I'm back!! Last week I knew diddley squat about Indonesian films which is a bummer but this week brings on another great topic-films about Royalty. So head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to see what the others have chosen and maybe, you may want to join:) I was ready to pick "The King and I" and then realized I may have already spoken about this film. I was thinking about Henry the 8th to The Kingsmen (Yes! I Like that film!:)). There are some films I have seen but so long ago I felt I could not talk about them without seeing them again. So, without further ado, here are my 3....
1. VICTORIA THE GREAT-1937
This, I recently saw over the summer when it was playing on TV. I was enthralled to say the least. It is wonderfully acted by Anna Neagle as the young Queen who stands up to her mother and the officials who feel they know better. It is a romance that is a true romance since she did fall in love with her distant German Cousin, Prince Albert. He, by the way, introduced the Christmas tree to England and many other customs. These two were true equals and I prefer this version to the the most recent film with Emily Blunt. The Blunt film seemed a bit more .....boring because it was mainly on the Romance part whereas this film was much more well-rounded not only dealing with the Romance but with Young Victoria coming to power and why she was such a great Queen.
2. THE THREE MUSKETEERS-1973
This is the best version of all the Musketeer films out there in my book. It has action, comedy and a high dose of treachery. Michael York plays the young D'Artagnon who is taken under the wing by the 3 Musketeers played by Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay. Faye Dunaway is evil which she plays well and Raquel Welch is quite fun as the klutzy love interest. A great swashbuckling affair that, for me, has no competition.
3.MRS. BROWN-1997
Here is a wonderfully acted film about Queen Victoria near the end of her years. This is, again, based on fact and many have speculated if the Queen and her Scottish rogue ever did have an affair or were just very close. What is known is that he spoke to her as no one else dared and she let him! Judi Dench shone in this role and came to real prominence around the world with this vehicle and Billy Connelly stood his ground when it came to acting. It is a quiet film about human frailty and that companionship is needed no matter what the age.
What films about Royalty have you seen? Which royal family intrigues you to most? (I have a thing for the Tsar's especially Tzar Nicholas and his family).
Hi Birgit...loved Mrs Brown...and Young Victoria.....not much else lately...going to see the new James Bond next week......xxxxx
ReplyDeleteI want to see Spectre too! This I have to see in the theatre
DeleteOh your last sentence just reminded me of Nicholas & Alexandra which would have worked so well here! So many choices this week! This is a genre that I loved so much.
ReplyDeleteBack to your choices, love Mrs. Brown! Judi was exceptional and robbed of her rightful Oscar for it. A lovely film.
The Three Musketeers is a nice off kilter choice. I'd say this is the best version of the story cinematically but I really enjoy the Kiefer/Sheen/Oliver Platt straight on adventure one and there are many things in the plush MGM version, especially Lana Turner's silky Milady de Winter, to enjoy though Gene Kelly is terrible in it.
Victoria the Great is a new one to me but sounds wonderful. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.
As I said this is a genre that I love and I'll watch pretty much anything that comes along that fits in the category so I had tons of choices and could only winnow down to five.
Queen Margot (1994)-Intense, brutally violent story of political machinations in 16th century France focusing on the uneasy marriage allegiance of Marguerite de Valois (Isabelle Adjani) and Henri de Navarre (Daniel Auteuil) engineered by Marguerite’s mother, the power hungry Catherine de Medicis (Virna Lisi) and the chaos that surrounds them. Adjani is brilliant as is her custom but perhaps the real stand out is former glamour girl Virna Lisi as the morally bankrupt queen mother resembling nothing so much as a vampire come to life with a soul as dry as dust.
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)-Stately film version of the upheaval that rocked the English throne when Henry VIII became enamored of Anne Boleyn and in his quest for a son to succeed him decided to divorce Catherine of Aragon, break with the Pope and form the Church of England. A trifle too deliberately paced but Richard Burton as Henry and Genevieve Bujold as Anne are both excellent.
The Swan (1956)-Based on a Ferenc Molnar play Grace Kelly plays a princess of lower standing who is being considered as the bride to the heir to the throne. Sound familiar? Beside Grace, in her second to last film, the cast includes Alec Guinness as the prince as well as Louis Jourdan, Agnes Moorehead and many other fine players. This high gloss, somewhat sedate comedy was a cash grab by MGM to the point that they held up the release of the film to correspond with the wedding date of the then Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco
Honorable Mentions-Princess O'Rourke (1943)-Breezy little comedy of mistaken identity. When visiting princess Olivia de Havilland is erroneously taken for a poor waif heading for a job as a maid in San Francisco she decides to take advantage of the misunderstanding and find out how commoners live. Taken under the wing of pilot Robert Cummings and his friends Jack Carson and Jane Wyman she manages to find herself in all kinds of unexpected situations including a marriage proposal.
