FIRE OVER ENGLAND VIVIEN LEIGH LAURENCE OLIVIER ALEXANDER KORDA ERICH POMMER WILLIAM K. HOWARD A.E.W.MASON ROBSON BANKS MASSEY DESNI SELTEN

Great old movie on DVD for a new generation to view, just as described.

A fine historical drama.

This is a period piece set at the time of the Spanish Armada which is little known to Americans. This is a shame since it is a fairly good one.The action does not focus so much on the Armada as it does on the political intrigues leading to it. It also focuses on a love story between English, Lawrence Olivier and the half Spanish Vivian Leigh. When all is said and done, it is their story. The threat of invasion is just the backdrop. Both of these big name Hollywood stars do a wonderful job but neither does as good a job as Flora Robson who plays Elizabeth I. She does not get as much screen time as the others but her portrayal of the English monarch must rank as definitive. It is a role she reprised in the Hollywood epic, THE SEAK HAWK, with Errol Flynn.The movie is not great but it is a highly enjoyable period piece. Enjoy it.

Lithe, acrobatic and dashing, a young Laurence Olivier turns in a swashbuckling performance as a spy for Queen Elizabeth, I. The queen is played with nobility, shrewdness, and generosity by the incomparable Flora Robson. There is a list of other great actors to enjoy here as well. Raymond Massey plays the saturnine King Philip of Spain. Leslie Banks is the ever loyal Leicester. A lovely Vivien Leigh is the heartfelt​ young leading lady. England prevails when she defeats Spain’s powerful Armada against all odds. The film is handsomely mounted with period sets and costumes and notable for Olivier’s first screen pairing with Leigh. The film resonated with audiences during its time because World War II was looming on the horizon.

Star not Olivier (although he and Vivian Leigh were very good) but Flora Robson as the Queen when she was attempting to outwit and outfight Spain and the Armada.

I liked the movie. It was one of those old movies that cause you to laugh, cry and applaud. Interesting watching a good movie with no slop added. Decency, morals, and passion for your country.. all good things in a movie nowadays. Too bad that we have to go so far back, to black and white movies, to get that ... nowadays it is all about who is for/against their own soapbox items. Sickness, politics, and climate control... all under the guise of a movie. Pooh!

Although Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Leigh are often mentioned as actors of interest in this film, it's the wonderfully talented Flora Robson in her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth who carries this movie from beginning to end with her brilliant and subtle performance. She makes Elizabeth fully human, at times proud and dictatorial, at other times humble, sad, and compassionate. Her complete dedication to the welfare of her people and her kingdom is utterly convincing--and we can understand why she inspired in them such love and loyalty. I agree with another reviewer that this film needs to be fully restored; it's a masterpiece!

This a great old film! An early look at the reign of Elizabeth I of England with amazing costuming and a great cast. While the acting is not as subtle and the characters are not as complex as the more recent portrayals with Helen Mirten and Cate Blanchett, it is a great old movie! If you are into Elizabeth I, you must see this as part of the 'series.' Also great to see Vivian Lee in a very different role than she had as Scarlett O'Hara 2 years later.

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Sometimes the older films hit the right note, and "Fire Over England" is one of those timeless hits.The nominal stars of this film are the agonizingly beautiful Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, who were passionately in love with each other when this film was made.The *Real* star is Dame Flora Robson, whose majestic, witty, decisive and inwardly tormented Queen Elizabeth I strikes every chord in a performance that still resonates. Robson and Dame Helen Mirren best capture the mind of an absolute monarch whose dedication to her country is as profound as is her sense of exalted station. Elizabeth I perceived herself as an *Anointed* monarch, which in Tudor times translated to a monarch who was anointed and appointed by God as that Deity's representative on Earth.."Fire Over England" tells about the gradual build-up of tensions which led to the Spanish Armada, and Raymond Massey shines as King Philip II of Spain. This King Philip is a marvel of sombre patience and fanaticism, and the historical Philip really did react to the accidental spilling of ink with the superhuman patience of an *Anointed* Roman Catholic king toward mere human mortals.Robert Newton glowers becomingly in a supporting role, and if you look closely, you will see a very young James Mason. Mason's role is that of a villain, and he creates shivers with his rich baritone voice.Some light music and a great deal of bowing and curtsying add to the spirit of Tudor times. As Renaissance courtiers really did spend a lot of time in genuflection to their monarchs, this is an authentic touch. I doubt if courtiers would engage in private kissing sessions in the presence of their monarch, but this is a minor quibble.Enjoy a film which presents the English perspective on the age of Gloriana.

Classic 1937 movie of the British history genre. This is a collector's movie!

For the movie, five stars. For the quality of the film print, one star taken back. Certainly not remastered or restored as the film deserves to be.

It was good to see this famous film again, especially Flora Robson in the title role. It's a pity it does not appear to have been restored...the sound track is very poor in places.