Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Charles Jarrott

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play)
Bridget Boland (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

He was King. She was barely 18. And in their thousand days they played out the most passionate and shocking love story in history!

Plot:

Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.

Plot Keywords:

Heir | Queen | England | King | Male Heirs

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 5 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	King Henry VIII
Geneviève Bujold	...	Anne Boleyn
Irene Papas	...	Queen Katherine of Aragon
Anthony Quayle	...	Cardinal Wolsey
John Colicos	...	Thomas Cromwell
Michael Hordern	...	Count Thomas Boleyn
Katharine Blake	...	Elizabeth Boleyn
Valerie Gearon	...	Mary Boleyn
Michael Johnson	...	George Boleyn
Peter Jeffrey	...	Duke of Norfolk
Joseph O'Conor	...	Bishop Fisher
William Squire	...	Thomas More
Esmond Knight	...	Kingston
Nora Swinburne	...	Lady Kingston
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Mendoza

Also Known As:

Anne of a Thousand Days

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1988) | USA:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Hal Wallis Productions

Trivia:

Although "Anne of the Thousand Days" opened on Broadway in 1948, it had to wait until 1969 to be filmed, due to its frank discussions of adultery, illegitimacy, and incest, on which the storyline relies heavily. The old censorship code still existed in the 1940s and 1950s, and would not have allowed a play in which these subjects were discussed to be filmed, no matter how tastefully.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Henry and Anne are playing chess, the chess board is set up improperly. The chess board has a black square in the lower right square. That square must be white.

Quotes:

King Henry VIII: Nan, is it true?
Anne: Have you stepped into your own trap, my lord? Any evidence you have against me, you yourself bought and paid for. Do you now begin to believe it?
King Henry VIII: Anny, the court is still in session to decide your... verdict. I don't want to hear your guilt from them, I want to hear it from your lips.
Anne: That I was unfaithful to you?
King Henry VIII: Yes, just that. Were you unfaithful to me whilst I still loved you? Of course, I'll never know. Whether you say aye or no, I shall never know.
Anne: You come here to make sure whether there was truly adultery, Because that would touch your manhood or your pride. And even so, my heart and my eyes are glad of you. Fool of all women that I am, I'm glad of you here. Go, then. Keep your pride of manhood, you know about me now.
King Henry VIII: Nan, is it true that you're glad to see me?
Anne: Yes, it's true.
King Henry VIII: Then, Anne, lets do all gently for old times sake. I have no wish to harm you, and your words have moved me deeply. I must be free to have a son, and the son must be free to rule England when I die.
Anne: Why must you leave a king to follow you, Henry? Why not a queen?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Version of Anna Boleyn (1920)

Outstanding historical drama, well acted and gorgeous.

A great play by Maxwell Anderson, history, a wonderful cast, magnificent production values and 10 "Oscar" nominations. What more could you ask for. Producer Hal Wallis assembled some of Great Britain's greatest talent at the time, and it shows.

Richard Burton has the role of a lifetime and he is great. His Henry VIII wants a male heir and his eyes are set on Anne. He is randy, ready to get started and the hell with everything else.

Genevieve Bujold is wonderful as Anne Boleyn. Biting the hand that feeds her and her family, she stands firm, and will not bed the king until she is married. She does not make the mistake her sister made. It cost Anne her life, but Elizabeth I was no bastard and did rule England.

The supporting players are a joy to watch, most notably Anthony Quayle as Cardinal Wolsey and Michael Hordern as Anne's father, Thomas. Mr. Hordern possess in my opinion one of cinemas greatest speaking voices, rivaled only by Michael Rennie and Alexander Scourby. Thank goodness for film. The lesser known John Colicos as Thomas Cromwell slithers through his scenes leaving a slime trail only an ambitious lawyer could make. Irene Papas makes the most of her role, but she has too little to do, considering the importance of her character in real life.

From a visual and audible standpoint this movie could not be better. It is like a Hans Holbein painting come to life. The photography by Arthur Ibbetson, Maurice Carter's production design and Margaret Furse's "Oscar" winning costume design are all perfect. Composer Georges Delerue blends contemporary and period instruments into a beautiful but sparse music score. For the banquet scenes, Delerue incorporates some of Henry VIII's own compositions into the galliards. Though it is debatable whether or not his music was any good, it got airplay. It IS good to be the king.

The same events as seen from a different characters point of view can also be seen in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. It is also an excellent movie.

Get historical and watch it. Feast.