The Sword and the Rose

Last updated
The Sword and the Rose
The Sword and the Rose poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ken Annakin
Screenplay by Lawrence Edward Watkin
Based on When Knighthood Was in Flower
by Charles Major (1856-1913)
(of Shelbyville, Indiana, in 1896)
James B. Fagan (play)
Produced by Perce Pearce
Walt Disney
Starring Glynis Johns
James Robertson Justice
Richard Todd
Michael Gough
Jane Barrett
Peter Copley
Ernest Jay
Jean Mercure
D. A. Clarke-Smith
Gérard Oury
Fernand Fabre
Gaston Richer
Rosalie Crutchley
Bryan Coleman
Cinematography Geoffrey Unsworth
Edited by Gerald Thomas
Music by Clifton Parker
Production
company
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. [2]
Release date
  • July 23, 1953 (1953-07-23)(United States) [3]
Running time
92 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million [4]
Box office$1 million dollars (USA) [5]

The Sword and the Rose is a family/adventure film produced by Perce Pearce and Walt Disney and directed by Ken Annakin. The film features the story of Mary Tudor, a younger sister of Henry VIII of England.

Contents

Based on the 1898 novel When Knighthood Was in Flower by Charles Major (1856-1913), of Shelbyville, Indiana. It was originally made into a early silent film motion picture in 1908 in the Nickelodeon era and again 15 years later in another silent film but longer, more developed plot in the 1922 flick version as When Knighthood Was in Flower . The 1953 subsequent Disney version under the different title was further adapted for the screen from Major's 1898 novel by Lawrence Edward Watkin. The film was shot at Denham Film Studios in the United Kingdom and was the third of Disney's British film productions after first Treasure Island (1950) and The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952). [6] In 1956, it was broadcast on American television on Disney's Sunday night regular anthology program on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC-TV) in two parts under the original book title.

Plot

Mary Tudor falls in love with a new arrival to court, Charles Brandon. She persuades her brother King Henry VIII to make him his Captain of the Guard. Meanwhile, Henry is determined to marry her off to the aging King Louis XII of France as part of a peace agreement. Mary's longtime suitor the Duke of Buckingham takes a dislike to Charles as he is a commoner and the Duke wants Mary for himself. However, troubled by his feelings for the princess, Brandon resigns and decides to sail to the New World. Against the advice of her lady-in-waiting Lady Margaret, Mary dresses up like a boy and follows Brandon to Bristol. Henry's men find them and throw Brandon in the Tower of London. King Henry agrees to spare his life if Mary will marry King Louis and tells her that when Louis dies she is free to marry whomever she wants. Meanwhile, Mary asks the Duke of Buckingham for help but he only pretends to help Brandon escape from the Tower, really planning to have him killed while escaping. The duke thinks he is drowned in the Thames, but he survives.

Mary marries King Louis and encourages him to drink to excess and be active so that his already deteriorating health worsens. His heir Francis makes it clear that he will not return Mary to England after the king's death, but keep her for himself. When she goes to him for help, the Duke of Buckingham tells Lady Margaret that Brandon is dead and decides to go "rescue" Mary himself. Lady Margaret discovers that Brandon is alive and learning of the duke's treachery they hurry back to France. Louis dies and the Duke of Buckingham arrives in France to bring Mary back to England. He tells her that Brandon is dead and tries to force her to marry him. Charles arrives in time, rescues her and wounds the duke in a duel. Mary and Brandon are married and remind Henry of his promise to let her pick her second husband. He forgives them and makes Charles Duke of Suffolk.

Cast

Production

At the end of 1948, funds from Walt Disney Productions stranded in foreign countries, including the United Kingdom, exceeded $8.5 million. Walt Disney decided to create a studio in Britain, RKO-Walt Disney British Productions, Ltd. in association with RKO Radio Pictures and started production of Treasure Island (1950). [7] With the success of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men (1952), Disney wanted to keep the production team to make a second film; he chose The Sword and the Rose inspired by the novel When Knighthood Was in Flower (1898) by Charles Major. This team consisted of the director Ken Annakin, producer Douglas Pierce, writer Lawrence Edward Watkin, and the artistic director Carmen Dillon. [8]