Lady Jane (1986)-I've already seen this one pop up a couple times which pleases me, I'd didn't realize it was so well known. Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes portray Lady Jane Grey, England’s nine day Queen, and her husband Gilford Dudley in this romanticized version of the power struggle for the throne that ignited upon Henry VIII’s death. There’s some revisionist history involved but this follows the story pretty well and the acting is superior.
I have yet to see Nicholas and Alexandra but it is on my list to see. I thought for sure you would have picked that film for some reason:) Lady Jane is quite a good film and so is Anne of a Thousand Days. I have to re-watch that one. I have not seen Princess O'Rourke since I was a kid and I enjoyed it but I can't remember parts so I knew I had to leave it off my list. The Swan, I almost picked because of the significance even though I don;t consider it a great film by any means. I have not seen Queen Margot-on this list!
DeleteThank you for referring to me as Lady Jane, but please keep in mind that I am really Queen Janie.
DeleteI think I'm just going to use your blog to fill out my next Blind Spot list because I haven't seen these either. lol
ReplyDeleteHahahaaaa! That is funny. I hope you do pick some of these I have mentioned
DeleteI've only seen Mrs. Brown. I'll have to check the others out.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Brown is a great film and Judi Dench should have won the Oscar
DeleteMrs. Brown is one of my favorite films. It's one of the few movies in which I can believe the actors are the actual people. Queen Victoria fascinates me. I've seen a PBS series of young Victoria and Albert which I liked a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe King and I is one of the Mama's all-time favorites. She loves the dance scene and the scene in which the King's children are being introduced.
Do you recall the movie in which John Goodman portrayed an American who inherited a royal title? King Ralph? I could google it, but to lazy right now. Anyway, I think I'd choose to write about that, Roman Holiday, and Shrek as my three.
OMG! Roman Holiday is such a great film. I forgot all about it and I can watch that film over and over. Shrek is great and makes me laugh. I have not seen King Ralph. I am with your Mama on those 2 scenes-Love the music! Queen Victoria is quite an interesting woman full of passion yet had all the statues covered in fig leaves.
DeleteI remember the Anna Neagle film from my youth. Ah, the days when Sunday afternoon was passed with ancient films on the TV. I've seen Mrs Brown and am fairly sure I've seen The Three Musketeers. As mentioned by your commenters - Nicholas and Alexandra was wonderful (or so I thought at the time). Anne of a Thousand Days we got taken to on a school trip by our history teacher. Not sure it was entirely suitable. To add: The Lion in Winter about Henry II and Eleanor if Aquitaine - the wondrous Katherine Hepburn.
ReplyDeleteAnabel's Travel Blog
I do miss those days when there was a movie for a Sunday afternoon. You know I have not seen The Lion in Winter and I love the 2 leads
DeleteI did see that version of the 3 Musketeers :) Haven't seen the other 2 you listed here though :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know, would Camelot count as a royalty movie?? Seen several versions of that theme :)
betty
Yes Camelot would count and I forgot Excalibur! I love that film with a young Helen Mirren as Morgan Le Fey. That is my favourite version that I have seen
DeleteI haven't seen any of those ones. I have seen a few versions of the three musketeers though, it has really be done to death. That and Robin Hood just keep coming back with new versions.
ReplyDeleteIt has-both the Musketeers and Robin Hood have been overdone but I do recommend the '73 version. Errol Flynn is the perfect Robin Hood. Forget the crap with Kevin Costner
DeleteI haven't seen Mrs.Brown and am going to look for it, Birgit. Love movies about royalty. I remember seeing Anne of a Thousand days when I was in school and absolutely love Roman Holiday. Does History of the World count? Hahaha. Hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteHistory of the World would count-King Louis was in it:) Hugs back to you
DeleteYou're very cultured. Well, compared to me. Then again, so is a chimpanzee.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any films about royalty that I've seen. But I'm always entertained by your reviews.
Be well, Birgit.
Hey, Chimps have sold paintings for 10 grand:) I bet you have, you just don;t realize it or it is not speaking your memory
DeleteBIRGIT, I don't think I've seen any of these three. But my list would definitely include 'ROMAN HOLIDAY', which I know you've seen and mentioned previously.
ReplyDelete~ D-FensDogG
Roman Holiday is a must see film and I can't believe i drew a blank on this one when I made up my list!I guess it was meant to be but wasn't Audrey superb in it?
