The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex


Starring:Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Donald Crisp, Alan Hale, Vincent Price, Henry Stephenson, Henry Daniell, James Stephenson, Nanette Fabray, Ralph Forbes, Robert Warwick, Leo G. Carroll, I. Stanford Jolley, Rosella Towne, Guy Bellis, Forrester Harvey, Maris Wrixon, Doris Lloyd, John Sutton
Director: Michael Curtiz, Chuck Jones
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Errol Flynn Signature Collection
  • Errol Flynn deserves more professional recognition than the Academy ever gave him.
  • They don't make'm like this anymore
  • Great Gift
  • Flynn flies again
The Errol Flynn Signature Collection, Vol. 1 (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn)
Starring: Errol Flynn , Olivia de Havilland , Lionel Atwill , Basil Rathbone , and Ross Alexander
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:
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  3. The Gary Cooper Collection (Design for Living / The Lives of a Bengal Lancer / Peter Ibbetson / The General Died at Dawn / Beau Geste)
  4. Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
  5. The Black Swan

ASIN: B0007OY2PS
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Amazon.com

Errol Flynn is one of those names that define movie stardom. Chiseled good looks that stopped just short of being preposterous. A brash and jaunty manner that charmed men and women alike. Whiffs of bad-boy scandal offscreen that only enhanced his legend (not for nothing did "In like Flynn" become a national catchphrase!). And enough marquee-worthy titles that in memory's ear ring like classics.

Flynn's stardom wasn't on a par with the richly ambiguous artistry of Cary Grant, or the deep, enduring heroic legacy of John Wayne, or the indelible character work amassed by Flynn's Warner Bros. contemporaries Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and Edward G. Robinson. Still, this most celebrated of Tasmanian devils was a one-of-a-kind, often raffishly entertaining icon of Hollywood in the '30s and '40s who played a big part in making the golden age glow. And for most of us, to say "swashbuckler" is to conjure up Flynn's wolfish grin above a rapier, director Mike Curtiz's wall-filling shadows of dueling men, and the symphonic, trumpet-filled music scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Stardom came swiftly. After two small-part assignments at Warners, the studio awarded Flynn the title role in Captain Blood (1935)--in retrospect, a sort of rough draft for his most beloved movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938; not in this collection). The hero, an Irish-born physician wrongly convicted of treason during the reign of King James, is sentenced to a life of slavery in Jamaica. In short order he's charmed his new master's niece (the bright-eyed Olivia De Havilland, Maid Marian-to-be) and contrived an escape with his rebel comrades to become lusty, albeit passionately populist, buccaneers. The film's budget was clearly limited (there's a stark absence of horizons in the tropic and seagoing scenes), but director Curtiz's camerawork cunningly evokes the ever-present tilting and rolling of life aboard ship. Much-Oscar-nominated, the movie certified Flynn as the Douglas Fairbanks of the sound era--even in blond tresses and without what would become his signatory mustache.

If Captain Blood became the Flynn-Curtiz prototype for swashbucklers, The Sea Hawk was the last, luxury model off the line. Warners was always wired in to the zeitgeist, and this 1940 movie about English privateers saving Queen Elizabeth's island nation from the Spanish Armada does double duty as an in-Der-Fuehrer's-face allegory of the looming world war. No blank horizons here, and every wall sports a towering map of a world ripe for conquest. Slickness is all: Claude Rains and Henry Daniell are impeccably devious diplomats, and Sol Polito's black-and-white cinematography shifts into sultry sepiatone when the Sea Hawks sneak off to the tropics on a transatlantic espionage mission. (As for Flynn's mission, his swashbuckling would hereafter be confined to contemporary war pictures for the duration.)

He also saddled up for some lively Westerns. Dodge City (1939) is a knock-down, drag-out barn-burner in brassy Technicolor, with Flynn as a trail boss reluctantly turned town marshal. Curtiz directs yet again, with flair if not necessarily historical conviction, and the presence of Robin Hood costars Olivia De Havilland and Alan Hale (Little John) is virtually mandatory by this point. Ripe villainy is supplied by Bruce Cabot and--substituting, perhaps, for the un-frontier-worthy Basil Rathbone--the fox-faced Victor Jory.

