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The Virgin Queen |  | Director: Henry Koster
Actors: Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins, Jay Robinson, Herbert Marshall
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $9.95
as of 11/24/2009 05:55 CST details
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New (32) Used (8) from $8.99
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Rating:  16 reviews
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 2250725
UPC: 024543507253
EAN: 0024543507253
Theatrical Release Date: 1955
Release Date: April 8, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Bette Davis and Joan Collins vie for the love of Sir Walter Raleigh. Rich in historical detail. Davis is dynamic. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 024543507253 UPC: 024543507253 Manufacturer No: 2250725 |
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Product Description
Bette Davis and Joan Collins vie for the love of Sir Walter Raleigh. Rich in historical detail. Davis is dynamic.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/CLASSICS Rating: NR UPC: 024543507253 Manufacturer No: 2250725
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
 Superior Acting Over "...Essex & Elizabeth" November 19, 2009
dr. m~d (USA)
In contrast to "The Private Live of Essex and Elizabeth," starring Bette Davis paired with Errol Flynn, "...Virgin Queen" surpasses the former by far due to the quality of the co-stars' acting. Errol Flynn, while a great personality was not a great actor, per se. Richard Todd, on the other hand, was indeed a great character actor. Todd is a much better match for "The First Lady of American Cinema," Bette Davis. Together they are magnificent. Joan Collins also turns in a grand performance.
Several terrific actors have played Queen Elizabeth I (Meryl Streep & Hellen Mirren, for example) with splendid results. But, each one stops just shy of doing what only Bette Davis seems to have been willing to do: get down right haggardly on screen for all to witness. That makes all the difference in how believable Davis' Elizabeth I becomes. No one yet has accomplished going into character like Bette Davis could. Therefore, I recommend this version of the depiction of Queen Elizabeth I over all others.
Newer technology cannot make up for better acting!
Bette Davis Repeats Her Role As Elizabeth 1 In Lavish Costume Drama October 19, 2009
Simon Davis
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's a rare occasion indeed when an actress has the opportunity to revisit a part she had played 15 years earlier and create another interpretation of the same character. Bette Davis, the legendary Queen of Warner Bros Studios had already placed her unique stamp on the larger than life character of Queen Elizabeth 1 of England in a lavish 1939 technicolour production titled "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" which co starred Errol Flynn as the wickedly charming Earl of Essex. Fast forward 15 years with Bette now out of her contract with Warners and moving from film to film on a freelance basis. This time the studio was 20th Century Fox who were mounting another lavish version of a portion of the life of Good Queen Bess titled appropriately enough "The Virgin Queen". Fox hired Bette during a real slump in her career to recreate her role as the majestic Queen this time with the focus being on her "love affair' (highly fictionalised) with Sir Walter Raleigh which actually took place during an earlier time period than that which served as a basis for the earlier 1939 film. While "The Virgin Queen" certainly didn't restore Bette's sagging career to its former glory, (she would have to wait until the 1962 smash "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" for that to happen) it is a more than respectable effort and one of her better films of this period.
As with most historical dramas the historical facts of this late Tudor period are played around with in the screenplay for "The Virgin Queen", however that doesn't distract from its real entertainment value. The story takes place in the 1580's as Raleigh returns from campaigning in Ireland to a great welcome and through the sponsorship of the Queen Elizabeth's favourite the Earl of Liecester (Herbert Marshall) Raleigh begins a flirtation with the fiesty Queen in an attempt to get her to provide him with ships for an exploration voyage to the New World. After being Knighted by Elizabeth Raleigh also romances and eventually secretly marries Beth Throckmorton (Joan Collins) a very attractive waiting lady to the Queen. The stormy relationship between Raleigh and the Queen comes to a head when she learns of his marriage which then sees both him and Beth imprisoned before Elizabeth finally breaks down and releases her difficult favourite allowing him to fulfill his all consuming dream of an exploration to the New World. Bette Davis of course towers over the story in her second turn as Queen Elizabeth but she has some fine players to compete with here. While Herbert Marshall is his usual stiff self as Leicester, Richard Todd as Sir Walter Raleigh, while perhaps lacking the gallant charm of Errol Flynn from Bette's first outing playing Queen Elizabeth, does very well as the dare devil adventurer who both loves and clashes with his sovereign. Joan Collins yet again proves herself a good actress too as the rival to Queen Elizabeth in their mutual love of Raleigh. Joan wrote about her experience working on "The Virgin Queen" in her highly entertaining autobiography "Past Imperfect" and she recalled how nervous she was working with the formidable Davis and also wrote about the incredible attention to detail that was put into the film's costumes by the Fox wardrobe department to make then totally accurate down to the last detail. Despite her reported on set nerves Joan has great chemistry with Bette Davis in this film and the story really comes alive in the confrontation scenes between the two women.
