Mary of Scotland (1936)

Mary of Scotland (1936). 2h 3m | Approved

“Mary of Scotland is not based on the exact historical record, but on Maxwell Andersonu0026#39;s play. However Anderson was trying to dramatize the difference between Elizabeth Tudor and Mary Stuart. Elizabeth was first and foremost a queen who put her passions on hold when it was a choice between them and the country she governed. Mary Stuart was totally incapable of doing that.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eInteresting that Katharine Hepburn played Mary. Hepburn who was probably the liberated woman of the 20th century would have been a natural to play Queen Elizabeth. Too bad in fact she didnu0026#39;t in her career. But she does fine her as Mary. Florence Eldridge plays a cold, calculating Elizabeth. Fredric March as Lord Bothwell is not the hero heu0026#39;s shone to be here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOne thing about Scotland in the 16th century. The kingdom had the unbelievable rotten luck of having a whole succession of minority rulers with regencies for a couple hundred years. The nobles who are depicted here are quite used to having their own way. And when Mary abdicated the throne it went to still another regency when her infant son James became king.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIan Keithu0026#39;s part as Hepburnu0026#39;s illegitimate half brother the Earl of Moray is an interesting one. In history, Iu0026#39;ve always thought of him as the real hero. He gave Mary sound advice which had she taken, she would have died on the throne of Scotland.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eVanessa Redgraveu0026#39;s later film shows how the exiled Mary Stuart got tricked into a conspiracy to bring Elizabeth down. I wish that had been done here. She was essentially AbScammed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eElizabeth and Mary never met in real life, but for dramatic purposes it had to happen here. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s a good film, not one of the best for any of the principals in the cast or for John Ford. Still itu0026#39;s an interesting piece of cinema although some knowledge of Scottish history might help.”