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 (then named the Bowen-Merrill Company) of New York City in 1898 and proved an enormous success, and on numerous best seller lists for three years.
According to The New York Times , in its third year on the bookstore market the book was still selling so well that it was #9 on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1900.
The book spawned an entire subsequent industry of increased interest in historical fiction / romantic fiction, romance novels and subsequent films to eventually television series and even modern soap operas / drama.
Noted playwright Paul Kester's (1870-1933) play adaptation premiered on Broadway at the turn-of-the-century at the Criterion Theatre (later Olympia Theatre) in New York City on January 14, 1901. [1] Starring the actress Julia Marlowe as Mary Tudor, it was a popular and financial success both in New York and subsequently on national tour throughout the country. [2] Roselle Knott successfully succeeded Julia Marlowe in the part of Mary I of England (Mary Tudor - "Bloody Queen Mary"), the still clinging to the old Roman Catholic faith) eldest daughter of old King Henry VIII. It is Roselle Knott whose photo portrait appears as the frontispiece in the book shown on this page. There is also another photograph of Knott further into the book. It was subsequently revived on Broadway again in 1904. [3] By 1907 When Knighthood Was in Flower was still being printed by the reprint publisher, Grosset & Dunlap, when the film rights were sold to the Biograph Studios.
It was sometimes known by the title When Knights Were Bold and should not be confused with the 1906 play When Knights Were Bold which also inspired several film adaptations.
Set during the Tudor dynasty period in the late 15th and 16th centuries of English history, When Knighthood Was in Flower tells the tribulations of Mary Tudor, a younger sister of old King Henry VIII of England who has fallen in love with a commoner. However, for political reasons, King Henry has arranged for her to wed neighboring King Louis XII of France and demands his sister put the House of Tudor first, threatening, "You will marry France and I will give you a wedding present – Charles Brandon's head!"
Although no copy of the film exists, the book is believed to have been optioned to the old Biograph Studios, adapted to a 1908 silent film / motion picture of the same name or under the title When Knights Were Bold by D. W. Griffith (1875-1948), and directed by Wallace McCutcheon (c. 1858/1862-1918)
The 1922 version is most remembered as the vehicle for Marion Davies financed by her paramour of national newspaper syndicate titan / mogul William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951) and his company Cosmopolitan Productions. Directed by Robert Vignola (1882-1953), and starring Hearst's mistress Marion Davies (1897-1961) and Forrest Stanley (1889-1969), it was a big-budget silent film.
In 1953, Major's book was remade by Walt Disney (1901-1966) with the title The Sword and the Rose in the United States, but released with the original title in the United Kingdom. This version was adapted for the screen by American Lawrence Edward Watkin (1901-1981), but was filmed in the United Kingdom. Directed by Ken Annakin (1914-2009), with a British and French cast, it starred Richard Todd (1919-2009), and Glynis Johns (1923-2024), In 1955, the film was broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC-TV) network on the longtime Disneyland weekly Sunday evening television show in two parts under the original 1898 book title chosen by author Charles Major when published of When Knighthood Was in Flower.
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.
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was accused by King Henry VIII of adultery after failing to produce the male heir he so desperately desired. Jane, however, died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of her only child, the future King Edward VI. She was the only wife of Henry to receive a queen's funeral; and he was later buried alongside her remains in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
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.
The Prince and the Pauper is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. The plot concerns the ascension of nine-year-old Edward VI of England in 1547 and his interactions with look-alike Tom Canty, a London pauper who lives with his abusive, alcoholic father.
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.
Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of Henry VIII of England and his mistress Elizabeth Blount, and the only child born out of wedlock whom Henry acknowledged. He was the younger half-brother of Mary I, as well as the older half-brother of Elizabeth I and Edward VI. Through his mother, he was the elder half-brother of Elizabeth, George, and Robert Tailboys. His surname means "son of the king" in Norman French.
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.
Julia Marlowe was an English-born American actress, known for her interpretations of William Shakespeare's plays.
Charles Major was an American lawyer and novelist.
Henry VIII and his reign have frequently been depicted in art, film, literature, music, opera, plays, and television.
Mary Boleyn, also known as Lady Mary, was the sister of English queen consort Anne Boleyn, whose family enjoyed considerable influence during the reign of King Henry VIII.
Wolf Hall is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall is a sympathetic fictionalised biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII through to the death of Sir Thomas More. The novel won both the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 2012, The Observer named it as one of "The 10 best historical novels".
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.
Wallace McCutcheon Sr. was a pioneer cinematographer and director in the early American motion picture industry, working with the American Mutoscope & Biograph, Edison and American Star Film companies. McCutcheon's wealth of credits are often mixed up with the small handful of films directed by his son, Wallace McCutcheon Jr. (1884–1928).
When Knights Were Bold is a comedy play by the British writer Harriett Jay writing under the pseudonym of Charles Marlowe which was first performed in 1906. A British officer Guy De Vere returns home from service in India after inheriting an estate and a baronetcy in the village of Little Twittering where he encounters a number of eccentrics. His cousin Rowena, meanwhile, falls madly in love with him. It should not be confused with the 1898 novel When Knighthood Was in Flower by Charles Major which is sometimes known by this title.
Yolanda is a 1924 American silent historical drama film produced by William Randolph Hearst and starring Marion Davies. Robert G. Vignola directed as he had Enchantment (1921) and several other Davies costume films. The film began production as a Metro-Goldwyn film, with the company becoming Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in May 1924.
Roselle Knott, was a Canadian actress.
When Knights Were Bold is a 1908 silent film short directed by Wallace McCutcheon and produced by the Biograph Company. It is based on a very successful 1906 Broadway play of the same name written by Harriett Jay(under the alias Charles Marlowe) and starred a young Pauline Frederick, George Irving and veteran comic Francis Wilson. The film survives today and is noteworthy for the appearance of D. W. Griffith in an acting role before he started directing for Biograph.
When Knighthood Was in Flower is a play in four acts by Paul Kester. It is based on the 1898 novel of the same name by Charles Major. The work premiered on Broadway at the Criterion Theatre on January 14, 1901. It ran for a total of 176 performances; closing in June 1901. The original production was produced by Charles Frohman and used sets by Ernest Albert, Frank E. Gates and Edward A. Morange. The costumes were designed by Mrs. Charles Hone and Harper Pennington. The cast was led by Bruce McRae as Charles Brandon and Julia Marlowe as Mary Tudor among others.
The King's Carnival is a musical burlesque in two acts with music by A. Baldwin Sloane and both book and lyrics by Sydney Rosenfeld. The musical also included one hit song by the songwriting team of Jean Schwartz and William Jerome, "When Mr. Shakespeare Comes to Town". The musical was a parody of several Broadway shows that dealt with royalty and courtly drama, including targeted spoofs of Paul Kester's When Knighthood Was in Flower, Clyde Fitch's The Climbers, Paul M. Potter's Under Two Flags, and Lorimer Stoddard's In the Palace of the King.