''The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots'' is a 1923 British silent

historical film A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction such as ...

directed by

Denison Clift Denison Clift (1885–1961) was an American playwright, novelist, screenwriter and film director. He directed in both America and Great Britain, mainly during the Silent era, Silent Era. Biography Clift was educated at Stanford University. He be ...

and starring

Fay Compton Virginia Lilian Emmeline Compton-Mackenzie, (; 18 September 1894 – 12 December 1978), known professionally as Fay Compton, was an English actress. She appeared in several films, and made many broadcasts, but was best known for her stage per ...

, Gerald Ames and

Ivan Samson Ivan Samson (28 August 1894 – 1 May 1963) was a British stage, film and television actor. Samson appeared regularly in West End plays and from 1920 began appearing in British silent films. He played Viscount de Mornay in '' I Will Repay'' ...

. The film depicts the life of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

, and her eventual execution. It was one of the final films made by Ideal, one of the leading British studios, before they were hit by the Slump of 1924. It is most likely considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature film, feature or short film in which the original negative or copies are not known to exist in any studio archive, private collection, or public archive. Films can be wholly or partially lost for a number of reasons. ...

Cast

as Mary Stuart * Gerald Ames as

Bothwell Bothwell () is a Protected area, conservation village in the South Lanarkshire council area of Scotland and part of the Greater Glasgow area. It lies on the north bank of the River Clyde, adjacent to Uddingston and Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton, ...

as Lord Dudley * John Stuart as George Douglas * Ellen Compton as Queen

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

* Lionel d'Aragon as

Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...

Harvey Braban George William Chapman (19 May 1883 – 6 August 1943), known as Harvey Braban, was a British stage actor. He also appeared in films between 1920–1938. Braban was born in Brighton, Sussex, to George Chapman and Anne Braban. He performed regul ...

as Ruthven * Irene Rooke as

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

Donald Macardle Donald Frederick Macardle (12 November 1900 – 25 May 1984) was an Irish film and stage actor and writer. He also directed the 1933 film '' The King's Cup''. Macardle retired from acting and became a businessman. He married the actress Enid Val ...

as Francis II * René Maupré as Rizzio * Ernest A. Douglas as Cardinal * Sydney Seaward as Lord Douglas * Edward Sorley as

John Knox John Knox ( – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lot ...

* Betty Faire as Mary Beaton * Dorothy Fane as Mary Beaton * Nancy Kenyon as Mary Fleming * Julie Hartley-Milburn as Mary Seaton *

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

(uncredited) *

Jack Cardiff Jack Cardiff (18 September 1914 – 22 April 2009) was a British cinematographer, film and television director, and photographer. His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor, to film ...

(uncredited)

References

Bibliography

* Low, Rachael. ''The History of British Film, Volume 4 1918-1929''. Routledge, 1997.

External links

* 1923 films 1920s historical films British biographical films British historical films British silent feature films Ideal Film Company films Films set in the 16th century Films set in Scotland Films set in England Films directed by Denison Clift Films about Mary, Queen of Scots Cultural depictions of Elizabeth I Cultural depictions of Catherine de' Medici British black-and-white films 1920s English-language films 1920s British films English-language historical films {{1920s-UK-film-stub