| The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Michael Curtiz |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | Elizabeth the Queen 1930 play by Maxwell Anderson |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sol Polito |
| Edited by | Owen Marks |
| Music by | Erich Wolfgang Korngold |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.07 million[1][2] |
| Box office | $1.61 million[1] |
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, for a time also entitled Elizabeth the Queen, is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland.[3][4] Based on the play Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson—which had a successful run on Broadway with Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt in the lead roles—the film fictionalizes the historical relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. The screenplay was written by Norman Reilly Raine and Aeneas MacKenzie.
It was the fifth of nine films that Flynn and de Havilland starred in, while it was the second of his three with Davis.[5]
The supporting cast included Donald Crisp, Henry Daniell, Henry Stephenson, and Vincent Price. The score was composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who later used a theme from the film in his Symphony in F sharp major. The Technicolor cinematography was by Sol Polito, and the elaborate costumes were designed by Orry-Kelly.
The film was a Warner Bros. Pictures production, and became the hit the studio had anticipated and returned a handsome profit. Among the film's five Academy Award nominations[6] was a nomination for Best Color Cinematography. Bette Davis was tipped to receive an Academy Award nomination for her role; however, she was nominated for Dark Victory (also from Warner) instead.
- ^ a b Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 20 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
- ^ Glancy, H. Mark. "MGM Film Grosses, 1924-1948: The Eddie Mannix Ledger", Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television, 12, no. 2 (1992), pp. 127-43.
- ^ Variety film review; October 4, 1939, page 12.
- ^ Harrison's Reports film review; October 14, 1939, page 162.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (November 10, 2019). "The Films of Errol Flynn: Part 2 The Golden Years". Filmink.
- ^ "NY Times: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-12-30. Retrieved 2008-12-12.