‘The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex’ From 1939: A Costume Drama of Love and Ambition

Popcorn and Inspiration: Films that uplift the soul

Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis) and Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn), in “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.” Warner Bros

Can a queen be a woman, too? Queen Elizabeth I endures this dilemma in the Warner Bros. 1939 costume drama “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.” This Technicolor movie brought 16th-century England to life with opulent costumes and lavish sets, earning five Academy Award nominations.

Our question, however, is whether movies made over 80 years ago entertain modern audiences. Through streaming services, home media, and Turner Classic Movies, classic films are now widely available. Most people need only see the right old movie to appreciate Hollywood’s Golden Age. A good place to find your good-film fit is within a favorite genre. Fans of costume dramas should look no further than this tale of ambition and ill-fated love.

A Queen Must Do Her Duty

At 63, the aging Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis) has long been England’s sole ruler, but she deeply loves Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn). When he returns from military victory with public adoration, the queen tells adviser Sir Francis Bacon (Donald Crisp) that she must put royal duties above her feelings for Essex. Upon Essex’s arrival in court, she denounces his profitless military victory, which burdened England’s overtaxed people. Offended when she promotes two comrades above him, he angrily leaves London.