The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex aka Essex and Elizabeth
Director: Michael Curtiz
USA 1939
106 min
Starring: Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Vincent Price and Henry Daniell, among others.

Welcome to the misogynist version of the life of Queen Elizabeth I!

Nah, I won't complain too much. Just enough.

This film is, like the ones in my previous post, based on a popular play. This was Elizabeth the Queen from 1930, written by some bloke called Maxwell Anderson. Initially the film version had the same title, but pompous Flynn wanted his existence included in the title - and there you have the present title. The "aka" title is even worse, putting Essex's name before the queen's! It is with that title the film is listed at IMDb.

Misogynist points: +5p.

Bette Davis as Queen Elizabeth I. The likeness is astounding.

Errol Flynn as Earl of Essex. Uncanny resemblance.

One can of course not expect a Hollywood version of a play, based on real events that took place more than 400 years earlier, to be entirely historically correct. For one thing, when this film starts it is 1596 and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (Flynn) has just to returned to London after the capturing of Cadiz.
In short: he beat up some Spaniards and the British people was happy, even though Essex wasn't entirely successful. At this time Essex was 31 years old - Queen Elizabeth was 63. Bette Davis was less than half the real age of the queen! But it's Hollywood, and the studio probably didn't want to put Marie Dressler in a romantic lead opposite handsome Flynn. Perhaps because she had been dead since 1934, but I don't know.

Misogynist points (for not hiring Dressler): +2p.

Before I get carried away with bitchiness, I may add that I loved the dialog that obviously points to a great playwright. And although Bette Davis and Errol Flynn didn't get along (to say the least), they managed to fool me several times - pointing towards great actors. Donald Crisp is excellent as Sir Francis Bacon, even though he still haunts my worst nightmares since Broken Blossoms (1919) [blog post]. But the coolest of all: Davis had her forehead and eyebrows shaved for this role. A funny fact that all classic film devotees should know blindfolded while being eaten alive by plague smitten rats.

So, may I be a little cruel now that I have been a pleasant little girl? Good. Yes, the dialog was smoothly written and is delivered with elegance - but what the heck does Essex think he can say to a queen? She is of course quite a bitch sometimes, but she is the goddamn queen! Take for example when the queen asks him if he think he's rule England better just because he's a man.


"I do indeed. And that's exactly where you fail. You can't think and act like a man."

When she gets mad, he laughs and says: "Fiery wench, aren't you?"

I want to hit him. Hit him hard. Which Bette Davis amusingly enough did during their first scene, after Essex had had the guts to turn his back to the queen. The slap, with heavy rings and all, was real and not intended. (Perhaps intended by Bette, but not planned by the director or anyone else.) According to Flynn's autobiography he wasn't too happy, which really shows in the scene. He has to use all power not to strike back. Haha, he deserved it. Pig.


Misogynist points: +10p.

Essex goes to Ireland to fight (don't they ever stop?), but the Queen orders him home. (In reality, she had forbidden him to come home, but being accurate is so boring.) The whole messy relationship ends when Essex tries to overthrow the queen by taking her and the palace hostage. (In reality he suddenly turned up in her bedroom without her being properly dressed - this time being accurate was too fun. He did not invade her court until two years later, neither. Too boring a fact.) Queen Elizabeth forgives him after some romantic talk about how he will become a good king and she will rule by his side (yeah, right), after which she demands him taken to the Tower and be executed for treason. Sensible enough.

What I don't quite buy, though, is her calling him back the day of the execution to pardon him. He was obviously only after her throne (Queen Elizabeth was, like I said, 60+ years old and covered with smallpox scars), yet she wants him pardoned - and he refuses! Yes, the silly man refuses to be pardoned, turns his back on her (again) and leaves for the gallows. She falls to the floor, shouting after him:

"Robert... take my throne! Take England! It's yours!"

...yeah, about that. What the duck? Why a duck?
No, seriously. This is a parody of post-code Hollywood - to have goddamn Queen Elizabeth begging on the floor. We are talking about the woman who, apart from being the daughter of infamous wife-executioner Henry VIII, imprisoned and executed her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. The woman who became queen at the age of 25, and obviously had been able to handle her own for 40 years. Her... begging, with tears flowing down her face? She was obviously sad by the turn of events, but I will not buy that she couldn't keep it together at all and offering the throne to a traitor.

Misogynist points: +157

Result: A movie that does not fancy women.

Bette is disappointed with the view on women in Hollywood.

