Elizabeth the Queen came to bold and lusty Technicolored life in Michael Curtizâs classic
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. With Bette Davis at the zenith of her career, Errol Flynn in solid form as her leading man, and a wondrous collection of Hollywood character actors in support,
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex emerges as one of the crown jewels of that magical moviemaking year: 1939.
Returning to England after the sacking of Cadiz, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex (Errol Flynn) expects a triumphant welcome from Queen Elizabeth I (Bette Davis), but heâs horrified to find that the queen is not in a welcoming mood since his burning of the Spanish fleet and leveling of the town has not resulted in the millions of Spanish ducats she had been promised if she financed his expedition. Itâs but the first in a series of slights Essex endures as Elizabeth makes crafty maneuvers so that Essexâs fame and notoriety wonât eclipse her own devotion