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The Private Life of Henry VIII

Play trailer Poster for The Private Life of Henry VIII 1933 1h 32m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon), his second wife, executed on charges of treason, King Henry weds maid Jane Seymour (Wendy Barrie), but that marriage also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the king picks German-born Anne of Cleves (Elsa Lanchester) as his bride, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and King Henry continues his string of spouses.
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The Private Life of Henry VIII

Critics Reviews

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Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap Apr 28
4/5
The (a)historical biography made Charles Laughton a star and cemented the popular image of the British monarch as a fat, brutish oaf. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 05/12/2021
A
It's still a superb film even if it has become outdated. Go to Full Review
Forsyth Hardy Cinema Quarterly 02/03/2021
The Private Life of Henry VIII gives Korda an assured place among the important directors in contemporary cinema. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 12/03/2020
6/10
Alexander Korda's 'The Private Life of Henry VIII' is a period biographical drama that, for my taste, has an authentic performance of Charles Laughton as the lustful monarch, but frankly it lacks the vigor to be pleasurable. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine 12/03/2019
It compares advantageously with most of the current crop of historical comedy-dramas. Go to Full Review
Pare Lorentz Vanity Fair 06/06/2019
An English production directed by Frank Capra, with Charles Laughton, his wife, Miss Lanchester, some attractive girls, and the most civilized scenario of the season. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Joel H Aug 16 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. See more ChrisCSH H Feb 23 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. See more Russ G Feb 13 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. See more Gregory L 09/30/2023 Charles Laughton at his best! See more Christopher B 09/03/2022 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! See more 06/18/2022 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. See more Read all reviews
The Private Life of Henry VIII

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Movie Info

Synopsis Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon), his second wife, executed on charges of treason, King Henry weds maid Jane Seymour (Wendy Barrie), but that marriage also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the king picks German-born Anne of Cleves (Elsa Lanchester) as his bride, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and King Henry continues his string of spouses.
Director
Alexander Korda
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
London Film Production
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 21, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 11, 2016
Runtime
1h 32m
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