The film was officially announced in June 1952. In July the title was changed from When Knighthood was in Flower to The Sword and the Rose. [9] [10]

At the beginning of production, Annakin and Dillon went to Burbank, Disney Studios in order to develop the script and set the stage with storyboards, a technique used by Annakin on production of Robin Hood. During this step, each time a batch of storyboards was finished, it was presented to Walt Disney who commented and brought his personal touch. Annakin was granted great freedom with the dialogue. [11]

Walt Disney came to oversee the production of the film in the UK from June to September 1952. The team spent several months researching period details to make the film more realistic. Working in pre-production had helped reduce the need for natural settings in favor of studio sets designed by Peter Ellenshaw. Ellenshaw painted sets for 62 different scenes in total. According to Leonard Maltin, Ellenshaw's work was such that it is sometimes impossible to tell where the painting ends and reality begins.

Annakin later wrote: "I had learned on Robin Hood that if you agreed to work for Walt, you must sublimate some of your own opinions and judgements and faithfully try to interpret the Master’s vision. He paid well, provided wonderful sets, actors and costumes, and clearly knew what his public wanted. Every time he came on to the set and concentrated on what I was doing, he would pick out something which might be elaborated or improved on — always something no one else had thought of. This was part of his show-biz genius." [12]

Filming began in July 1952 at Pinewood Studios. [13]

Todd was thrown from a horse while filming the trailer and was in bed for three weeks. [14] There was a "go slow" strike at the studio during production. [15]

It was distributed by RKO under a new arrangement between that film and Disney. [16]

Reception

The film's budget exceeded that of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, but it earned only $2.5 million. [17]

The film disappointed at the US box office but did better in other countries. However, the relative failure of this and Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue caused Disney to become less enthusiastic about costume pictures. [18]

The film was serialized in the show The Wonderful World of Disney . [19]

Analysis

Leonard Maltin surmised that The Sword and the Rose is historically equivalent to Pinocchio (1940) although it remains primarily a dramatic entertainment featuring costumed actors. However, it was greeted coolly in the UK mainly because of its historical approximations despite reviews from The Times that said that Mary had "remarkably alive moments" and James Robertson Justice's King Henry had "a royal air". On the other side of the Atlantic in the United States the New York Times reviewed the film as "a time consuming tangle of mild satisfaction". Despite these criticisms, the team responsible for the film was reassembled for another film Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue . [20]

Peter Ellenshaw's work on set allowed him to get a "lifetime contract" with the Disney studio. He moved to the United States after the shooting of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).

Douglas Brode draws a parallel between The Sword and the Rose and Lady and the Tramp (then in production) in which two female characters of noble lineage are enamored of a poor male character.

Steven Watts sees The Sword and the Rose and Rob Roy as showing the Disney studio's concern for individual liberty fighting against powerful social structures and governments. He is joined in this opinion by Douglas Brode. Brode sees the film and the ball scene, not as a conservative, but as an incentive to "dance crazes" (as the twist) for the American youth of the 1950s and 1960s. The ballroom dancing bears more resemblance to a dance competition in the 1950s than to a minuet of pre-Elizabethan England. Brode sees a form of rebel involvement. The proximity of the dancers, and rhythms not resemble the flip is introduced to the court by Mary Tudor near the rebellious teenager. Moreover, Henry VIII took advantage of the proximity afforded by this dance to flirt with a young lady of his court. Brode cites the reply of Mary to the older Catherine of Aragon, who is shocked by this dance: "Shall I not have what music and dances I like at my own ball?". Brode said that two years later rock and roll would similarly upset the American nation. [21]

Historical inaccuracies

There are many historical inaccuracies in the film. Charles Brandon was actually a childhood friend of King Henry and not a newcomer to court as is depicted in the film; he had already received the title of Duke of Suffolk from Henry in 1514. Furthermore, the couple's aborted attempt to sail to the New World never happened; indeed, this is an anachronism as the earliest serious English attempts at North American colonization would only occur under Queen Elizabeth I of England, some fifty years later. It was Brandon and not the Duke of Buckingham who escorted Mary back to England after the death of Louis. The duke's involvement is purely fictitious and his wife Eleanor Percy is eliminated entirely from the story.

