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17/08/1933 History, Drama 1h 37m
64
User score

HE GAVE HIS WIVES A PAIN IN THE NECK, And did his necking with an axe. Henry, the Eighth Wonder of the World! And this picture...the wonder of all time!

Overview

Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn, his second betrothed, executed on charges of treason, Henry weds maid Jane Seymour, but that wedded bliss also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the tyrannical king chooses German-born Anne of Cleves, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and so Henry's reign of spousal terror continues.

  1. Alexander Korda

    Director

Top billed cast

  1. Charles Laughton

    Henry VIII

  2. Robert Donat

    Thomas Culpeper

  3. Franklin Dyall

    Thomas Cromwell

  4. Miles Mander

    Wriothesley

  5. Laurence Hanray

    Archbishop Cranmer

  6. William Austin

    Duke of Cleves

  7. John Loder

    Peynell

  8. Claud Allister

    Cornell

  9. Gibb McLaughlin

    The French Executioner

  10. View more

Full Cast & Crew

Reviews

A review by CinemaSerf
Written by CinemaSerf on 2022-06-13
Charles Laughton well deserved his only Oscar for this wonderfully over the top, rumbustious portrayal of Henry VIII as he embarks on his infamous spree of wives. "Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived" goes the mnemonic - this version skips the first wife describing her as a "decent woman" but he quickly works his way through Merle Oberon, Wendy Barrie, Binnie Barnes before Everley Gregg finally gets his measure as Katherine Parr. His real-life wife Elsa Lanchester is easily the best of the five as Anne of Cleves - her facial expressions and one-liners are great. Robert Donat...read the rest
Read All Reviews

Recommendations

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  3. A Man for All Seasons73%
  4. Les Misérables73%
  5. The Prince and the Pauper68%
  6. Darkest Hour73%
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Status
Released

Original Language
English

Budget
$100,000.00

Revenue
$1,000,000.00

Keywords