The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933)
- Starring:
- Charles Laughton, Binnie Barnes, (more)
- Director(s):
- Alexander Korda
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Charles Laughton became an international star by chewing both mutton and scenes in his Oscar-winning turn as King Henry VIII. Alexander Korda's British super-production also put the British cinema on the map, which, until this film, received precious little respect in the international film community. The film, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, details the private life of the famous British monarch. His first wife, Catherine of Aragon, is barely mentioned -- explained away by a prologue which states that she was "too respectable to be included." Henry then marries Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon) but she is soon beheaded. His next wife, Jane Seymour (Wendy Barrie), dies during childbirth. His next wife is Anne of Cleves (Elsa Lanchester, in a prelude to her Bride of Frankenstein role), whom Henry reluctantly beds with his famous sigh, "The things I've done for England." They divorce and Henry next marries Katherine Howard (Binnie Barnes), who also finds herself beheaded when she has an affair with Henry's friend, Thomas Culpepper (Robert Donat). Finally, Henry is brought down to size with his final wife, Catherine Parr (Everley Gregg). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Charles Laughton - Henry VIII
- Merle Oberon - Anne Boleyn
- Everley Gregg - Catherine Parr
- Robert Donat - Thomas Culpepper
- Claud Allister - Cornell
- Franklin Dyall - Thomas Cromwell
- Frederick Culley - Duke of Norfolk
- William Austin - Duke of Cleves
- Judy Kelly - Lady Rochford
- Gibb McLaughlin - French executioner
- Binnie Barnes - Katheryn Howard
- Elsa Lanchester - Anne of Cleves
- Wendy Barrie - Jane Seymour
- Lady Tree - Henry's Old Nurse
- Miles Mander - Wriothesley
- Sam Livesey - Executioner
- John Loder - Thomas Peynell
- Lawrence Hanray - Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
- John Turnbull - Hans Holbein
- Director(s):
- Alexander Korda
- Writer(s):
- Lajos BirĂ³, Arthur Wimperis
- Producer(s):
- Ludovico Toeplitz, Alexander Korda
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1933 - The Private Life of Henry VIII - National Board of Review - Best Foreign Film