DeleteI loved Mrs Brown. Judi Dench and Billy Connolly were both brilliant. My favourite royal film is Elizabeth the Golden Age with Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth the First.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Elizabeth was excellent and she should have won over Paltrow
DeleteI've never seen the first one, but I love the other two, especially Mrs. Brown. A good, but sad movie is titled (I think) The Duchess. It's about the Duchess of Devonshire, who lived quite a sad life with the Duke.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
OOH -I have to look this one up for sure. It sounds interesting.
DeleteThis is a wonderful list, Birgit... I haven't seen any of them (I know, shame on me!), but I've put them on the to-look-up list and will atone soon :) I recently saw The King's Speech, as well as WE (2011), both of which deal with the abdication of Edward VIII—but from different perspectives. Both impressed me with the acting—Andrea Riseborough did a fabulous Wallis Simpson; Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush were predictably fabulous, hilarious and heartrending all at once. Highly recommended, if you haven't seen them.
ReplyDeleteGuilie @ Quiet Laughter
I have seen this film and it is excellent! My favourite scene is when the 2 of them are having tea while the future king is building a model. It is a bonding moment and your heart goes out to the future king
DeleteHi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI'm breaking away from my T-giving holiday festivities to join you, dear friend. I have not seen any of the movies in this review. I remember Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth in the Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle Shakespeare in Love. Two other films about royals immediately spring to mind. Mrs. Shady and I recently enjoyed watching The King's Speech, and one of my favorite horror movies is Roger Corman's Tower of London depicting the rise and fall of King Richard III of England. Vincent Price starred in that 1962 picture and also had a role in the 1939 film of the same name.
Have a great weekend, dear friend BB!
Shakespeare in Love is a good movie but I thought Cate Blanchett should have won for her role as Elizabeth 1st over Paltrow. LOVE the King's Speech. So well acted and written. I have not seen The Tower of London. I have to put this on my huge list of films to see-I love Corman films and Price is always entertaining
DeleteI recall enjoying Mrs. Brown when it came out, but I'm quite the Anglophile.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Brown is a great film. Shhhh! I would like Canada to separate from the Queen
DeleteHi Birgit. Not the ones you mention, but they do sound good. The one with young Victoria has my vote and anything with Judi Dench would be worth seeing. I would add The King's Speech, which was fabulous, and I loved both versions of The King and I (my husband played the captain on stage one year and I helped sewed the set; he and I had one great year in local theater :).
ReplyDeleteThe King's Speech is a great film-I love that movie and love The King and I-always reminds me of my dad since that was his favourite movie
DeleteWell, I'm with Mrs. Brown -hand down! I like Dame Judi in Anything. Not seen the other 2 you mention. I forgot about the Duke Marathon on Thanksgiving, until the day was nearly over! Bummed about that! Did you see the King's Speech & the Young Victoria? Both excellent (love the music in each too) and another great series was Victoria and Albert - a mini series from some long years ago. Excellent on that as well. TFS & have a great wkend.
ReplyDeleteThe Duke marathon must be on TCM which I don;t get-bummer. I love anything with John Wayne. King's Speech is excellent. I have seen Young Victoria and it is good but I like the old movie better than the remake. I would love the see that mini series. I recall when it came out but never watched it
DeleteI first saw Mrs Brown one Christmas Eve, it was very cosey the whole family were sitting around a fire, some of us were on the floor, my aunty and uncle have a small living room. But they had a house in the forest, it was perfect. I really enjoyed the film, I was only about 12 but still thought it wad brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fond memory and a different film to see on Christmas Eve than the usual traditional fare
DeleteI watched the Mrs. Brown movie awhile back and I did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe she did. Maybe she didn't. That's Victoria's Secret.
ReplyDeleteThese look great. I am most curious about Mrs. Brown! Looks great. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
I'm not sure that I've seen any of these. I've seen plenty of royalty movies but few come to mind at the moment. Actually, I would say that it's not my favorite genre, but I usually enjoy them when I see them. I recall enjoying The Madness of King George for one. I know there've been many others.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
That's my favorite version of The Three Musketeers.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe it?! I've seen all three over the past 3 months on TV! The first two takes me to my childhood, esp the 3 Musketeers. Mrs Brown ... what a performance by Judi Dench. Love that movie too.
ReplyDeletex Asha
Best film about royalty I've ever seen has to be Coming to America. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Birgit! Just stopped by to say "hi." I haven't "seen" you in a while. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! :)
ReplyDeleteNothing is coming to mind. That's just pathetic, isn't it? Plus, I haven't seen these.
ReplyDeleteI have been watching the TV show Reign on the CW about Mary Queen of Scots (and Elizabeth). Not the same, I know.