Fire Over England (1937)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

In the opening scene of Fire Over England, we see Scarlett O'Hara picking up her ball gown and trotting down the hall. Her face isn't visible, but Vivien Leigh's run is exactly the same as it was in Gone with the Wind. Her patter of speaking is exactly the same as it was in Gone with the Wind. Her pouty expressions and sass is exactly the same-it's as if someone knew her limited acting capability and decided to write Gone with the Wind for her. She plays a lady in waiting to Queen Elizabeth, and she repeatedly fumbles her duties, including losing the queen's possessions, daydreaming about her boyfriend, and talking back to the queen. Thankfully, Flora Robson-who plays a very believable Queen Elizabeth-slaps her face so the audience doesn't have to.With a very large supporting cast, including Laurence Olivier, Leslie Banks, Raymond Massey, Tamara Desni, Morton Selten, and five minutes each of James Mason and Robert Newton, Fire Over England should have been a successful epic. The costumes are beautiful and Flora is hard, regal, and strong, but somehow the movie falls short. Vivien and Larry play sweethearts, but they have absolutely zero chemistry together; during one of their kisses, it actually looks like she's trying to push him away. Vivien's lack of acting makes you wish she'd been given a smaller part. She wouldn't even be good if she was in a community theater production.My favorite part of the film was the chemistry between Flora and Leslie. There are obvious sparks between them, but since she's the queen and he's her advisor, they don't have the freedom to act like moony-eyed teenagers. Instead, there's an undercurrent of understanding, respect, and attraction lying beneath every line of dialogue. I've seen Leslie Banks in a few Laurence Olivier movies, and every time I see him, I appreciate his performances more and more.

I loved this film almost to the end, when unfortunately the propaganda program of the 30s took over and changed the drama into disturbing chauvinism. Well, that was the 30s, and you have to view it in that context, but until you get caught in the hullabaloo of the great armada, it's a perfect film in every way, especially dramatically. The dialogue never loses its pregnancy, all the characters are outstanding, the many plots are interwoven into an expert fabric, and the actors are evidently enjoying their excellence themselves. It's the only film where James Mason and Laurence Olivier act together, they never meet in the film, but Laurence is given the pleasure of standing in for James and does it well - you are actually struck by how like each other they are. Robert Newton is also here in an early part as a Spaniard and for once not overdoing it, while Flora Robson runs the show - there never was a better or more convincing Queen Elizabeth. There is only one shocking scene in the whole film, and that's where Elizabeth unmasks herself. It seems that Flora Robson really has gotten into Elizabeth. Leslie Banks is a very credible Robin Dudley, and Vivien introduces the film as a flippant 18-year old or young lady in waiting, a granddaughter of Burleigh's. Nothing is missing of the glorious era of England's resistance as a small nation against an overwhelming superpower, and everything is fresh and vital, even the Spaniards, and Raymond Massey makes a very brief but entirely realistic portrait of Philip II. This is a film to thoroughly enjoy still today, Laurence Olivier is even better than Errol Flynn, this was his and Vivien's first film together, while the great theme is not the armada but the ideological conflict - the freedom of conscience against the autodafés of Spain, which is well pointed out already in the beginning of the film.

I watched this movie on TCM this morning, from start to finish, and was totally bored. This is British filming at its' best but not my best.Flora Robson and Laurence Olivier were stage actors who just recited their lines...i.e. no emotion, just typical of the 'English way' (to quote Pink Floyd)and yet, American TV (Fox News) promotes journalists, such as Jonathan Hunt and Stuart Varney because U.S. born citizens love the British accent.The only talented actress in the film was Vivien Leigh, who had a small part. I was eight years old when I first saw 'Gone With the Wind' and I really thought she was a southerner. Then, she married snobbish Laurence when she could have married a U.S. actor stud, and I lost all respect for her. So did movie studios.TCM is airing British films without respect for how little they have contributed to international cinema. How about televising great films? Like Bardot's best or 'Montenegro,' the latter being my all-time favorite. I even rank that film above 'The Best years of Our Lives,''Forrest Gump,''Gone With The Wind,''Rain Man,'Casablanca' and 'Shane.' I have been to every major European country in my lifetime (so far) and I'll take any over England; bland people with no direction. Give me Madrid, Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen and many others over London.

I remembered the title so well. To me, it was a Flora Robson movie with Olivier and Vivien Leigh in supporting roles. And it had Vincent Massey's voice from behind whiskers. Well Flora Robson was great. Her next signature, for me, would be "55 Days at Peking". The same role but with different sumptuous gowns. And the same voice. As for the Armada, it was a subtext. I like black-and-white films. Was everything done in Elizbethan times at night? It was talky and difficult to fathom, at times. I couldn't tell which was the love interest. Was it the Spaniard or was it Vivien Leigh? And I do not believe that Elizabeth I would have been the brilliant strategist to recommend that fire ships be sent against the Armada. Apparently it worked for the Empire, but not for the script. This might have been more accurate, historically, but Bette Davis had more engaging scripts. And I missed daylight!