YOUNG BESS *

"Young Bess" is a Reader's Digest view of history, more Mills and Boon than Hilary Mantel. Of course, when you see it's a Sidney Franklin production and that George Sidney was the director you know the last thing you are going to get is historical accuracy. On the plus side, it's splendidly cast. Jean Simmons is outstanding as 'Young Bess', or as she became known, Queen Elizabeth I, Stewart Granger is the Admiral Thomas Seymour who loses his head over her, Charles Laughton reprises his Oscar-winning role as King Henry and might have stolen the picture had they not killed him off early on and Deborah Kerr is stoic as Catherine Parr while a first-rate supporting cast includes a marvellous Kay Walsh, Guy Rolfe and Kathleen Byron. It also looks suitably authentic with Oscar-nominated sets and costumes. Unfortunately, it never adds up to anything other than romantic tosh, mildly entertaining for what it is and saved by a performance from Simmons that counts among her best.