I hate when I sound like a feminist whiny bitch, but this is just too much. It's not a bad movie, Bette Davis is strong and awesome (most of the time... when she could)... but these little details annoyed the hell out of me. (Should one really take ten frustrated cigarette breaks and a glass of red wine during one movie?) To hell with it. And Errol Flynn (although he is quite handsome).

Fun fact: Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the only man to ever have a private execution on Tower Green (no family fun for the British people there), and it supposedly took the executioner three chops before his head was severed. That's karma, asshole.

Male Cheesecake #1

Robert Mitchum with his shirt popped off, hairy and in color. Could it be better?

I've caught a cold - again. Every time there is some tiny little change in the wheather, I get a cold. I know, everyone feels sorry for me. That's because I'm suffering. Big time.

But there is a cure! Oh yes, there is a cure. Even if the effect maybe isn't too consistent. The cure spells M-A-L-E C-H-E-E-S-E-C-A-K-E.

Go fetch your drooling bucket, and have fun! Even if you don't have a cold. Like me.

Clint Eastwood looks determinated.

Wrestling Nat Pendleton in pretty underwear.

Fred MacMurray visualizes the dream of the perfect American.

Burt Lancaster is proud over his (probably painted-on) tattoo.

If every woman could have their own Tyrone Power in their backyard...

Dear Mr. Gable, oh dear...

Errol Flynn sure knows how to pose.

Hmm, maybe I need to employ a gardener... Do they all have the Montgomery Clift outfit?

Sean Connery looks like he doesn't know how to read. But he sure is handsome.

And a Rock Hudson in a towel - only. I'm no big fan of his, but if he keeps his wardrobe in that style, I guess we can get along.

Poll's closed # 9

A long, long time ago...

... I had this poll about who was your favourite on-screen swordsman. I just realized that I never published the results! So, here they are:


The greatest loss was Henry Daniell's, with only one vote. He thanks that one voter, and tries to kill Errol Flynn out of jealousy.


Douglas Fairbanks Sr only got two votes, but he is a proud man - he won't show himself weak with a beautiful Billie Dove in his arms.


Claude Rains really thought that he would get more than three votes, and lost his sword in his despair. (Okay, I just couldn't find a picture of him fencing - so blame me!)


Tyrone Power got a well-deserved third place with four votes, and shows off with his fencing skills in his favourite costume. (I bet no one thought that Tyrone wouldn't make it into the top-three, huh?)


Even though he almost always played villains, Basil Rathbone still fixed the second place with five votes. And why not, when he is so inspired that he practises at home?


With no less than 16 votes, Errol Flynn was the obvious winner of this contest. Look how satisfied he is!

Swashbucklers!

Henry Daniell and Errol Flynn in The Sea Hawk (1940).

My new poll is about who your favourite swordsman of the silver screen is. In addition to that, I ask you - what is your favourite swashbuckler?

I hereby present to you the legendary sword fight from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - in LEGO!

Poll's closed #6

The last day of the Basil Rathbone week was yesterday, Wednesday, and also the day when the last poll was closed. Here are your favourite Basil Rathbone non-Sherlock-Holmes characters:


I was not surprised that his character as the Holmes-like Philo Vance didn't get any votes at all. Not that it doesn't seem like a lovely character (intelligent, suave, witty, debonair), but I guess that not many people have seen the film The Bishop Murder Case (1930). I have, myself, tried desperately to get a chance to see it, but I have so far failed in my mission.

Poor Philo Vance. He and his glorious Errol Flynn like moustache is ignored by the modern movie goers and receives zero votes.

But Philo at least got to share his defeat with three other characters, all stranded with no food, water or votes:

Pontius Pilate, The Last Days of Pompeii (1935).
Is it the hair? He is angry with you.

Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet (1936) just shrugged his shoulders and took a cigarette. Could it be the long, turkish Fatima cigarettes? Or perhaps Chesterfields?

Levasseur, Captain Blood (1935) has better things to care about than a silly poll. After all, Errol Flynn is standing just beside him - he is far more interesting.

There were however four characters sharing the second place with one vote each.

Mr. Murdstone, David Copperfield (1935) is very pleased with his vote.

Gerald Lovell, Love From a Stranger (1937), is a little suspicious over the intentions of receiving a vote. But yes, I thought he earned one. Why do I like charming, psychotic villains?

Baron Wolf von Frankenstein is busy working, but thanks for the vote. Son of Frankenstein, (1939).

Sir Ravenhurst, The Court Jester (1955), is happy that he was not overlooked.

