The Private Life of Henry VIII

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Joel H The Private Life of Henry VIII is a simplified view of history, primarily focusing on the marriages of the English king. And yet this film made an impact on how we view this particular monarch. From what I’ve read, Charles Laughton’s interpretation of King Henry VIII has overshadowed actual historical evidence regarding his behavior and character. This movie also rewrites history a few times in order to speed things up and advance the plot. So while The Private Life of Henry VIII may not be a completely factual historical drama, it is an amusing caricature of the early years of the Tudor period. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/16/25 Full Review ChrisCSH H The private life of Henry VIII is superbly acted along with a fascinating tail Even though other contenders for the Academy award for 1933 may have been more entertaining they were not acted as well as this film. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/23/25 Full Review Russ G I'm a fan of Sir Charles, with all his faults, but I bailed on this as I simply couldn't see the humor in it. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/13/25 Full Review Gregory L Charles Laughton at his best! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/30/23 Full Review Christopher B A stunning portrayal of Henry VIII is given by Charles Laughton who won an Oscar for his role, is the center of The Private Life of Henry VIII. The film is a tongue in cheek display of the private life of the British King and being so, is often very humorous and yet still quite serious as people lose their lives fairly often. Once we are introduced to King Henry VIII we are told of his first wife who isn't seen because she was "too respectable to be included", and then we dive into his second marriage or I should say the end of his second marriage. We then proceed through the other of his six wives and the resulting impact each has, not just on the King himself but the whole of the court and the country. This is a very captivating film that is simple yet effective and really established Charles Laughton's international stardom and jump started his prolific career. A wonderful British piece! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/22 Full Review Audience Member Charles Laughton is one hell of an actor. He breathes life into the part of King Henry VIII of England. Henry is one of the most interesting and controversial figures in British history. The six marriages he had is something you couldn't make up. Laughton on a Best Actor Oscar for his role and he deserves it. However, he is better than the overall film. I found it duller than it should be. Only Laughton's real life wife, Elsa Lanchester makes much of an impact. Noted for it's great performance, but stale on its history. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Private Life of Henry VIII

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