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64% Critic Match
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
“Elizabeth I's love for the Earl of Essex threatens to destroy her kingdom.”
6.4 / 10• 1939• 1h 46m•NR• English
DramaHistoryRomance
Storyline
This period drama frames the tumultuous affair between Queen Elizabeth I and the man who would be King of England.
Cast & Crew
Bette Davis
Queen Elizabeth
Lead
Errol Flynn
The Earl of Essex
Olivia de Havilland
Lady Penelope Gray
Donald Crisp
Francis Bacon
Alan Hale
The Prince of Tyrone
Vincent Price
Sir Walter Raleigh
Henry Stephenson
Lord Burghley
Henry Daniell
Sir Robert Cecil
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Michael Curtiz's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
