blanche-2 Jean Simmons is "Young Bess" in this 1953 film directed by George Sidney and also starring Charles Laughton, Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, and Leo G. Carroll.The film isn't factual in all parts, but that can be as valuable to students or to anyone as a historically accurate film simply by reading the actual story. I've never understood why people take film as gospel and don't read a little background information. A good deal of the film is factual; where it gets dicey is in the relationship between Thomas Seymour and Bess. Even if the writers wanted to tell the real story, it's dubious it would have made it to the screen thanks to the code.Bess is rejected by her father Henry and sent away after her mother, Anne Boleyn, is beheaded. Attempts to win the affection of subsequent wives failed, and Bess is not accepted back into the palace until Henry marries Catherine of Parr (Deborah Kerr). When Henry dies, his nine-year-old son Edward VI (Rex Thompson) becomes king.Lady Jane Seymour's brothers, Thomas and Edward, have both benefited from her time at court; in fact, Thomas' brother Ned is Lord Protector of his nephew, Edward VI. True.Bess is madly in love with Thomas Seymour (Granger), some years her senior, but he marries her stepmother, Catherine after the death of Henry VIII. Eventually, Bess' strong feelings for Thomas become threatening to Catherine, who does love Bess, and Bess agrees to leave the household. After Catherine's death, Thomas wants to marry Bess and writes to her, but he has enemies, one of whom is his own brother, Edward "Ned" Seymour (Guy Rolfe).This is an extremely opulent film, very well acted, with good chemistry between the leads, It is very entertaining.The true story is that we don't really know how Bess felt about Thomas, except late in the game, she was receptive to the idea of marrying him; by then it was too late. In truth, Thomas' behavior toward Elizabeth was inappropriate and he may have even sexually abused her while she was a teenager. When he wanted to marry Bess, his past behavior toward her was revealed (although the interrogators could get nothing out of Bess). This was added to charges of treason and he was beheaded in 1549. Bess, known as The Virgin Queen, never married, though she came close, but some historians feel that Seymour put her off sexual relationships.Thomas was pretty sharp; he also hedged his bets by making a play for Queen Mary, Elizabeth's half sister, as well.Recommended.

blue-7 It has been a long time arriving but "Young Bess" is finally available on the DVD format as of August 2010 through the Warner Bros. Archive program. These are made on demand discs that usually come from the best current material on the title. In other words the film has not been digitally restored as is often the case for new DVD pressings. In the case of "Young Bess" it comes from the material that would be used for screenings on Turner's Classic Movies and in this case it is a very satisfactory presentation. "Young Bess" boasts Technicolor cinematography by two time Oscar winner Charles Rosher (Oscars for Murnau's "Sunrise" and "The Yearling"). The color on the disc does justice to the original film. "Young Bess" is that rare film in which direction, screenplay, cast, costumes, musical score, sets all come together to provide a superior film experience. Jean Simmon's performance as the young Elizabeth is one of her two or three best roles. If you love this film as I do then you'll want to order it at wbshop.com and you may also find other titles to add to your collection

esteban1747 Historical facts are very difficult to draw in films. I think that this material tried to present some features of lives of Elizabeth (Jean Simmons, his father and the members of the council once his father, the cruel King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton), died. The plot went through the love triangle of Bess and Catherine Parr (Deborah Kerr) with Thomas Seymour (Stewart Granger), a man loyal to the King but very much in love with Catherine and then with Elizabeth. It was clear that the council was doing everything possible to keep Elizabeth away from the throne, something that happened at the end of the film suddenly and without much explanation. At least someone like me, not knowing well this story, finished with several questions, whether her brother (the successor to the throne) died?, what happened to Ned Seymour?, the main instigator of the assassination of his brother Tom and the main one avoiding Bess to govern. May be with more complete plot and perhaps time for the film, this story may have looked much better than it is.

Neil Doyle With an exceptionally good cast headed by Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and Charles Laughton, costumes by Walter Plunkett, music by Miklos Rozsa and all the technical wizardry of MGM's vast resources, YOUNG BESS is the kind of historical romance that comes to life on the screen with a good deal of vitality. Jean Simmons and Charles Laughton have the most interesting roles and play them brilliantly, particularly Laughton who is once again portraying Henry VIII, the shrewd monarch who disposed of the women in his life by putting them to the block.The screenplay is gracefully written and although it is leisurely paced, it never lets up interest in examining the relationships between Elizabeth I (young Bess) and others at court. Historical purists will object to whatever liberties the novel took to tell this story of court intrigue, but they will be impressed by the attention paid to historical detail and the meticulous settings and costumes. The score by Miklos Rozsa is not obtrusive and yet it underlines the deep emotions portrayed by Simmons, Granger and Laughton. Deborah Kerr has a rather colorless and almost minor role as Catherine Parr and is unable to do much with it although she and Simmons photograph beautifully in color.Easy on the eyes and a very entertaining saga of a bloody chapter in England's history.