The Private Life of Henry VIII

Highly enjoyable British film from Alexander Korda, THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII gives CHARLES LAUGHTON the plum role of his career and he munches on all the scenery with artistic skill and great humor. Even though he has the spotlight, others around him make the film a highly enjoyable one to watch.

ROBERT DONAT is handsome and sensitive as Culpepper, a favorite of the Court who has the misfortune to love one of Henry's wives (BINNIE BARNES).

MERLE OBERON has a brief role as Ann Boleyn in a sensitive scene where she worries about meeting the executioner's ax. Oberon would later marry Korda and this was a showy but brief role that gave her career a good start.

ELSA LANCHESTER provides a lot of chuckles as Anne of Cleves, the woman whose portrait fascinates Henry--until he meets her. Her facial displays are deliberately meant to provoke him--that and her ungainly movements--and she and Laughton play their scenes together with great finesse.

TCM is showing a good print of the film which makes it all the more enjoyable, because the sets and costumes are quite opulent and photographed skillfully. The pace is brisk, the humor is ever present, the story never loses interest and Laughton--even at his hammiest--is superb as the king who tried to find happiness but found out that it eluded him at every turn.

Just saw this film again on video. The film is dated now but Charles Laughton's performance still seems fresh. He's quite funny in the scene where he complains about "the lack of manners these days" as he gnaws on a whole chicken with his bare hands and tosses the bones behind him on the floor. And he's quite touching at times when be breaks down in front of everyone and cries. Laughton certainly deserved this Oscar for this role.

During his reign, Henry the Eighth had six wives. The first of these was Catherine of Aragon but her story is of no particular interest as she was a decent and respectable woman – so Henry only divorced her. However his next wife was a different matter altogether and we join the story on the day of Anne Boleyn is getting her neck ready for the executioner's block. Henry is a boisterous king who, no matter how bad his many marriage experiences, cannot seem to avoid getting married again; as he himself says, 'the things I do for England'!

When I taped this film I had never heard of it but before watching it was told that it was a great moneymaker of the time in the US. I wasn't sure if this was a very historic film or a fun film but the opening credit title made me realize it would be a sort of humorous historical piece – it is practically the sort of title card that appears before many Laurel & Hardy shorts! True to form the film takes liberties with history but does so to the benefit of the film, making it very funny and rather larger than life (not that hard a subject given Henry's life!) but not to the point where it is just a comedy – no, it is better written than that. Instead it manages to present this big boisterous life in a balanced way – when events are funny, they are funny but on the flipside it also lets us see that Henry is lonely, trapped by affairs of state and rather a big child at times. It is hard to describe but this film managed to run a gauntlet of emotions in a way that I was pretty impressed by. The very good writing has prevented it dating at all and it is just as enjoyable as it was then – in fact I can't think of a film that I have been more pleasantly surprised by for quite a while – how ironic that it is over 70 years old!

Outside of the script and direction, a massive reason that this film works is a great performance from Laughton. His Henry is fantastically lively and energetic without ever going completely OTT. He manages to deliver his funny lines with great timing and awareness but also delivers a real character who we can feel for – he conveys real hurt and loneliness with just looks at times, and his tearful breakdown is actually quite moving. He is given good support from many small roles who are given good parts – even the observers at the executions have great lines! The 39 Steps' Robert Donat gives good support in a straighter and less showy role and the various member of Henry's court are reliable. However the film belongs to Laughton and he runs it, realising the script's potential and then some.

Overall I came to this film not sure what to expect and I was very surprised by just how enjoyable and well rounded it was. Historians may be irritated by a rather generous interpretation of history but the basics are all there and the writer's touch has only really added colour and a sense of fun to the story. The script is packed with material that is funny and telling at different points and it is delivered with real confidence and ability by Laughton in a performance that dominates the film and is a major reason I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Charles Laughton is quite simply one of the best actors to ever grace the earth. EVER. He proves his range once again as he portrays Henry VIII. Now, I've never seen Henry VIII, but I swore I was looking at him. To me, Laughton is that convincing. Compare this confident, powerful character to his 'Ruggles', in "Ruggles of Red Gap". A total wimp. A complete 180. Then there's Capt. Bligh. From sissy to nasty. The freaks: Quasimodo, Dr. Moreau, Nero, et.al. To say this man can play any sort of role is putting it mildly. Name one other actor with more range. I personally can't.

Charles Laughton stars in "The Private Life of Henry VIII" from 1933, produced by Alexander Korda. Others in the cast include Robert Donat, Merle Oberon, Wendy Barrie, Elsa Lanchester, Everley Gregg, and Binnie Barnes.

In many parts, this is a humorous look at the eccentric Henry as he goes through his many marriages. However, the film starts with the execution of Anne Boleyn (Oberon). She's beautiful and very sympathetic in her role.

We see Henry eating, belching, throwing chicken bones, and generally being boisterous. Desperate for a son, he marries Jane Seymour next, and though she gives him a son, Seymour dies.

The best part of the film is the unconsummated marriage of Anne of Cleves and Henry. Rather than have sex, the two play cards, Anne taking him for quite a bit of money. She really didn't want to be married to him, and vice versa, so they agree to a divorce after about six months.

Binnie Barnes plays the ambitious Katherine Howard, who cheats on Henry with Thomas Culpepper (Donat), a member of the court

Finally, Henry comes up against a formidable opponent, his wife Katharine Parr (Gregg), who fusses over his diet.

Through it all, there's something lovable about Henry, where in real life, he was, shall we say, a difficult man, going against his Catholic faith so he could get rid of wives, and believing in the right of kings. Laughton plays Henry as a big, energetic baby, and he's fabulous. Yet he manages to have poignant moments as well.

Wonderful film - it really should have been called The Marriages of Henry VIII.