Interesting enough, there are no obvious winner neither. Three wonderful characters receive a gold medal and two votes each:

Captain Esteban Pasquale says it is lucky for you that he was one of the winners. Otherwise he might just have to run you through with his not-so-firm blade. The Mark of Zorro (1940).

Sir Guy of Gisbourne always knew he was a winner. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

Karenin shares his moment of victory with Greta Garbo and a little boy they picked up from the street. Anna Karenina (1935).

I guess that the conclusion is that Basil Rathbone managed to play a various share of characters, many of them very famous. He decides to celebrate by dressing up as King Richard III and picking up Marlene Dietrich from the set of Destry Rides Again (1939).

Funny trivia: Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone With the Wind (publ. 1937), actually wanted Basil Rathbone to play the role of Rhett Butler instead of Clark Gable. How film history could have looked different...

Basil Rathbone (1892-1967)

"Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart."

- Basil Rathbone

I will find myself in a quarantine for the next week or so (don't ask me why, I'm just shabby). That time I will try to make move faster by the inspiration of Raquelle from Out of The Past's Norma Shearer week, which was wonderfully entertaining to read.
I will watch a great deal of films with one of my absolute favourite actors, which I think have been really underestimated.
I present to you the first post of my Basil Rathbone week, lasting from Wednesday 8th to Wednesday 15th!



Basil Rathbone was born Philip St. John Basil Rathbone to English parents in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 13th 1892. His father, Edgar Philip Rathbone, was a mining engineer and
descendant of the Liverpool Rathbone Family, which traces back to the 17th century. His mother, Anna Barbara née George was a violinist. Basil was the eldest of three children.

The Rathbone family had to escape South Africa for England shen Edgar Philip Rathbone was accused by the Boers of being a British spy, near the onset of The Second Boer War at the end of the 1890's. In his autobiography Rathbone admits that he never knew if his father was guilty of the accusations or not, he never asked.

Little Basil and his sister Beatrice.

The three young Rathbones: Basil, John and Beatrice.

Rathbone grew up in England and attended the Repton School, located in the village of Repton in the county of Derbyshire, in 1906-1910. He wasn't much interested in school, but instead made progress in sports, and after some time found his love for acting. He was called "Ratters" by his school mates.

Repton School, Derbyshire, England.

When he left school he expressed his devotion for the theatre to his father, who tried to persuade him to choose another profession. They agreed that Rathbone first should work for a year in an insurance company to try to forget his acting dreams, but after the agreed year Rathbone got some help from his cousin Frank Benson (an accomplished actor) to get in to the theatre world. He had, however, to earn his own parts. He was an obvious talent, because soon he was playing all the juvenile leading characters in the number one company.

In October 1914 he married fellow actress Marion Forman. They met while playing in several Shakespeare plays and fell in love with each other. Next July, 1915, their son Rodion was born.

Early in the year of 1916, Rathbone left the stage to attend World War I. When he waved goodbye to his mother at the Victoria Station, that would be the last time she saw her. She died in 1917. His brother John would later die in the war, also serving Britain.
Rathbone joined the London Scottish Regiment alongside some of his future acting colleagues Claude Rains, Herbert Marshall and Ronald Colman. He later transferred with a commission as a Lieutenant the Liverpool Scottis, 2nd Battalion, where he eventually attained the rank of Captain. In a 1957 interview Rathbone recalled the story of how he disguised as a tree to gather information from the enemy.

"I went to my commanding officer and I said that I thought we'd get a great deal more information from the enemy if we didn't fool around in the dark so much, and I asked him whether I could go out in daylight. I think he thought we were a little crazy. I said we'd go out camouflaged - made up as trees - with branches sticking out of our heads and arms . We brought back an awful lot of information, and a few prisoners, too."

Read about Lt. Philip St. John Rathbone in the London Gazette, 1918.
(Click on it for higher resolution.)

After the war and the loss of two close family members, Rathbone picked up his acting career and performed on Stratford-upon-Avon and in London, getting the enviable Shakespeare parts of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Cassius is Julius Caesar, Ferdinand in The Tempest and Florizel in The Winter's Tale. During the 1920's Rathbone toured with many parts like these on the British stage, and in 1923 he came to New York City to appear in The Swan.




When in New York, Rathbone met and fell in love with the scriptwriter Ouida Bergère. His marriage with Marion Forman was in pieces, but he needed a divorce to be able to re-marry. For that he went back to England, where he also saw his father for the last time. His father died in 1924. Rathbone and Ouida married in 1926, a marriage that would end with his death in 1967.
In 1939 they adopted a child they named Cynthia.