They Died with Their Boots On (1942) is filled with spectacular Civil War and cavalry action, though its hagiographic treatment of George Armstrong Custer should set historically enlightened viewers on the warpath. Nonetheless, it features Flynn's most interesting performance in the collection. Whereas Curtiz was the ideal director for the star in boy's-own-adventure mode, Raoul Walsh elicited more nuanced work from him (see especially their wonderful Gentleman Jim, not included in this collection), and the scenes between Flynn and Olivia De Havilland achieve a tenderness that deepens with each reel. The magic-hour cinematography is by veteran John Ford cameraman Bert Glennon.

And that--apart from a new documentary feature, The Adventures of Errol Flynn--leaves The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939). Sad to say, that doesn't leave much. Bette Davis (taking the role Flora Robson played in The Sea Hawk) and Flynn (as the English knight the not-so-Virgin Queen loved but feared as a rival) have zero chemistry; she delivers a mannered performance only a Bette Davis impersonator could love, and Flynn demonstrates how stiff he could be (no pun intended) when clueless about his material. In fairness to both, the movie is a static adaptation of a very repetitious and declamatory Maxwell Anderson play. Its inclusion here is notable only as a vast technical improvement on the long-ago VHS release. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Errol Flynn Signature Collection.......2007-06-08

I have loved Errol Flynn movies since I was a girl.He is the best looking pirate ever and in Robin Hood the green tights!Cowboy movies are great too!

5 out of 5 stars Errol Flynn deserves more professional recognition than the Academy ever gave him........2007-05-21

My favorite here is "They Died with Their Boots On". Yes,the history is all wrong, but watch as Flynn takes Custer from a prankster West Point plebe to a brave and focused military leader. de Havilland's acting is, again, superb. Her entrance scene is great comic timing. The chemistry between de Havilland and Flynn is jarring here, as each must have felt this was to be their final pairing on screen. Flynn's climb to her balcony and their embrace is reminiscient of their love scene in "Robin Hood." The Custer-Libby farewell is almost painful to watch. The intimacy of that scene makes me think I should not be watching. As de Havilland (Libby) places his belt around Flynn's (Custer's) waist, he looks at her with such longing and sadness. This is more than acting, as this pair brings their film and personal relationship full circle. Why doesn't Warners show these movies on the big screen instead of the slasher movies that are released every year between the Oscar broadcast and the summer block-busters? I think they would bring in a large, multi-age audience.

An excellent addition to any video library.

5 out of 5 stars They don't make'm like this anymore.......2007-05-12

If you like old movies then buy this boxed set. Here is the original action hero. After all these years he's still cool as hell. Great movies in this set at a very good price.

5 out of 5 stars Great Gift.......2007-03-15

I bought this product as a gift for my mother. She loved it.

5 out of 5 stars Flynn flies again.......2007-03-04

Once again, Warner Brothers have done a great job issuing 5 excellent films of the magnetic Errol Flynn. For a ten year period, from 1935 to 1945, Flynn reigned highly at the box office before his personal life began to effect his work and appearance. These films are all from his peak.

- "Captain Blood", made in 1935, is a stirring swashbuckler which launched his stardom and his screen partnership with the beautiful and talented Olivia de Havilland.
- "Dodge City" from 1939 is an all encompassing Western with all stops pulled out. Bar room brawls, beautiful vistas of wide open spaces, a steam train chase, a cattle stampede and more in glorious technicolour. Flynn was not a natural western star with the accent but plot contrivances allow for that.
- In 1939, "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" was really a Bette Davis vehicle and Flynn flounders against Davis's intensity.
- For 1940, the long awaited follow up to "Captain Blood" appeared. "The Sea Hawk" is superior in every way including Flynn's growth in self confidence.
- Made in 1942, "They Died with their Boots on" is a fictional tale of General Custer and Flynn is his usual heroic self but not really convincing as a real historical figure. This was his last film with an overweight De Havilland and their relationship is very moving here.

The prints are excellent but "Captain Blood" shows some wear and tear. Michael Curtiz masterfully directed all but "Boots" when Flynn would no longer work with him. Raoul Walsh took over and maintained the standard. In every film, Flynn's sense of humour and charm come through and 4 of them benefit from the presence of de Havilland. The supporting casts are outstanding. The DVDs each come with a worthwhile featurette about the films, theatrical trailers and some have short films and cartoons. Best of all, the outstanding documentary "The Adventures of Errol Flynn" is included. This benefits from the appearance of his daughter, two of his wives and de Havilland to add authenticity to the story and squash some of the more absurd rumours about him. The story by De Havilland on the set of Robin Hood is hilarious. The films have not really dated because of their period settings and those in technicolour look great.
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • power and passion behind the palace walls
  • Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
  • Davis and Flynn or David and Goliath- the winner is...
  • When it was and event and not just a 2.99 rental.....
  • Technicolor terribly out of registration!
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Starring: Bette Davis , Errol Flynn , Olivia de Havilland , Donald Crisp , and Alan Hale
Director: Michael Curtiz , and Chuck Jones
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007OY2O4
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars power and passion behind the palace walls.......2007-06-28

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (1939) features a stunner of a performance from Bette Davis, brilliant Technicolor photography and a sweeping score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. What more could a classic movie fan want?