20th Century Fox's "Cinema Classics Collection" has seen a number of Bette Davis films given first class presentations onto DVD and along with well known, often released classics like "All About Eve" there have been some new seldom seen films of Bette's like "Phone Call From A Stranger", and "The Virgin Queen" which have been given a most welcome first release onto DVD. They all will be much treasured parts of any film buff's Bette Davis Collection. "The Virgin Queen" has been given a beautiful restoration for this DVD and of course being a costume picture lends itself so well to the brilliant Fox colour that has never looked so vivid as in this obviously cleaned up new print. The "Cinema Classics" release also contains trailers, a good "making of Documentary" titled "Virgin Territory: The Making of the Virgin Queen", photo galleries and a restoration comparison. This kind of film however cries out for a good audio commentary which it sadly lacks. Of the surviving cast members Joan Collins is still active and it is a great pity she wasn't brought in to give a commentary on the film which considering her earlier comments about it in her autobiography would have been of great interest. While "The Virgin Queen" is always regarded as a lesser Bette Davis effort it still has great merits and my recent viewing of it highlighted much that was first rate in all departments of its production. Bette was born to play England's great Queen and despite the distortion of historical facts and personalities in parts of the screenplay she doesn't disappoint in her second turn at playing Elizabeth. I highly recommend Fox's "The Virgin Queen" for all lovers of period films from Hollywood's Golden Age.
The Virgin Queen September 14, 2009
Josh W. Scheider
Thank you for my video, I received it on time and for a reasonable price. I don't no much about others thinking but you usually think of Betty Davis you think of Queen Elizabeth. She such a wonderful actress and her performance of Queen Elizabeth makes you think that she is the Queen. She eventually plays the Queen two other times and again she sends her impacting influence onto the silver screen.
 Not as good as I hoped. September 1, 2009
Kelli D. Dickerson (Ellicott City, MD USA)
It's a part of Bette's history as one of the most interesting royals and so it's worth seeing but not as good as I hoped. It's a bit cheeky.
The film typifies Davis' compelling moves as her proud and cunning performance... January 12, 2009
Roberto Frangie (Leon, Gto. Mexico)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
On his return to England in 1581, after fighting honorably and victoriously in the Irish War, Walter Raleigh (Richard Todd) makes his way to Lord Leicester (Herbert Marshall), a confidant of Queen Elizabeth (Bette Davis).
Lord Leicester is so impressed with his good looking and self-confidence, that he arranges for him an introduction at Court...
Raleigh, hoping to gain the queen's attention so he can interest her in sponsoring his ambition to sail to the New World and return with great loots, orders a costly blue cape he cannot afford...By laying it over a mud puddle in her path as she crosses the palace courtyard, Raleigh got what he deeply desires...
Formerly presented to her and openly inspired with a foolish and excessive passion, Queen Elizabeth appoints him as Captain of the Guard against the advice of Chadwick (Jay Robinson), a counselor whose dislike of Raleigh is unrestricted...
Once in the Palace, and close to the queen, Raleigh falls in love with one of her beautiful attendants, Beth Throgmorton (Joan Collins), who feels she is competing with the queen for Raleigh's kindness...
In a position to have entire faith in the queen, Raleigh tells her of his hope of being sent to the New World to seek fortunes... Indulgent at first, Elizabeth finally considers his offer and promises him one ship for his expedition... On the eve of his departure, Elizabeth knights Raleigh in her bed-chamber ignoring that, while awaiting her decision, he has married Beth in a secret ceremony...
It all makes for a pretty interesting historical motion picture not to be missed...
Showing reviews 1-5 of 16
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