King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (nee Bowes Lyon)

[mcdnab]

 I think there is always going to be a problem with portraying Queen Elizabeth in film and television for the next few years as there is still a very wide gap between the general perception of her by the public and the perception given in many biographies (and the differneces within those biographies)

It is rare that a script and an actress can present a portrait of a near contemporary that is as moving for example as that of Helen Mirren in the Queen.

Helena Bonham Carter has been excellent in several recent things she's done (i am thinking of her portrayal of Enid Blyton for BBC 4 most recently) and I suspect that she is going to be rather good in the King's Speech but naturally we have to wait until we've seen the film to be able to comment.

The only previous attempt on tv and in film recently was ITV's Bertie and Elizabeth (produced about five years or so ago) - highly romanticised and not particularly good although the leads did a pretty good job with a rotten script.

What I am saying here is that I am not convinced yet that she could play The Queen Mum and convince us that she was her.

Perhaps once you've actually seen the film and her whole performance, you'll have a different opinion. At the very least, you will then be able to make an informed opinion.

[Eric_Lowe]

I totally agree with you that the Queen Mother's charms are quite hard to reproduce. She had beautiful features and smiles gloriously, not for nothing was she called "the smiling duchess". Helen Mirren was absolutely right and played the Queen effectively. Helen Bonham-Carter was more a pretty leading actress in the Merchant-Ivory gerne ("Howard's End", "A Room With A View", "Where Angels Fear To Tread"...etc). Her other stuff did not impress me (even Sweeny Todd). I am sure she would be effrective, but I would not expected to be knocked off my socks. Colin Firth on the other hand (borrow a phase from David O Selznick) "looks damn good" !

[Eddie_uk]

I do agree mcdnab!
On the news just now they had original footage of Queen Elizabeth christening RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1938, she was beaming & looked striking, she really had an aura about her......perfect for the role of Queen.

[Eric_Lowe]

She was the right person for the "job" and a great support to Bertie. 

[grandduchessella]

The King's Speech led in Golden Globe noms today. 

[Eric_Lowe]

I heard Colin Firth is tipped to be the favourite. 

[grandduchessella]

Hope so! He was the favorite last year until Jeff Bridges came along in December. I still think CF was robbed.

[Eric_Lowe]

Which movie you are talking about ?

[violetta]

what a beautiful painting! QE looks regal

[violetta]

duke of york by de laszlo,the future george VI

[grandduchessella]

Which movie you are talking about ?

For last year? A Single Man where he played a gay professor in the 1960s whose lover is killed. Over the course of an evening spent with his best friends (Julianne Moore) he contemplates suicide. It was directed by Tom Ford, the designer, and garnered Firth the best reviews of his career for his sensitive portrayal.

[Carolath Habsburg]

Color picture of the era of the king and some officers during WWII



 

[Kalafrana]

The one on the left is Field Marshal Montgomery.

Ann

[Emperor of the Dominions]

I remember viewing this prgramme as a mini series some years ago on UK TV; surely a prelude to the current film. All episodes are available via Utube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BritishRoyalFilms#p/u/42/ALCnTeqpP0g

R. I.

[Eric_Lowe]

I am glad the whole story of the King speech can now be known. It makes it reasonable why he is always in awe of his older brother and why he did not want the Windsors to come back to live in Britain. Edward with his easy manners and winning ways can steal the lime light from the stammering king (he was never entirely cured).