The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom.
1939 | 106m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Michael Curtiz |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Æneas MacKenzie, Norman Reilly Raine |
| Staring: |
| This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England. | |
| Release Date: | Nov 11, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Michael Curtiz |
| Writer: | Æneas MacKenzie, Norman Reilly Raine |
| Genres: | Drama, Romance, History |
| Keywords | queen, queen elizabeth i, tudor, earl, 16th century, british monarchy |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Bette Davis | Queen Elizabeth |
| Errol Flynn | The Earl of Essex |
| Olivia de Havilland | Lady Penelope Gray |
| Donald Crisp | Francis Bacon |
| Alan Hale | The Prince of Tyrone |
| Vincent Price | Sir Walter Raleigh |
| Henry Stephenson | Lord Burghley |
| Henry Daniell | Sir Robert Cecil |
| James Stephenson | Sir Thomas Egerton |
| Nanette Fabray | Mistress Margaret Radcliffe |
| Ralph Forbes | Lord Knollys |
| Robert Warwick | Lord Mountjoy |
| Leo G. Carroll | Sir Edward Coke |
| Guy Bellis | Lord Charles Howard (uncredited) |
| Jacob Dance | Essex's Soldier (uncredited) |
| Forrester Harvey | Bit Part (uncredited) |
| Holmes Herbert | Majordomo (uncredited) |
| I. Stanford Jolley | Spectator Outside Whitehall Palace (uncredited) |
| Doris Lloyd | Handmaiden (uncredited) |
| John Sutton | Capt. Armand of the Queen's Guard (uncredited) |
| Rosella Towne | Lady of the Court (uncredited) |
| Maris Wrixon | Lady of the Court (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Michael Curtiz | Director |
| Sol Polito | Director of Photography |
| C.A. Riggs | Sound |
| Leo F. Forbstein | Music Director |
| Ali Hubert | Technical Advisor |
| Owen Marks | Editor |
| Perc Westmore | Makeup Artist |
| Maxwell Anderson | Theatre Play |
| Hans F. Koenekamp | Special Effects |
| Æneas MacKenzie | Screenplay |
| Anton Grot | Art Direction |
| Sherry Shourds | Assistant Director |
| W. Howard Greene | Assistant Director of Photography |
| Milan Roder | Orchestrator |
| Norman Reilly Raine | Screenplay |
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | Original Music Composer |
| Orry-Kelly | Costume Design |
| Jack L. Warner | Executive In Charge Of Production |
| Byron Haskin | Special Effects |
| Hugo Friedhofer | Orchestrator |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Robert Lord | Associate Producer |
| Hal B. Wallis | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 6 |
| 2024 | 5 | 13 | 20 | 7 |
| 2024 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 5 |
| 2024 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 6 |
| 2024 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 5 |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 5 |
| 2024 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 4 |
| 2024 | 12 | 9 | 20 | 6 |
| 2025 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
Bette Davis; Errol Flynn some swash, buckle and a rousing Korngold score - what more could you want? This is a sumptuous costume drama based on the real life story of an elderly Queen Elizabeth's infatuation with the much younger and more reckless Earl of Essex. There is an engaging chemistry betwee ... n them - though the script does rather drag at times; and the usual suspects in support - including Olivia de Havilland; Henry Stephenson, Henry Daniell & Donald Crisp keep the whole thing moving along nicely. This is also the first film in which I actually recall Vincent Price having a more substantial part in, too. Lots of theatrical licence taken with the actual turn of events, but hey - it is all good fun...