Robert Devereux, the overly proud Earl of Essex, desires the love of Queen Elizabeth (Bette Davis), and half of her throne. Elizabeth is romantically interested in Essex, but needs him to keep his place. As they jockey for position, both are foiled by the plotting and intrigues at the palace.
Either Errol Flynn or Bette Davis was badly miscast in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, but which one depends on what kind of a movie this was supposed to be. Flynn is playing in a Swashbuckler, while Davis is in a heavy historical drama. Flynn’s approach is backed by director Michael Curtiz (Captain Blood—1935, The Adventures of Robin Hood—1938, The Sea Hawk—1940), the rest of the cast (Swashbuckling stalwarts: Olivia de Havilland, Alan Hale, Henry Daniell, Donald Crisp, Henry Stephenson, James Stephenson, and Robert Warwick, along with Leo G. Carroll and Vincent Price), the color, set design, and the score (by Erich Wolfgang Korngold). Davis’s view is supported by the script. The schizophrenia is never resolved, making Davis appear silly and Flynn confused. Both over act, but at least Flynn could do that with charm.
There isn’t enough wit, romance, or swordplay for the movie to be anything but a tepid Swashbuckler. The single battle lacks the scope necessary, and is obviously stage-bound. But the film comes off worse as a drama because its serious elements just aren’t very good; there is little plot, and the character development is unbelievable and forced. Essex is made into an idiot (he should have been ambitious and proud, not mentally deficient). Plus the dialog is artificial.
The history of the film is famous. Davis wanted Warner Brothers to buy the successful play Elizabeth the Queen, and cast her and Laurence Olivier in a film version. However, Olivier wasn’t available, and wanting a return on their investment, cast Flynn, who Davis couldn’t stand. Flynn was unhappy with the title, which relegated his character to a supporting role, so after some finagling, the movie was cursed with: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. In a scene where Elizabeth slaps Essex, Davis actually smacked Flynn. He later put additional oomph into a shove, knocking Davis to the floor. On screen, this translates to a truly impressive lack of chemistry. Both Flynn and Davis hated Curtiz (he was a great director, but few actors liked working with him), and Olivia de Havilland had been handed her secondary role as punishment for appearing in Gone With the Wind for a competing studio.
Historically inaccurate, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex was meant as a “prestige picture,” but it is far from that. Luckily, everyone involved had far better films either under their belt of yet to come.