Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The(1939)

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) – Bette Davis and Errol Flynn made The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex fascinatingly public, striking sparks in this lavish Technicolor tale of the ill-fated love between the aging Elizabeth I and the dashing Earl of Essex. Thoroughly unglamorous here – eyebrows and hairline shaved, face painted chalky white – double Academy Award? winner Davis exudes such intelligence, energy and ardor that her romance with the decades-younger Essex (Flynn at the peak of his remarkable good looks and athletic verve) is completely believable. Based on Maxwell Anderson’s play Elizabeth the Queen and directed by Michael Curtiz, the film was nominated for five Oscars? (Best Art Direction, Color Cinematography, Scoring, Sound Recording and Special Effects).

The extra features included on the DVD are:

• Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1939 with:
  • Newsreel
  • Musical Short The Royal Rodeo
  • Cartoon Old Glory
  • 1939 Trailer Gallery
• New Featurette Elizabeth and Essex: Battle Royale
• Languages: English & Français