The Duke of Buckingham is also reffered to as a Plantagenet, however, the real Buckingham's closest Plantagenet ancestor was his great-great grandmother, Anne of Gloucester. In contrast, Mary Tudor's nearest Plantagenet ancestor was her mother, the Plantagenet heiress Elizabeth of York.

King Henry is portrayed as a middle-aged and corpulent figure, although at the time he was only 23. His wife Catherine of Aragon is also shown as a brunette although she was a redhead. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Tudor</span> English royal house of Welsh origin

The House of Tudor was an English and Welsh dynasty that held the throne of England from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd, a Welsh noble family, and Catherine of Valois. The Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and the Lordship of Ireland for 118 years with five monarchs: Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. The Tudors succeeded the House of Plantagenet as rulers of the Kingdom of England, and were succeeded by the Scottish House of Stuart. The first Tudor monarch, Henry VII, descended through his mother from the House of Beaufort, a legitimised branch of the English royal House of Lancaster, a cadet house of the Plantagenets. The Tudor family rose to power and started the Tudor period in the wake of the Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), which left the main House of Lancaster extinct in the male line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Tudor, Queen of France</span> Queen of France from 1514 to 1515

Mary Tudor was an English princess who was briefly Queen of France as the third wife of King Louis XII. Louis was more than 30 years her senior. Mary was the fifth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York, and the youngest to survive infancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury</span> English noblewoman, courtier and peeress

Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury, was the only surviving daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, by his wife Isabel Neville. As a result of Margaret's marriage to Richard Pole, she was also known as Margaret Pole. She was one of just two women in 16th-century England to be a peeress in her own right without a husband in the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jasper Tudor</span> Anglo-Welsh nobleman (1431–1495)

Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and a leading architect of his nephew's successful accession to the throne in 1485. He was a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk</span> English nobleman, diplomat and military commander

Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk was an English military leader and courtier. Through his third wife, Mary Tudor, he was brother-in-law to King Henry VIII.

<i>Henry VIII</i> (play) Play by Shakespeare

The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth, often shortened to Henry VIII, is a collaborative history play, written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, based on the life of Henry VIII. An alternative title, All Is True, is recorded in contemporary documents, with the title Henry VIII not appearing until the play's publication in the First Folio of 1623. Stylistic evidence indicates that individual scenes were written by either Shakespeare or his collaborator and successor, John Fletcher. It is also somewhat characteristic of the late romances in its structure. It is noted for having more stage directions than any of Shakespeare's other plays.

<i>The Story of Robin Hood</i> (film) 1952 film by Ken Annakin

The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men is a 1952 action-adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions, based on the Robin Hood legend, made in Technicolor and filmed in Buckinghamshire, England. It was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin and directed by Ken Annakin. It is the second of Disney's complete live-action films, after Treasure Island (1950), and the first of four films Annakin directed for Disney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence</span> English noblewoman

Lady Isabel Neville was the elder daughter and co-heiress of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, and Anne de Beauchamp, suo jure 16th Countess of Warwick. She was the wife of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. She was also the elder sister of Anne Neville, wife and consort of Clarence's brother, Richard III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Plantagenet</span> Angevin royal dynasty that ruled England in the Middle Ages

The House of Plantagenet was a royal house which originated in the French County of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angevins, who were also counts of Anjou; the main line of the Plantagenets following the loss of Anjou; and the Houses of Lancaster and York, two of the Plantagenets cadet branches. The family held the English throne from 1154, with the accession of Henry II, until 1485, when Richard III died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk</span> English noblewoman

Frances Grey, Duchess of Suffolk, was an English noblewoman. She was the second child and eldest daughter of King Henry VIII's younger sister, Princess Mary, and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. She was the mother of Lady Jane Grey, de facto Queen of England and Ireland for nine days, as well as Lady Katherine Grey and Lady Mary Grey.

<i>When Knighthood Was in Flower</i> (novel)

When Knighthood Was in Flower is the debut novel of American author Charles Major (1856-1913) of Shelbyville, Indiana, written under the pseudonym / pen name of, "Edwin Caskoden". It was first published by The Bobbs-Merrill Company of New York City in 1898 and proved an enormous success, and on numerous best seller lists for three years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Major (writer)</span> American lawyer and novelist

Charles Major was an American lawyer and novelist.

