Tuesday, July 12, 2016, 8 p.m., Dryden Theatre
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The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
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(Michael Curtiz, US 1939, 106 min., 35mm)
Olivia de Havilland. At age 30, Bette Davis took the role of the aging Queen Elizabeth for this film, while Errol Flynn played her lover and favorite, the Lord of Essex. Olivia de Havilland’s strong performance as Lady Penelope Gray almost outshines both main stars. Fanfare and pageantry abound in this tale of love and betrayal in the Tudor court, but those looking for historical accuracy should beware. Based on a play by Maxwell Anderson, Curtiz’s film received five Academy Awards.