Based upon "Elizabeth the Queen" by Maxwell Anderson, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX recounts, with some liberties, the stormy relationship of Queen Elizabeth 1st (Bette Davis) and the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux (Errol Flynn). Robert wants desperately to rule England, something Elizabeth would never sacrifice...not even for love.

The pain and the passion of this story is simply breathtaking. Despite the fact that Davis hated working with Errol Flynn (they were paired in "The Sisters" the previous year); their onscreen chemistry fairly crackles. Davis shaved off her eyebrows plus two inches from her hairline in order to resemble the aged Queen Elizabeth. It's one of her most subtle and affecting performances.

Olivia de Havilland (the frequent love interest in Errol Flynn's swashbucklers), is relegated to supporting status here, but still manages to command attention with her finely-drawn performance as Lady Penelope Gray. There's also an early appearance from Broadway star Nanette Fabray---billed as Nanette Fabares--as a lovesick handmaiden.

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX features a sweeping and majestic score from Wolfgang Erich Korngold, with memorable motifs for the two main characters. The Technicolor photography is warm and lush, especially during the palace scenes; the lighting is superb.

In another twist, most of the sets and costumes later found their way into Errol Flynn's next big vehicle, The Sea Hawk (1940). Bette Davis would go on to reprise her role as Queen Elizabeth 1st in "The Virgin Queen" (1956).

The new DVD from Warner Brothers include several worthwhile bonuses. There's a new Making-Of featurette ("Battle Royale") which delves into the history of the production. The 'Warner Night at the Movies' feature gives you the option to screen the film with newsreel, Merry Melodies cartoon ("Old Glory"), and musical short ("The Royal Rodeo").

(Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

5 out of 5 stars Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.......2007-06-21

In Curtiz's handsome production, historical accuracy is sacrificed to achieve an intelligent and intriguing character piece, shot in glorious Technicolor. The film admirably showcases its two stars, whose on-screen chemistry never hints at their off-screen disdain for each other. Davis is forced to stretch more in her part, and bravely foregoes any vanity in playing the spinster queen, while Flynn's Essex fits the actor's breezy, effortless charisma like a glove. Another fine old chestnut from Hollywood's Golden Age.

4 out of 5 stars Davis and Flynn or David and Goliath- the winner is..........2007-02-18

"The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" was the final of four great film released in 1939 for Bette Davis. Never in the history of film, before or since, has one actress worked so hard to such high results in one year. From the modern dress tragedienne in "Dark Victory" to the pinched austere "Old Maid" and the hysterical Carlotta in "Juarez", Davis could do no wrong. The ultimate sign of prestige was to play royalty and so she took on Elizabeth the first.

The film was based on a verbose Maxwell Anderson play. The film opens the play up with an unconvincing section on the warfields of Ireland but the bulk of the film is set in Elizabeth's court which Davis dominates impressively. Davis had hoped to have Laurence Olivier with her but Warner Brothers had Errol Flynn under contract and he was big box office so he got the role of the Earl of Essex. It was a mistake. Against Davis's glamour skimping, overwrought queen, Flynn, while looking great, has the presence of a randy high school lead. Essex may have been an opportunist which Flynns easily suggests but his delivery of the lines is often woeful and one can't help feeling that Davis tries to compensate for his inadequacies. Her Queen may seem mannered but she claws at the air with her left hand and brilliantly conveys the problems of being a monarch first and woman second. Surely her performance became the blueprint for others like Glenda Jackson who later played the role. Even if you do not like Davis, she does convey the authority of a monarch. Who else in Hollywood in 1939 could have achieved this?

Every other aspect of the film is on a grand scale - the technicolour photography, spectacular sets, a Korngold score which has an epic quality and, above all, the costumes. Davis held out for the correct costumes and they are magnificent. The supporting cast is excellent too, including the beautiful Olivia de Havilland, who plays with Davis very well. Donald Crisp, in particular, is very good.

