THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (1939)

Classic Tudor drama opens in thrilling fashion as pomp & splendor from Anton Grot’s superb physical design feeds into swift interlocked introductions of character & plot, with Sol Polito’s rich TechniColor lensing bathed in a sumptuous Erich Wolfgang Korngold score, gallant, propulsive, plushly romantic. And though the film sustains interest & momentum, after the opening reel, once the main drama kicks in and the royal quarreling begins, the effect does level off. The fault, dear viewer, lies not in the stars (or the Warners staff), but in our playwright, Maxwell Anderson. Not enough to sabotage enjoyment, the pic remains loaded with wonderful acting opportunities which Bette Davis, especially, makes the most of, see the Act One finale (straight from the play) as she gives Errol Flynn’s robust Essex a ring of forgiveness. But Anderson’s blank verse dramas try too hard to rise above his natural abilities. These days, he’s mostly remembered for a handful of lyrics to classic Kurt Weill songs. Not so at the time when he was thought fit companion to Shakespeare! (See book cover with original play title.)

The print sourced for the DVD has a few problems in TechniColor registration alignment, but is generally quite good & very bright, giving welcome respite to current preferred styles of eternal gloom & darkness in period pieces. Here, such effects are reserved for tragic moments; the ending on this one, unforgettable in lighting, stage design and in a pair of dolly shots Curtiz gives to Davis’s devastated Queen. A visual poetic effect with no need of Anderson’s blank verse.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Like many bio-pics, the most unbelievable moment invariably turns out to be one of the few true things on screen. Here, it’s when Essex turns his back on Elizabeth and she impulsively slaps him in front of the court. A real event.

DOUBLE-BILL: Anderson’s verse plays were mostly de-versed on screen. (KEY LARGO/’48; MARY OF SCOTLAND/’36; ANNE OF A THOUSAND DAYS/’69.) To hear one that was largely left alone, try his Sacco & Vanzetti-inspired WINTERSET/’36. OR: Davis had a second go at QE in THE VIRGIN QUEEN/’55. Lesser, but still watchable, there’s a classic line reading when a rival reveals her pregnancy and a bald-headed Bette haughtily says, ‘BE . . . VERY . . . PROUD.’ (OR: Look fast to catch the play’s original stars, The Lunts, no less, take a curtain call as Elizabethan & Essex at the start of THE GUARDSMAN/’31.)

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: As part of a loan-out deal to David Selznick for GONE WITH THE WIND, Olivia de Havilland accepted a supporting role here that asks for little but ravishing looks. She never looked better. Friendly with both, she also undoubtedly served as buffer between Davis & Flynn, chalk & cheese personalities whose differences likely worked in their dramatic favor.