Themes: Political Unrest, Conspiracies, Crowned Heads
Main Cast: Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins, Jay Robinson, Herbert Marshall, Dan O'Herlihy
Release Year: 1955
Country: US
Run Time: 92 minutes
Plot
Having previously portrayed England's Queen Elizabeth I in 1939's The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Bette Davis reprises the role in the Technicolor-and-Cinescope costumer The Virgin Queen. Harry Brown and Mindret Lord's screenplay proposes that Elizabeth's relationship with adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh (Richard Todd) was somewhat more than cordial. Raleigh is depicted as a charming opportunist, who deliberate leads the Queen on in order to further his chances of heading an expedition to the New World. Complications ensue when Sir Walter falls in love with lady-in-waiting Beth Throgmorton (Joan Collins). Not to be believed for a single moment, The Virgin Queen works well on a swashbuckler level, with Davis outacting everyone in sight-even such veteran scene-stealers as Herbert Marshall, Dan O'Herlihy, and Jay "Caligula" Robinson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
It doesn't measure up to the earlier The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, but as long as Bette Davis is on screen, The Virgin Queen commands our attention. The problem is that Queen was originally conceived not as Elizabeth's story but as that of Sir Walter Raleigh, with the Queen originally conceived of as a supporting part. When Davis came on board, that changed; but building her part up comes at the expense of the actual story. As a result, the film feels a bit lopsided structurally. Things are confused further by the fact that Davis is so damn good in her part, while Richard Todd as Raleigh and Joan Collins as his true love are only adequate. Thus, the force of Davis's performance and the relative weakness of her co-stars' tilts the film in her favor, even as structurally it continues to favor Todd. (It goes without saying, of course, that the film also sacrifices historical fact for dramatic effect at the drop of a hat.) Even with its flaws, the screenplay still provides plenty of meaty individual scenes which score big points. Henry Koster's direction is uneven, with very good segments mixed with not-so-good; the latter unfortunately includes the famous laying-down-the-coat sequence which is what many viewers remember about Raleigh today. But he wisely gives Davis plenty of room, and she doesn't disappoint, mesmerizing the viewer whenever she's around. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Robert Douglas - Sir Christopher Hatton; Romney Brent - French Ambassador; Marjorie Hellen - Courtier; Lisa Daniels - Mary; Lisa Davis - Jane; Barry Bernard - Patch Eye; Robert Adler - Postillion Rider; Noel Drayton - Tailor; Ian Murray - Gentleman of the Bedchamber; Rod Taylor - Cpl. Gwilym; David Thursby - Landlord; Arthur E. Gould-Porter - Randall the Ship Builder; John Costello - Town Crier; Frank Baker - Physician; Ashley Cowan - Sailor; Nelson Leigh; Leslie Parrish - Anne
Credit
Lyle Wheeler - Art Director, Leland Fuller - Art Director, Charles LeMaire - Costume Designer, Mary Wills - Costume Designer, Joseph E. Richards - First Assistant Director, Henry Koster - Director, Robert L. Simpson - Editor, Franz Waxman - Composer (Music Score), Ben Nye, Sr. - Makeup, Perc Westmore - Makeup, Charles G. Clarke - Cinematographer, Charles Brackett - Producer, Paul S. Fox - Set Designer, Walter Scott - Set Designer, Ray Kellogg - Special Effects, Bernard Freericks - Sound/Sound Designer, Harry M. Leonard - Sound/Sound Designer, Harry Brown - Screenwriter, Mindret Lord - Screenwriter