<i>Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue</i> 1953 film by Harold French

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue is a 1953 adventure film produced by RKO-Walt Disney British Productions which is about Rob Roy MacGregor. It was the last Disney film released through RKO Radio Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Jane Grey</span> Claimant to the English throne in 1553

Lady Jane Grey, also known as Lady Jane Dudley after her marriage and as the "Nine Days' Queen", was an English noblewoman who claimed the throne of England and Ireland from 10 to 19 July 1553.

William Samuel Cook "Peter" Ellenshaw was an English matte designer and special effects creator who worked on many Disney features. Born in London, he moved to America in 1953.

British history provides several opportunities for alternative claimants to the English and later British Crown to arise, and historical scholars have on occasion traced to present times the heirs of those alternative claims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset</span> English peer (1477–1530)

Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset was an English peer, courtier, soldier and landowner of the House of Grey.

Lady Anne Brandon, Baroness Grey of Powys was an English noblewoman, and the eldest daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk by his second wife, Anne Browne. Anne's mother had died in 1511. In 1514, Anne's father secured a place for her at the court of Archduchess Margaret of Savoy. While Anne was abroad, her father married Mary Tudor, the widowed Queen consort of Louis XII of France and the youngest sister of Henry VIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistresses of Henry VIII</span> Romantic and sexual partners of Henry VIII of England

The mistresses of Henry VIII included many notable women between 1509 and 1536. They have been the subject of biographies, novels and films.

<i>When Knighthood Was in Flower</i> (1922 film) 1922 film

When Knighthood Was in Flower is a 1922 American silent historical film directed by Robert G. Vignola, based on the novel by Charles Major and play by Paul Kester. The film was produced by William Randolph Hearst for Marion Davies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. This was William Powell's second film. The story was re-filmed by Walt Disney in 1953 as The Sword and the Rose, directed by Ken Annakin.

References

  1. "The Sword and the Rose (1953)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  2. "Sword and the Rose".
  3. "The Sword and the Rose: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  4. "Walt Disney Budgets More Than $20 Million For Production to 1956: President Believes TV Can Be Made Valuable Adjunct for the Promotion of Movies". Wall Street Journal. 20 June 1952. p. 16.
  5. 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
  6. British cinéma of the 1950s: the decline of deference by Sue Harper, Vincent Porter
  7. "Wolff Brit. RKO-Disney Manager; 'Island First". Variety . Vol. 174, no. 8. Penske Media Corporation. 1949-05-03. p. 3.
  8. The Disney Studio Story by Richard Holliss, Brian Sibley
  9. Richard Dyer MacCann (15 July 1952). "Nature Series To Continue; 'Peter Pan': Hollywood Letter". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 7.
  10. Schallert, Edwin (1 June 1952). "Screen: De Mille Remake Recalls Silent Era; UA New Policy Set". Los Angeles Times. p. E4.
  11. Annakin p 57-58
  12. Annakin p 59
  13. THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 24, 1952). "METRO NAMES TRIO FOR 'CAESAR' CAST: Deborah Kerr to Play Portia, Louis Calhern Title Role and James Mason Brutus". New York Times. p. 15.
  14. Hopper, Hedda (Dec 16, 1952). "Looking at Hollywood: Bracken and Mickey Rooney Form Own Film Firm". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. a2.
  15. Annakin p 60
  16. "RKO Pictures, Disney Pact". Wall Street Journal. Mar 4, 1953. p. 2.
  17. The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier p..225
  18. DAVID KENYON WEBSTER (13 July 1954). "Film Fare: Hollywood Producers Concentrate on Fewer, More Lavish Pictures Theatre Owners Complain. But Studios' Profits Are The Best in Years Genghis Khan and Ben Hur Producers Concentrate on Fewer, More Lavish Films; Theatre Owners Complain, But Studio Profits Soar". Wall Street Journal. p. 1.
  19. Disney TV by J. P. Telotte p. 13
  20. The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin 3rd Edition
  21. From Walt to Woodstock by Douglas Brode p..6
  22. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey

Citation