ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS **

Surely the personages of the court of King Henry VIII didn't dress as opulently as they do in the film "Anne of the Thousand Days". Whatever faults Charles Jarrott's film has, you can't knock the costumes and Margaret Furse richly deserved her Oscar. The story is the oft told one of how Henry threw over Catherine of Aragon in favour of Anne Boleyn but when she too doesn't bear him a son, how he had her beheaded. As a film it's no better or worse than many others telling a similar tale and if it lacks the intelligence of "A Man for all Seasons" if certainly makes up for it in gossipy entertainment value and is blessed with three good performances, (Burton's bombastic king, Bujold's petulant Anne and Papas' regal Catherine), and one magnificent one, (Anthony Quayle in a career-best turn as Cardinal Wolsey). It's based on a play by Maxwell Anderson, (on stage Rex Harrison was Henry), and it has a fine literary screenplay by Bridget Boland and John Hale. Not great then but better than the critical roasting it received at the time of its release.