Basil Rathbone and the love of his life, Ouida Bergère.

On their wedding day, April 18th 1926. Ouida looks like a real flapper!

Even though the theatre was his main pastime during the 1920'a, Rathbone appeared in several films, although his parts usually were very small. His first notable role was as Lord Arthur Dilling opposite Norma Shearer in The Last of Mrs. Cheney (1929) (post on it here). The film was a success and made the film producers interested in the slender, articulate British man by the name of Rathbone.
In the year of 1930 Rathbone made no less than seven films, including the leading role in The Bishop Murder Case, playing a detective wuite similiar to his future Sherlock Holmes films. (Post about them here - Elementary, my dear Watson)

Basil Rathbone and Norma Shearer in The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1929).

The Rathbone couple was soon known in Hollywood for throwing big, lavish parties with many Hollywood celebrities invited.
One incident I actually read about in Errol Flynn's autobiography was quite amusing. Flynn had gotten extremely drunk at a Rathbone party, followed a girl home and passed out on her sofa. When the girl's father had found him in the morning he had picked up the unconcious Flynn, drove him away and dumped him on the Rathbone lawn. When Basil and Ouida later had breakfast on the patio, their gardener (unaware of their guest) had put on the sprinklers. Who did jump up from the grass, but a hung-over Errol Flynn! He confusingly wished the Rathbones a "good morning" and then headed home.

Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in Captain Blood (1935).

Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

Rathbone made a name for himself in Hollywood by playing sofisticated, suave villains in costume dramas and swashbucklers such as the abusive stepfather Mr. Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935), the distant husband of Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina (1935), Pontius Pilate in The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), Errol Flynn's enemy Levasseur in Captain Blood (1935), Marquis St. Evremonde in Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities (1935), once again Errol Flynn's enemy Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Captain Esteban Pasquale in The Mark of Zorro (1940) (see film clip below).

"I enjoyed swordsmanship more than anything because it was beautiful. I thought it was a wonderful exercise, a great sport. But I would not put it under the category of sport; I would put it under the category of the arts. I think it's tremendously skillful and very beautiful. . . . The only actor I actually fought with on the screen was Flynn, and that's the only time I was really scared. I wasn't scared because he was careless but because he didn't know how to protect himself."

Rathbone as Karenin in Anna Karenina (1935).

Rathbone in a top hat in David Copperfield (1935).

The famous swords fight with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone in a coloroized version of The Mark of Zorro (1940). A good example of what a terrific swordsman Rathbone was. The dialogue is superb!

To most people, Rathbone is remembered for his portrayal of the famous crime solving Sherlock Holmes. His first Sherlock Holmes film was The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), in which Holmes and his partner in crime Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) do not enter the screen until the second part. When the film was a success, thirteen more of them were made, often with evil nazis as the villains (very common in films made during the Second World War to encourage the Allies). The last Sherlock Holmes film with Rathbone as the genius was Dressed to Kill (1946).

Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.

In 1946 Rathbone's film and radio contracts expired, and even though he was very successful and wanted by several producers, he refused to sign any new contract. He longed for the theatre, and went back to New York with Ouida to continue his career on stage.

At first Rathbone had a hard time to get any good parts, since everyone now connected him with Sherlock Holmes. In 1947 he finally was offered a good part, the role of Dr. Sloper in "The Heiress". He found the character fascinating and was delighted. The play was a Broadway succes, and in 1949 the play was made into a film with Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift. He applied for the same role he had been playing on stage, and was crushed when the part instead went to Ralph Richardson.

In 1951 Rathbone felt ready to play Sherlock Holmes once again, now in a play written by his wife Ouida. Unfortunately the play got mediocre reviews and closed after only three performances.

"The Heiress" was Rathbone's last major success. He was however never really down on his luck during this time. He made a lot of television plays, sound recordings and appeared in a commercial here and there after taste.
He also toured the country with a one man show called "An Evening with Basil Rathbone", in which he spoke to the audience about his experiences and gave dramatic readings.

Basil Rathbone presenting the Leisy Beer Theatre, enjoying a Leisy Beer!

In the 1950's he went back to Hollywood for a few horror films, for example The Black Sleep (1956) and Tales of Terror (1962). Some of these roles were he not very proud of, but his wife Ouida spent money faster than he could earn them, so he made a lot of films only for the money.

In 1967 Basil Rathbone suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was 75 years old and was buried in Ferncliff Cemetary in Hartsdale, New York.

An extract from a 1959 interview with Rathbone.

"When you become the character you portray, it's the end of your career as an actor."