the screen with a good deal of vitality. Jean Simmons and Charles Laughton have the most interesting roles and play them brilliantly, particularly Laughton who is once again portraying Henry VIII, the shrewd monarch who disposed of the women in his life by putting them to the block.

The screenplay is gracefully written and although it is leisurely paced, it never lets up interest in examining the relationships between Elizabeth I (young Bess) and others at court. Historical purists will object to whatever liberties the novel took to tell this story of court intrigue, but they will be impressed by the attention paid to historical detail and the meticulous settings and costumes. The score by Miklos Rozsa is not obtrusive and yet it underlines the deep emotions portrayed by Simmons, Granger and Laughton. Deborah Kerr has a rather colorless and almost minor role as Catherine Parr and is unable to do much with it although she and Simmons photograph beautifully in color.

Easy on the eyes and a very entertaining saga of a bloody chapter in England's history.