Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Greg Krewet]

Which makes no sense really, if the picture is good, you're not going to lose interest. I certainly didn't lose interest after Ben-Hur's intermission or Spartacus' intermission but was eager to see what happened next. I've said this before, if a movie exceeds 2 1/2 hours (credits not included) I personally think an intermission should be included. I sat through Titanic all the way through but I think it might have done permanent damage to my bladder (only half joking). After Blue Is The Warmest Color which pushed the 3 hour mark, I vowed to check running times before I went to a film and if it exceeded 2 1/2 hours, I'd wait to see it at home where I can push the pause button.

Man for all Seasons had an optional intermission coming right after the quarrel with the Duke of Norfolk.

 

[Paul Rossen]

A Man For All Seasons did not have an Intermission at the Roadshow performance that I attended at the Fine Arts Theater in NYC.

 

[PMF]

Great to see the original Mary, Queen of Scots is back in the physical media loop. Definite purchase.

 

[Thomas T]

Great to see the original Mary, Queen of Scots is back in the physical media loop.

Actually, wouldn't the original be John Ford's Mary Of Scotland (1936) with Kate Hepburn as Mary and Florence Eldridge as Elizabeth? The 1937, 1971 and 2018 films all have the same storyline including a meeting between Mary and Elizabeth which never happened.

 

[PMF]

Actually, wouldn't the original be John Ford's Mary Of Scotland (1936) with Kate Hepburn as Mary and Florence Eldridge as Elizabeth? The 1937, 1971 and 2018 films all have the same storyline including a meeting between Mary and Elizabeth which never happened.

Which version do you prefer?

 

[Noel Aguirre]

Watching it now. Ian Holm is so good in this. RIP

 

[Thomas T]

Which version do you prefer?

Oh, the 1971 version easily. You can't go wrong with Redgrave and Jackson, they're acting royalty. The 1936 version is godawful, one of Ford's worst films and Hepburn's worst performances that ranks down there with Spitfire (Hepburn as an Ozark hillbilly!) and Dragon Seed (Hepburn as a Chinese peasant). The 2018 version is dull and bloated and while I applaud diversity in film, I found its inclusion of Asian and black background actors in E;izabeth 1's court, not only historically inaccurate (I stand to be corrected if anyone can prove Elizabeth I was progressive and had black and Asian members in her court) but tokenism rather than progressive.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Oh, the 1971 version easily. You can't go wrong with Redgrave and Jackson, they're acting royalty. The 1936 version is godawful, one of Ford's worst films and Hepburn's worst performances that ranks down there with Spitfire (Hepburn as an Ozark hillbilly!) and Dragon Seed (Hepburn as a Chinese peasant). The 2018 version is dull and bloated and while I applaud diversity in film, I found its inclusion of Asian and black background actors in E;izabeth 1's court, not only historically inaccurate (I stand to be corrected if anyone can prove Elizabeth I was progressive and had black and Asian members in her court) but tokenism rather than progressive.

Perhaps, Hepburn and Ford were too much into each other. Anyhow, I don't necessarily agree with you, but it's been many years since I last watch it. I need to change that as I do have the iTunes HD digital.

 

[Thomas T]

Perhaps, Hepburn and Ford were too much into each other. Anyhow, I don't necessarily agree with you, but it's been many years since I last watch it. I need to change that as I do have the iTunes HD digital.

Bette Davis wanted to play Elizabeth I to Hepburn's Mary but instead the role went to Fredric March's wife, Florence Eldredge. Davis, of course, would eventually play Elizabeth twice (1939, 1955) but the thought of Davis and Hepburn in the same film is mouth watering. I don't know if it would have made Mary Of Scotland a better movie but it might have given the film some necessary sparks!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Bette Davis wanted to play Elizabeth I to Hepburn's Mary but instead the role went to Fredric March's wife, Florence Eldredge. Davis, of course, would eventually play Elizabeth twice (1939, 1955) but the thought of Davis and Hepburn in the same film is mouth watering. I don't know if it would have made Mary Of Scotland a better movie but it might have given the film some necessary sparks!

Davis's Elizabeth is how I judge all others that play her.

 

[Matt Hough]

Hepburn said in an interview late in her career that she thought Mary was stupid and reckless and didn't enjoy playing her. That may be one reason the characterization doesn't ring quite true.

 

[Bartman]

We enjoyed the original twofer DVD and saw the most recent version in a cinema projecting 4K. The movie was OK but the projection (our first digital cinema movie) was overly dark and full of distracting artifacts, so much so that it put us off further visits to that cinema. Anyone else have that reaction? Or was that cinema's equipment to blame?

 

[Will Krupp]

Movies at the Music Hall never had intermissions until the mid 70s when they started showing revivals of things like Sound of Music and GWTW.

The Music Hall was too large to facilitate an intermission (imagine 6,000 people all heading to the bathroom at the same time?) or even a reserved seat policy in its glory days. It became easier by the mid 70's for the simple fact that attendance had dropped off so much that the number of occupied seats was small enough to accommodate it.

I always felt that this movie (my favorite version as well) was an odd choice for the Music Hall in the first place. I would have expected to see it in an art house, to be honest. Does anybody how well it did?

 

[roxy1927]

Yes you'd have just a few hundred people in a theater that seated thousands. It was a very sorry sight.

 

[GerardoHP]

As you get older, you might need two intermissions.

 

[Robin9]

As you get older, you might need two intermissions.

Are you talking about me?

 

[raphdude]

i just finished watching it. Unfortunately it does not have the intermission or entr’acte.
it was great to see it again. I remember first seeing it in 70mm at the Wilshire in LA.

Is the Overture present before the Universal Logo?

 

[JPCinema]

No Overture

 

[raphdude]

No Overture

Bummer. Thanks for the reply though!

 

[GerardoHP]

Are you talking about me?