A big step up for Brit helmer Robert Stevenson (later Disney’s top house-director in the ‘50s & ‘60s*) came in this modestly budgeted Tudor historical on sixteen-yr-old Lady Jane Grey’s nine-day interregnum reign between the death of Henry the Eighth’s son Edward at 14, and ‘Bloody’ Mary’s takeover. Running a bare 80 minutes, the behind-the-scenes machinations get stripped to the bone, but you can generally follow the telescoped political strategies as Felix Aylmer, Regent to Edward (Desmond Tester). loses out to ambitious Protector Cedric Hardwicke, eager to set himself up as the power behind Nova Pilbeam’s reluctant Queen, by arranging her marriage to son John Mills. The twist to the relationship that these two kids were made for each other; the tragedy that pawns may be sacrificed to win the game. Here, a lighter-than-expected production (in tone & execution) makes the sudden darkening in the third act unexpectedly emotional. Pilbeam & Mills easy to grow attached to; their undeserved fates deeply upsetting. Some of the model sets & toy-like effects turn giggle-worthy (those tiny British soundstages), but the pace & intelligence of the script and in the acting make up for a lot.
DOUBLE-BILL: Desmond Tester’s next was best, Alfred Hitchcock’s SABOTAGE/’36. Same for Nova Pilbeam with one Hitchcock behind her, the original MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH/’34, and starring for him in YOUNG AND INNOCENT/’37.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Stevenson, a solid old-school craftsman, may be the most successful Hollywood director whose name you don’t know. Strictly by admissions rather than receipts, keeping in mind that so many in his audience were kids at half-price, only Spielberg competes with the man behind all those top-grossing Disney titles (OLD YELLER to FLUBBER; MARY POPPINS to THE LOVE BUG and THAT DARN CAT; many, many more). Yet, his best film is probably the Joan Fontaine/Orson Welles JANE EYRE/’43.
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