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| The Virgin Queen - 1955 |
Coming up next we have 1955's "The Virgin Queen", a story about Walter Raleigh and Queen Elizabeth I of England. Raleigh wants ships to sail to the New World in order to bring riches to England. However, once Elizabeth takes a liking to him, she is loathe to let him go.
The film's cast includes Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins, Jay Robinson, Herbert Marshall, Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Douglas, Rod Taylor, and Patrick O'Moore.
Walter Raleigh has arrived at the English court in order to petition Queen Elizabeth I to give him three ships to sail to the New World. He gains entrée to the court by his father's old friend, the Earl of Leicester.
Walter tells Leicester of his plan, and Leister thinks the Queen may go for it. "She is a woman of both whims and wisdom, but the
whims are of the moment. The wisdom will endure when you and I are
dead," he tells Walter.
Once at court, Walter makes the acquaintance of one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, Beth Throgmorton, and sparks instantly fly. As she fingers her pearls, she tells him some rules of court etiquette.
The pearls break and scatter all over the floor just as Elizabeth I enters the room. "Mistress Throgmorton, is this your pet
swine? You have cast pearls before him," she jokes.
Walter piques the Queen's interest, and he further heightens himself in her esteem when he casts his very expensive cloak over a puddle for her to walk over.
She invites him to dinner, where he asks her for the ships to travel to the New World.
Elizabeth denies him the ships, and Walter takes great offense. They quarrel and he departs the room in a huff.
Beth Throgmorton is glad that he didn't get the ships. That means he will have to return to the court and plead his case, and they can see more of each other. "You pursue very fast," he tells her. She smiles and says, "On the contrary, Captain, I do not pursue. I surround."
Elizabeth keeps Walter at court by making him the captain of the guards. It's a post he doesn't want but is willing to put up with if he gets his ships in the end.
During his time as captain, Walter gets to see a lot of Beth Throgmorton, but they have to be careful. Beth cannot choose her own match. That privilege is reserved for the queen.
And Elizabeth is very jealous of Walter. She likes to keep him near her, to the consternation of her previous favorite, Sir Christopher Hatton.
Back at court, Elizabeth has to contend with the French ambassador and his constant pleas for her to marry one of the sons of Catherine de Medici. When he wants a definite answer, Elizabeth commands, "Go back to your Catherine de Medici and tell her
I am tired of little French dukes, and of
old French queens, and of ambassadors who laugh when I miss with
an arrow, and of all Frenchmen in general! Go back and tell her that!"
During council, Walter's loyalty to Elizabeth is questioned. When he stands up for decisions he's unashamedly made, Elizabeth throws him out angrily.
Beth follows Walter to his lodgings. Thrilled that he has stood up to the queen, Beth decides to dare Elizabeth's anger and the two are married secretly.
Walter is summoned back to court, where Elizabeth decides to forgive him.
She even knights him and promises to give him one ship instead of three to sail to the New World.
Beth isn't thrilled that he's gone willingly back into Elizabeth's service. She decides to leave Walter.
Before he leaves to prepare his ship for the voyage, Walter is summoned for a last audience with Elizabeth. She gives him her blessing and watches him go.
While he is busy preparing the ship, Elizabeth mentions that she won't be letting Walter go. She likes having him near because "he tests me mettle".
Hearing a rumor that Beth is with child, Walter goes to visit her. The two are reconciled. Beth tells him that Elizabeth won't let him go on his voyage. He says he will leave anyway and asks Beth to come with him. She readily agrees.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth is informed of Walter and Beth's marriage. Feeling betrayed, she orders Walter's arrest. "All devils do not dwell in darkness," she muses.
Beth goes secretly to Elizabeth to plead for her husband's life, but to no avail. Elizabeth orders her arrested, too.
Elizabeth goes to visit Walter in the Tower of London, seeking answers for his betrayal. He proclaims his loyalty to her throughout his time at court. "Always I was blinded with the fascination of the queen's majesty," he says. To which Elizabeth scoffs, "The fascination of the queen's treasury!"
Eventually, she decides to let Walter go to the New World. "Those cargos you bring back had best be rich and rich and rich!" she warns.
With the Earl of Leicester beside her, Elizabeth watches proudly as Walter's ship, bearing her standard, sails to the New World. On the ship with him is Beth.
Elizabeth returns to the business of state, saddened that her favorite is now gone.
Cast rundown:
Bette Davis...............................Queen Elizabeth I
Richard Todd.............................Sir Walter Raleigh
Joan Collins...............................Beth Throgmorton
Jay Robinson.............................Chadwick
Herbert Marshall........................Earl of Leicester
Dan O'Herlihy............................Lord Derry
Robert Douglas..........................Sir Christopher Hatton
Rod Taylor.................................Cpl. Gwilym
Patrick O'Moore..........................Postillion Rider
And that's it for The Virgin Queen. This was the second time that Bette Davis portrayed Elizabeth I. In 1939, she played the iconic character in the film "The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex". In that film, she played an older version of the character, as the events of the 1939 film were set in 1601, while the events of "The Virgin Queen" were set in 1581.
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