Compared to THE VIRGIN QUEEN

I finally watched THE VIRGIN QUEEN, the later film Bette made at Fox. The story is somewhat different, but she's playing the same character. It's an excellent film.

Then, I watched this one again. And unfortunately, it was somewhat of a let-down. The scenes with Flynn brushing his cheek up against her were quite corny, with not much sexual chemistry at all between them. Bette is much younger here, obviously, and definitely over-acting in sections.

I dislike how backgrounded Olivia de Havilland's character is here. In the other film, Fox's screenwriters take great pains to expand Joan Collins' role, as a young wench who is able to rival the queen in the romance department.