Michael Curtiz's expansive period drama sets the tumultuous on-again, off-again affair between Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis) and the second earl of Essex (Errol Flynn) against Essex's powerful ambition to assume the throne of England. Having won several important battles, Essex's popularity among the masses is soaring. Fearing the earl's power over the people, Elizabeth sends him on a disastrous campaign to Ireland. Returning defeated with his troops behind him, Essex marches into London and demands the heirless queen share her throne with him. Though agreeable at first, the crafty Elizabeth begins to plot a way to get rid of her cunning suitor for good. The film was originally slated to be released as ELIZABETH THE QUEEN, the title of the play by Maxwell Anderson on which the film is based. THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX, a richly endowed blend of romance, adventure, and political intrigue, was nominated for five Academy Awards.

release year: 1939

star(s): Bette Davis    Vincent Price