Elizabeth I in Film and Television

This analysis of how filmmakers have portrayed England’s Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603), and the audience’s perception of Elizabeth based upon these portrayals, examines key representations of the Tudor monarch in various motion pictures from the Silent era on and in television miniseries.
Actresses who have portrayed Elizabeth include Bette Davis, Glenda Jackson, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett and Helen Mirren; Quentin Crisp appeared as the Queen in Orlando (1992).
The text focuses on the historical context of the period in which each film or miniseries was made and1the extent of the portrayals of Elizabeth.
Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Bethany Latham is an associate professor and electronic resources/documents librarian at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. Her articles have appeared in such publications as Reference Reviews and Library Journal. She is managing editor of The Historical Novels Review.

Bethany Latham
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 298
Bibliographic Info: 11 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2011
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3718-4
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8514-7
Imprint: McFarland

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS      ix
PREFACE      1

1. Why Elizabeth I? A Look at the Life and Times of the Historical Elizabeth      3

2. The Silent Era: Divas and Aristocrats      16
Les Amours de la Reine Élisabeth (1912): Sarah Bernhardt      16
The Virgin Queen (1923): Diana Manners      34

3. Hollywood’s Golden Age: Bette Davis and Big- Budget Historicals      40
Mary of Scotland (1936): Florence Eldridge      41
Fire Over England (1937): Flora Robson      65
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939): Bette Davis      76
The Sea Hawk (1940): Flora Robson      90
Young Bess (1953): Jean Simmons      101
The Virgin Queen (1955): Bette Davis      113

4. Hollywood, A.D.: Elizabethan Career Woman to Pop Culture      130
Mary, Queen of Scots (1971): Glenda Jackson      130
Elizabeth (1998): Cate Blanchett      148
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007): Cate Blanchett      165

5. Glimpses of Elizabeth: The Bit Parts      179
Orlando (1992): Quentin Crisp      179
Shakespeare in Love (1998): Judi Dench      183
Alice in Wonderland (2010): Helena Bonham Carter      186

6. Serialized Elizabeth: The Miniseries      191
Elizabeth R (1971): Glenda Jackson      191
Blackadder II (1986): Miranda Richardson      216
Elizabeth I: The Virgin Queen (2005): Anne- Marie Duff      220
Elizabeth I (2005): Helen Mirren      239

7. Semper Eadem: The Evolving Elizabeth      267

CHAPTER NOTES      273
BIBLIOGRAPHY      277
INDEX      283