Royal Portraits in Hollywood : Filming the Lives of Queens

Few lives provide as much history or drama as those of monarchs. Filmmakers from the silent era to onward have displayed a deep fascination with the lives of royalty and with queens in particular. Still, the question remains: what do these films really tell us about the women beneath the crowns? Drawing on films from the 1930s to those of today, Royal Portraits in Hollywood: Filming the Lives of Queens investigates the ways in which these films reproduce history and represent women. Though hardly progressive in nature, many early films offered an acceptable, nonthreatening way to present strong female characters in an economic and social landscape run almost exclusively by men. Authors Elizabeth Ford and Deborah Mitchell track the evolution of queens on film, noting how depictions of prominent women have changed over the past several decades and calling attention to the ways in which films both reflect and dictate the social norms of their eras.By comparing historical records of monarchs such as Queen Christina of Sweden, Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, and Elizabeth I with their onscreen personas, and examining the biographical details of the actresses who portrayed these women, Ford and Mitchell present a fascinating inquiry into issues of historical accuracy and gender politics in film. Few lives provide as much history or drama as those of monarchs. Filmmakers from the silent era to onward have displayed a deep fascination with the lives of royalty and with queens in particular. Still, the question what do these films really tell us about the women beneath the crowns? Drawing on films from the 1930s to those of today, Royal Portraits in Filming the Lives of Queens investigates the ways in which these films reproduce history and represent women. Though hardly progressive in nature, many early films offered an acceptable, nonthreatening way to present strong female characters in an economic and social landscape run almost exclusively by men. Authors Elizabeth Ford and Deborah Mitchell track the evolution of queens on film, noting how depictions of prominent women have changed over the past several decades and calling attention to the ways in which films both reflect and dictate the social norms of their eras. By comparing historical records of monarchs such as Queen Christina of Sweden, Catherine the Great, Cleopatra, and Elizabeth I with their onscreen personas, and examining the biographical details of the actresses who portrayed these women, Ford and Mitchell present a fascinating inquiry into issues of historical accuracy and gender politics in film. Title Page 2 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 Queen Christina of Sweden 19 Catherine the Great 45 Cleopatra 82 Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland 137 Queen Victoria 168 Marie Antoinette 203 Queen Elizabeth I 237 Conclusion 306 Bibliography 312 Index 324 Back Cover 346 Filmmakers from the silent era onward have displayed a deep fascination with the lives of royalty and with queens in particular. Drawing on films from the 1930s onwards, this book investigates the ways in which these films reproduce history and represent women. Examines the portrayal of queens in Hollywood movies, including brief biographies of monarchs Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, and Elizabeth I