A Queen Is Crowned

Last updated

A Queen Is Crowned
A Queen Is Crowned FilmPoster.jpeg
Film poster
Directed byMichael Waldman
Written by Christopher Fry
Produced by Castleton Knight
Narrated by Laurence Olivier
Music by Guy Warrack
Production
company
Distributed by General Film Distributors
Release date
  • 2 June 1953 (1953-06-02)
Running time
79 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$602,702 (US) [1]

A Queen Is Crowned is a 1953 British Technicolor documentary film written by Christopher Fry. The film documents the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, with a narration of events by Laurence Olivier. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and was the first winner of the now-defunct Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film. [2] [3] [4] The film was one of the most popular at the British box office in 1953. [5]

Contents

Cast

Release

It was the first film ever shown on the Scottish islands of Eigg and Rùm, although played on the latter island without sound as the generator was not strong enough. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Richard III</i> (1995 film) 1995 Shakespearean film by Richard Loncraine

Richard III is a 1995 period drama film, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name, directed by Richard Loncraine. The film adapts the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Mirren</span> British actor (born 1945)

Dame Helen Mirren is an English actor. With a career spanning 60 years, she is the recipient of numerous accolades and is the only performer to have achieved both the American and the British Triple Crowns of Acting. Mirren has received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for portraying the same character in The Audience, as well as three British Academy Television Awards and four Primetime Emmy Awards for her role as DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet McTeer</span> English actress (born 1961)

Janet McTeer is an English actress. She began her career training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before earning acclaim for playing diverse roles on stage and screen in both period pieces and modern dramas. She has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Olivier Award, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award. In 2008 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.

<i>Richard III</i> (1955 film) 1955 film by and with Laurence Olivier

Richard III is a 1955 British Technicolor film adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical play of the same name, also incorporating elements from his Henry VI, Part 3. It was directed and produced by Laurence Olivier, who also played the lead role. Featuring many noted Shakespearean actors, including a quartet of knights, the film depicts Richard plotting and conspiring to grasp the throne from his brother King Edward IV, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke. In the process, many are killed and betrayed, with Richard's evil leading to his own downfall. The prologue of the film states that history without its legends would be "a dry matter indeed", implicitly admitting to the artistic licence that Shakespeare applied to the events of the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Okonedo</span> English actress (born 1968)

Sophie Okonedo is an English actress. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA TV Awards, an Emmy Award, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019, both for services to drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Colman</span> English actress (born 1974)

Sarah Caroline Sinclair, known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, four BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

<i>The Prince and the Showgirl</i> 1957 film by Laurence Olivier

The Prince and the Showgirl is a 1957 British romantic comedy film starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, who also served as director and producer. The screenplay written by Terence Rattigan was based on his 1953 stage play The Sleeping Prince. The Prince and the Showgirl was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

The Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film is a Golden Globe Award that was introduced for the 11th Golden Globe Awards, followed by the 30th Golden Globe Awards before discontinuation after the 34th Golden Globe Awards. The award was first given to A Queen is Crowned (1953), which details the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was last given to Altars of the World (1976).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">57th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1984

The 57th Academy Awards were presented March 25, 1985, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, and was hosted by Jack Lemmon.

The 21st Academy Awards were held on March 24, 1949, honoring the films of 1948. The ceremony was moved from the Shrine Auditorium to the Academy's own theater, primarily because the major Hollywood studios had withdrawn their financial support in order to address rumors that they had been trying to influence voters. This year marked the first time a non-Hollywood production won Best Picture, and the first time an individual (Olivier) directed himself in an Oscar-winning performance.

<i>The Queen</i> (2006 film) 2006 biographical drama film by Stephen Frears

The Queen is a 2006 drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan. The film depicts the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997. The Royal Family regards Diana's death as a private affair and thus not to be treated as an official royal death, in contrast with the views of Prime Minister Tony Blair and Diana's ex-husband, Prince Charles, who favour the general public's desire for an official expression of grief. Matters are further complicated by the media, royal protocol regarding Diana's official status, and wider issues about republicanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Morgan</span> British film writer and playwright

Peter Julian Robin Morgan, is a British screenwriter and playwright. He has written for theatre, films and television, often writing about historical events or figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, whom he has covered extensively in all major media. He has received a number of accolades including five BAFTA Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award. In February 2017, Morgan was awarded a British Film Institute Fellowship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation of Elizabeth II</span> 1953 coronation in the United Kingdom

The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey in London. She acceded to the throne at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, being proclaimed queen by her privy and executive councils shortly afterwards. The coronation was held more than one year later because of the tradition of allowing an appropriate length of time to pass after a monarch dies. It also gave the planning committees adequate time to make preparations for the ceremony. During the service, Elizabeth took an oath, was anointed with holy oil, was invested with robes and regalia, and was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively. The term is related to other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of horse racing.

References

  1. "John Davis Cites Cases". Variety. 17 November 1954. p. 8.
  2. "The 26th Academy Awards (1954) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. "NY Times: A Queen Is Crowned". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  4. "Winners & Nominees Documentary". GoldenGlobes.com. Hollywood Foreign Press Association . Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  5. Thumim, Janet. "The popular cash and culture in the postwar British cinema industry". Screen. Vol. 32, no. 3. p. 259.
  6. "Scot Isle's 1st Films". Variety . 19 August 1953. p. 13. Retrieved 17 March 2024 via Internet Archive.