Young Bess (1953)
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This costume drama was based on the historical fiction of Margaret Irwin, which embellishes the facts of the early years of England's eventual Queen Elizabeth I. It's told in flashback style, starting with the horrible day when King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) sends away the future queen, young Bess (Jean Simmons), and executes her mother, Anne Boleyn (Elaine Stewart). Some years and several wives later, Henry VIII invites Bess to return to the palace to live with Catherine Parr (Deborah Kerr), her new stepmother. When the king dies, Bess' young half-brother, Edward (Rex Thompson), assumes the title of regent. Bess falls in love with the Navy's top admiral, Thomas Seymour (Stewart Granger), but has her brother compel him to marry Catherine. After Catherine dies, Thomas confesses his love to Bess. But his scheming brother Ned (Guy Rolfe) finds out about Thomas' feelings and accuses him of seducing Bess. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Jean Simmons - Young Bess
- Deborah Kerr - Catherine Parr
- Kay Walsh - Mrs. Ashley
- Cecil Kellaway - Mr. Parry
- Robert Arthur - Barnaby
- Norma Varden - Lady Tyrwhitt
- Noreen Corcoran - Young Bess, Age 6
- Elaine Stewart - Anne Boleyn
- Doris Lloyd - Mother Jack
- Lester Matthews - Sir William Paget
- Ian Wolfe - Stranger
- Fay Wall - Woman
- Charles R. Keane - Halberdiers
- Carl Saxe - Executioner
- Kathleen Byron - Anne Seymour
- Stewart Granger - Thomas Seymour
- Charles Laughton - Henry VIII
- Guy Rolfe - Ned Seymour
- Rex Thompson - Edward
- Leo G. Carroll - Mr. Mums
- Alan Napier - Robert Tyrwhitt
- Ivan Triesault - Danish Envoy
- Dawn Addams - Kate Howard
- Lumsden Hare - Archbishop Thomas Crammer
- John Sheffield - English Officers
- Reginald Sheffield - Court Recorder
- Ann Tyrrell - Mary
- David Cavendish - Council Man
- Patrick Whyte - Officer
- Director(s):
- George Sidney
- Writer(s):
- Jan Lustig, Arthur Wimperis
- Producer(s):
- Sidney Franklin, Sidney Franklin
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1953 - Young Bess - National Board of Review - Best Actress