The DVD print is excellent and there is a worthwhile short documentary on the film with Nannette Fabray appearing. She played a lady in waiting in the film and has a good scene with Davis which she recalls vividly. There is a cartoon and newsreel which are OK but the technicolour short film, which mixes English royalty in the vein of the film with singing cowboys and rodeos is pretty hard to stomach. A young and handsome John Payne stars.

The DVD is very good value if purchased as part of the Errol Flynn Signature Collection, an odd inclusion really because Davis's art exposes Flynn's immaturity.

5 out of 5 stars When it was and event and not just a 2.99 rental............2007-01-11

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Movie
Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Vincent Price, and Olivia De Havillan these names alone make you simply wish to see this movie. It is a powerful movie showing a deep chemistry between Davis and Flynn. IT shows the love between Elizabeth and Essex. It shows the struggle between politics and human nature. It asks the question should a Queen share her throne with a man who may or may not be in it for power. Is love really the cure all. It is a movie that pulls you in, with such great actors that u must watch

The Video:
This movie was made in 1939 it does undoubtedly show its age. It has some light flicker on the picture. It is of course full screen since at that time that was the shape of the theaters screens. It is very watchable it has the standard color and look of the 1930's films. It has a very Wizard of Oz look and feel to it as do most of the 1930's films.

The Audio:
No 5.1 here just 2.1 but you don't notice it anyhow it's not a movie made to make the walls shake.

The Extras
Warner at the Movies
First you get Leonard Maltin so how they think we need to know what he thinks but at least you can skip this though it does explain the other extras

Dark Victory Trailer
Shameless plug.

News Reel
Movie Tones News Reel
There because it was there in the original theater release.

The Royal Rodeo
A nice short movie shot on the old set of robin hood a musical western with the voice of Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) and John Payne (Miracle on 34th street fame).

Old Glory
Porky pig propaganda short about the flag and American history directed by Tex Avery.


1 out of 5 stars Technicolor terribly out of registration!.......2006-07-09

This is so incredibly frustrating -- this film was one of the most beautiful and lavish Technicolor productions done (pre-Gone With The Wind) when it was released in November of 1939. And while the DVD attests to its glory, many, many shots are terribly out of register -- the Technicolor having a "3D without the glasses" look. What was Warner Brothers thinking to release it on DVD in this state?? Did they think that no one would notice? One shot will be perfectly gorgeous and the next shot is halloed. Better not to have released it than to have sent it out like this. To true movie lovers it's unwatchable.
JUAREZ
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A HOLLYWOOD STYLE MEXICAN REVOLUTION...
JUAREZ
Starring: Paul Muni , Bette Davis , Brian Aherne , and Claude Rain
Director: William Dieterle
Manufacturer: Classicline
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000G6QE44

Product Description

Brand new, factory sealed, fully licensed DVD manufactured in Brazil. NTSC format. Playable on any North American DVD player. High quality full screen black and white image. Original English dialog with optional subtitles in Portuguese. Portuguese subtitles do not appear unless turned on and they can be easily turned off. The following review appears in Amazon for the VHS release:"Reviewer: Cory D. Slipman. The incomparable Paul Muni in not one of his most memorable roles, stills casts a formidable shadow playing a stoic and mostly taciturn deposed president of the Mexican republic Benito Juarez. The French led by the sleazy and devious emperor Louis Napolean played by the talented Claude Rains have conquered Mexico at the time of the Civil War. Rains installs the naive archduke Maximilian von Habsburg played by a stylishly coiffed Brian Aherne, to rule as emperor of Mexico aided by his pop eyed wife Carlotta played by the immortal Bette Davis. He dupes them into believing that his assention to the throne has been mandated by the natives of the land. This is a recipe for disaster as the populace is solidly behind the democracy loving Juarez. Once the French withdraw their support of Maximilian by removing their troops, his rule is doomed. The movie while possessing an all star cast lacks the fiery drama that the portrayal of this extremely tumultuous chapter of world history demands. The venerable Muni often appears wooden and emotionless in his portrayal of Juarez. John Garfield as General Diaz, Gail Sondergaard as Empress Eugenie and Gilbert Roland as Colonel Lopez give excellent performances in supporting roles."

