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It was inspired casting to give the part of Prince Albert to Anton Walbrook while Anna Neagle looked far too glamorous as the Princess Victoria when compared to the many photos extant of her which show a rather plain dumpy woman about 4ft 11ins in height.I've always been a fan of Anton Walbrook ever since I saw him as Lermontov in "The Red Shoes" and as the menacing fraudster who tries to drive his wife mad in "Gaslight" (1940).I can still hear that slow, menacing, Teutonic voice - "you're going mad my dear".It is so much more satisfying when an actor is the same nationality as his character as it gives verisimilitude to the portrayal.The producer cannot change the historical facts but I liked the parade of famous politicians - Lord Melbourne, Gladstone, Disraeli, the Duke of Wellington.Of course the screenwriter included the famous remark attributed to Victoria about Gladstone who was pompous when speaking at their weekly meetings on the affairs of state; " he speaks to me as if he is addressing a public meeting".I was intrigued by the 1840s train, did they arrange for its loan from the railway museum at York? The film accurately shows the effort Albert went to organise "The Great Exhibition" in Hyde Park in 1851.Victoria was loath initially for Albert to help her with the state papers deeming it unconstitutional but later in their marriage he gave her considerable advice and help to such an extents that when he died prematurely in 1861 she was bereft of his counsel.It was a big learning curve for Albert too learning about the British constitution.As a member of the aristocracy, he was not made to feel welcome when he went to the House of Commons to hear an important debate.He was a talented pianist and amateur scientist hence his idea about the Great Exhibition.The Royal Albert Hall was erected to his memory and is still today a venue for music, concerts, and sporting contests.It was interesting to see Victoria's Gillie Brown portrayed.A newer film has Dame Judy Dench in the role of Victoria and Billy Connelly as Brown in "Mrs Brown" which I believe won an award.Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837 because her uncle, William IV left no issue.She died on 22/1/1901 at Osbourne House on the Isle of Wight so reigned for 64 years beating the 60 year record set by George III from 1760-1820.If nothing else you will learn a little of modern British history by watching "Victoria the Great".

I had long been anxious to see this famous British biography, and finally found a copy available. Featuring a renowned performance by Anna Neagle, one of Great Britain's most famed golden age actresses, as Queen Victoria, this film was a huge hit when released during Coronation Summer in 1937. Although not made with US audiences in mind, VICTORIA THE GREAT also hit big in the states and resulted in producer/director Herbert Wilcox and future wife Neagle making a lucrative deal to work at RKO studios. The Wilcox/Neagle RKO films never achieved the level of acclaim enjoyed by their pairings in the UK, and they returned home during the war to many years of success.Telling the story of Victoria's courtship and marriage to Prince Albert, VICTORIA THE GREAT has a very dated and sometimes static feel to it when compared to Hollywood films of the same era. It does, however, contain some very nice moments between Neagle's Victoria and Anton Walbrook's Albert, and Victoria has never, to my knowledge, been portrayed with such humanity and tenderness (at least until MRS. BROWN.) Lavishly produced, and with a Diamond Jubilee finale in TECHNICOLOR (one has to assume the original dye transfer prints were much more impressive than the muddy quality of the videocassette I viewed)it's easy to see why this appealed to 1937 British audiences reeling from the glamor of George VI's coronation that June. So successful was this biopic that Wilcox and Neagle filmed and released a sequel the following year, 60 GLORIOUS YEARS, shot entirely in TECHNICOLOR.While not nearly as technically slick as such Hollywood biopics as MARIE ANTOINETTE or THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA, this one is definitely worth a look for history lovers and royal watchers. It's also a chance to see Dame Anna Neagle in one of her most famous portrayals.