The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)

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The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
Topic Started: Aug 29 2009, 06:21 AM (91 Views)
Laughing Gravy	Aug 29 2009, 06:21 AM Post #1
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,073 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	In his Oscar-winning performance, Charles Laughton marries six times and five of those women don't come to particularly good ends. Man, what a great movie. I'd never heard much good about it (although it was a Best Picture nominee) but it is a rollicking good time. I'm not a particularly big fan of Laughton's, but he's terrific here, chewing up wives and scenery with equal aplomb. The English settings are marvelous, the wives include Merle Oberon (Anne Boleyn), Binnie Barnes (Katherine Howard), and Wendy Barrie (Jane Seymour), and Robert Donat is Culpepper, who learns not to mess with the Queen. Elas Lanchester is Anne of Cleves, and she is hilarious comedy relief; what a little scene stealer. I loved that the first wife is dismissed from the film entirely (a title card tells us she was a good woman, so not interesting; Henry divorced her because she couldn't give him the heirs). This is part of the Alexander Korda's Private Lives set from Criterion/Eclipse, and it's a fine print of the film. Highly recommended; don't listen to these pickle-heads who don't like this film. It's terrific.



Frank Hale	Aug 29 2009, 04:45 PM Post #2
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 828 Group: Members Member #59 Joined: October 6, 2005	As I mentioned on the Korda Collection thread a couple of months ago, I more or less like it, but it’s not one I seek out for repeat viewings. It’s an important entry in British film history and has a number of pleasing scenes and performances, as you point out. But because of the basic subject matter, I’ve always found it a bit off-putting. Would recommend its first cousin, Rembrandt, to you, if you haven’t seen it (also in the set). A more sombre mood, a little more professionally made…somehow more to my taste.



Laughing Gravy	Aug 29 2009, 05:05 PM Post #3
Revered in the UK Posts: 11,073 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: August 31, 2005	Just so you know what MY taste is... it's a movie about a big fat guy stuffing chicken down his throat and tossing the bones over his shoulder while he bitches about the lack of manners in "the country today."



Frank Hale	Aug 29 2009, 05:56 PM Post #4
Balcony Gang, Foist Class Posts: 828 Group: Members Member #59 Joined: October 6, 2005	Hey, if gluttony and irony are your thing, that’s OK! Thank goodness you don’t have some sort of revenge fantasy against Trophy Wife for keeping you so thoroughly and deservedly in line!



marlin lee	Aug 29 2009, 08:19 PM Post #5
Charter Member Posts: 5,073 Group: Members Member #6 Joined: September 2, 2005	"A rollicking good time." is a perfect description for this film. I saw it in a fair quality print years ago on TV as the Late, Late Movie.



panzer the great & terrible	Sep 11 2009, 11:47 AM Post #6
Mouth Breather Posts: 10,356 Group: Members Member #13 Joined: September 3, 2005	I've always wanted to know: how do you rollick?
	We Wear Short Shorts Flying Purple People Eater


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