Review: The Virgin Queen


Sir Walter Raleigh (Richard Todd) enters the court of cantankerous, aging Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis), and quickly becomes a trusted aide (and perhaps the object of her desire) until Raleigh becomes smitten with one of her (younger) ladies-in-waiting (Joan Collins). Dan O’Herlihy plays Raleigh’s trusted Irish pal Lord Derry, Herbert Marshall is Lord Leicester, and Robert Douglas is the film’s (somewhat) heavy Sir Christopher Hatton.


This 1955 Henry Koster (“Desiree”, “The Bishop’s Wife”) costumer was Davis’ second go-round as Queen Elizabeth I, and is a fine movie in which Davis’ terrific performance is further aided by a sturdy Todd, and smaller turns by Marshall (who should’ve been in the film more), and yes, even Collins proves up to the task. All that’s missing are the top-tier baddies like a Vincent Price or Henry Daniell (both of whom co-starred with Bette in the other QE I film “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex”), or maybe a flashy cameo by a Robert Morley or Sir Peter Ustinov, but at least the somewhat Burton-esque Todd is a much better actor than Errol Flynn.


The screenplay is by Harry Brown (who won an Oscar for his screenplay for “A Place in the Sun”) and Mindret Lord. More handsome but ultimately on about the same level of enjoyment as the earlier film. Duly received an Oscar nomination for the fine costumes by Charles LeMaire (Oscar winner for “All About Eve”, “The Robe”, and “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing”) and Mary Wills (the underrated weepie “Enchantment”, but also an Oscar-winner for “The Wonderful World of The Brothers Grimm”). A must for enthusiasts of royal costume dramas, not to mention fans of Bette Davis.


Rating: B-

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