The Private Life of Henry VIII
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.
From the archive
The film follows the private life of the infamous 16th century British monarch, King Henry the VIII, and his misadventures in his various marriages. Henry the VIII is wonderfully portrayed by the highly talented and entertaining Charles Laughton, a masterful one-of-a-kind character actor who managed to land many plum roles despite looking like a bloated fish. Laughton portrays the King as a rollicking, impetuous, boozing lover of women. A man equal parts charming, childish and dangerous. The best part of the movie is when he tries to explain how to make babys to his 4th wife Anne of Cleves (Elsa Lanchester, Laughton´s wife)ending up playing cards on the marriage bed.
Why this is free to watch
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) is hosted by the Internet Archive as a public-domain or openly licensed work, which means its copyright has expired, lapsed, or was released by the rights holder. The uploader declared an explicit licence, linked in the source panel. Nitrate streams the file directly from the Internet Archive and hosts no video itself.
- Director
- Alexander Korda
- Starring
- Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Franklin Dyall, Miles Mander, Laurence Hanray, William Austin, John Loder, Claud Allister
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