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THE VIRGIN QUEEN – Franz Waxman
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
In 1954 20th Century Fox executive Daryl F. Zanuck conceived of a film to be titled “Sir Walter Raleigh” set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He offered Bette Davis the role of Elizabeth, yet she bristled at the film title, which made no reference to her. The title was changed to “The Virgin Queen” and she agreed to reprise her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, first performed in 1939 with “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex”. Charles Brackett was assigned production with a budget of $1.6 million, Henry Koster was tasked with directing, and Mildret Lord would write the screenplay. For the cast, joining Davis would be Richard Todd as Sir Walter Raleigh, Joan Collins as Elizabeth “Beth” Throckmorton, Jay Robinson as Chadwick, Herbert Marshall as Robert Dudly, Earl of Leicester, Dan O’Herlihy as Lord Derry, and Robert Douglas as Sir Christopher Hatton. Read more…
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