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A HOLLYWOOD STYLE MEXICAN REVOLUTION..........2006-12-17

This 1939 film is an ambitious historical drama that, while based on history, takes creative license in dramatizing the story of Benito Juarez, the legendary Mexican freedom fighter who liberated the Mexican people from the French Empire and the puppet rule of the Habsburgs. Studded with an all star cast, it is an entertaining venture, though somewhat historically inaccurate.

Paul Muni in the role of the legendary Juarez eerily resembles the humble Mexican peasant of Indian stock who liberated the Mexican people from their foreign oppressors. Briane Aherne is almost saintly in the role of the doomed Maximilian Von Habsburg, who, having become head of the puppet government in a move engineered by the despotic Emporor of France, Louis Napoleon III (Claude Rains), believes that he and Juarez are not so far apart in their ideology, a belief with which Juarez begged to differ.

Bette Davis, surprisingly enough, looks positively beautiful as Maximilian's beloved wife, the tragic Carlotta, and does a wonderful job with this supporting role, understated until she becomes unbalanced towards the end, when the political perfidy of which she and her husband were victims becomes unbearable for her, causing her to go over the brink into madness.

Donald Crisp, Gilbert Roland, John Garfield, and Gale Sondergaard round out this excellent cast. The film is an intriguing blend of political propaganda, political correctness (for the time), and creative license. Still, it manages to capture the flavor of a Mexico desperate for independence from its European oppressors, the French and the Spanish Grandees and landowners, who looked down upon the predominantly Indian peons that constituted the majority of the Mexican people. All in all, it is a film well worth watching and one that will be enjoyed by all those who love classic, vintage films.
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE with Errol Flynn (A Carga da Brigada Ligeira) (Import Edition-NTSC format-Region 1-Playable in North America)(Adventure)
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Good if great quality is not important
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE with Errol Flynn (A Carga da Brigada Ligeira) (Import Edition-NTSC format-Region 1-Playable in North America)(Adventure)

Manufacturer: Classicline
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GKB22Y

Product Description

Brand new, factory sealed, fully licensed DVD manufactured in Brazil. NTSC format. Playable on any North American DVD player. Full screen black and white image. Original English dialog with optional subtitles in Portuguese. Portuguese subtitles do not appear unless turned on and they can be easily turned off. The following review appears in Amazon for the VHS edition: "Reviewer: Robert S. Clay Jr. From the standpoint of history, artistic license abounds in this classic adventure movie. In fairness, the filmmaker posts a disclaimer of the historical veracity of the film right at the beginning. Errol Flynn is at his flamboyant best as dashing English officer, Geofrrey Vickers. He vies with his brother (Patrick Knowles) for the love of Olivia DeHavilland. C. Henry Gordon is evilly conniving as Surat Khan, leader of the fictional Suristan faction. When England cuts off his money, Surat Khan wages war against the British interlopers. After Surat Khan massacres non-combatants at the garrison of Chokoti (sp.?), India is too hot to hold him. In typical Hollywood fashion, the action shifts to the Crimea at Sebastopol where the British face the Russians at Balaklava Heights. Vickers, still burning with anger over the massacre of innocents, discovers this and he forges orders for the Light Brigade to attack. Under the direction of Michael Curtiz, the slam-bang action sequences of this movie provide memorable thrills. As the lancers charge into the face of roaring cannon, to the right of them, to the left of them, in front of them, quotes from Tennyson's poem appear on screen. The shot of the fallen lancer still holding aloft the billowing Union Jack in his lifeless hand is great imagery. "When can their glory fade?" Filmed in glorious B&W, this classic action/adventure film is a good example of the quality product of the Warner Brothers film sutdio at its Depression Era height. Enjoy the old fashioned fun."

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Good if great quality is not important.......2006-08-15

This review is for the Brazilian edition only. Overall, this movie transfer is OK if you are not a stickler for very high quality transfers and need to have this DVD now. It does not seem that Warner Brothers is going to release any more Errol Flynn titles anytime soon. It is in English and you can turn the Portuguese subtitle off. It is not a high quality transfer and it skips a lot throughout.

All that being said, this is one of Errol Flynn's early and best action movies during the early part of his career. It is a fictionalized account of the famous charge of the British lancers and in my opinion a lot more interesting than the later version with Gielgould which although more accurate historically, the action is terrible. Flynn is at his best and the movie direction is excellent.

I give the movie 5 stars, the video transfer 2 to 3 stars. If you can wait for Warner Brothers to release it, I suggest that you wait. If not, it is not too bad. The seller I bought it from was excellent.

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