The Virgin Queen

CinemaSerf

Historically, it is safe to say that Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh didn't always get on, but I am not sure their relationship was ever quite this verbose. This is a good enough looking melodrama with Bette Davis and Richard Todd out to enrich England (and themselves) co-starring Joan Collins as the suitably "pathetic" lady in waiting who falls for Raleigh - and in so doing they both earn the enmity of a jealous queen. Herbert Marshall tries to bring a little weight to the proceedings; Dan O'Herlihy a little humour but ultimately we are left with a colourful, but pretty mundane, wordy, historical costume drama with the odd flash of character from Davis.