Young Bess 1953

Overview

Young Bess is a 1953 Technicolor biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that explores the early life of Elizabeth I. The film traces the tumultuous and danger-fraught years from the birth of Elizabeth, whose mother died under the executioner's axe, to her unexpected ascension to the throne of England at age twenty-five. Jean Simmons portrays young Bess, the brilliant and cunning future queen. The cast also features Charles Laughton as her formidable father, Henry VIII, and Deborah Kerr as her gentle last stepmother and Henry's final wife, Catherine Parr. Stewart Granger also stars in the film, which falls into the drama, history, and romance genres and has a runtime of one hour and fifty-two minutes. Directed by George Sidney, the screenplay was written by Jan Lustig and Arthur Wimperis, drawing from the 1944 novel of the same name by Margaret Irwin. The production was released in the United States in May 1953.