Product Details

• Actors: Flora Robson, Raymond Massey, Leslie Banks, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh
• Directors: William K. Howard
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Hollywood Movie Classics
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1985
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300159124
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,023 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
Alexander Korda often enlisted Tinseltown talent to lend his British productions some Hollywood pizzazz. For this spirited historical film about the intrigues and counter-intrigues leading up to the Spanish Armada's assault against Queen Elizabeth's brave little island, William K. Howard directed and the cameraman was the great James Wong Howe. Still, it's the Russian French art director Lazare Meerson who takes top honors with his ethereal sets. The swashbuckling pales beside Captain Blood or The Prisoner of Zenda, but the diplomatic crosstalk and young Larry Olivier's James-Bond-in-a-ruff act are delicious. Vivien Leigh is Olivier's love interest (on screen and off), and royalty is royally served by Flora Robson's gusty Good Queen Bess (a role she reprised in The Sea Hawk) and Raymond Massey's wonderfully lugubrious Philip of Spain. Robert Newton plays another Spaniard, and if you don't blink you'll glimpse James Mason as the traitorous Hillary Vane. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great early performances from the soon to be STAR duo., March 28, 2000

By	Ginge "T." (Sydney) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fire Over England [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Fire Over England is a very satisfying historical drama, with superbperformances by all. It is set around the english spanish conflict of the 16th century. An aging Queen Elizabeth must deal with not only a threat from Spain, but traitors within her court, secretly plotting her downfall. The young Laurence Olivier is sent to Spain to uncover the plot against the Queen. Upon his return, he is knighted and charged with leading the troops into battle. A very young, angelic Vivien Leigh plays a lady in waiting to the Queen, and is Laurence's love interest. Their scenes together are a sweet and lovely highlight. Laurence shines as the dashing romantic hero. And Vivien is equally compelling in her clashes with an ageing queen, ever resentful of the much younger and more beautiful maiden who holds the heart of the handsome, passionate young man. Flora Robson is fabulous as the queen, as is the entire cast. My favourite line in the movie is "If we are to treat our enenemies as friends, than they cease to be our enemies", or something to that effect anyway. Wise words indeed.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still the best screen Elizabeth!, March 5, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fire Over England [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of the best-scripted of all cinematic costume dramas, even if that script does require the young Laurence Olivier to sing (sounding strangely like Noel Coward as he does). Vivien Leigh is perfect as the young lady-in-waiting envied by the ageing Elizabeth, who finally manages to renounce her dreams of lost youth; James Mason makes a fine villain; and above all Flora Robson makes a seriously convincing and complex Elizabeth, politic and inspiring all at once. It makes more recent movies about Elizabeth look sadly shallow and trite.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A movie worth watching!, January 11, 2005

By	L Gontzes (Athens, Greece) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fire Over England [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Definitely a wonderful movie, Fire over England, brings to the screen the story of a young English naval officer as he strives to uncover a plot, find the conspirators and warn the Queen of the imminent threat of foreign invasion.
The setting is 1558 England. King Philip of Spain has collected enough gold from the colonies in the Americas that he has built the Spanish Armada. In addition he has set up a network of spies and operatives in Queen Elizabeth's court who serve as his eyes and ears in England.
The clash between England and Spain is as fascinating as the conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism, and both are presented very well in the film.
Needless to say, the Hollywood heavyweights Vivien Leigh and Lawrence Olivier as well as the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least!
The only setback is that Fire over England is a 1937 film and compared to modern films, or even epics of the time such as Gone with the Wind, falls short of being a masterpiece.
Nevertheless, the film combines drama, action, and romance, making it one of the best of its kind.
The setting, the dialogues, the music and the costumes are all wonderful!
History, Intrigue, Duty, Love, Passion, and Honor, are all about.
It is a movie worth watching, especially for those with a soft spot for History!