The Mudlark

The slob and the Queen (OT: The Mudlark ) is an American film from 1950 with Irene Dunne in the role of Queen Victoria and Alec Guinness as Benjamin Disraeli. The fictional story tells how the queen found out through an encounter with a street boy from her deep mourning for her late husband Prince Albert.

Action

Little Wheeler, a street boy, half-starved and homeless, found in 1875 a medallion with the image of Queen Victoria. An older friend told him that this is " the mother of all Englishmen " was. Wheeler, who takes this literally, makes walking on the way to Windsor to get to know them. Victoria, however, the last 13 years, closed in her palace from the outside world and mourns for her dead husband. As Wheeler is discovered by the palace guards during the preparations for a state dinner, the boy mistakenly suspected you to be part of a plot to assassinate the Queen. The prime minister Benjamin Disraeli realizes that the boy is harmless and defends it to Parliament. In his speech, he indirectly criticized the Queen, who has retired from public life. The Queen is applied from the speech, but it is sincerely taken by Wheeler, and eventually she returned to public life.

Background

20th Century Fox acquired the film rights in 1949 to the successful novel The Mudlark by Theodore Bonnet for $ 75,000 and immediately began preparations for the filming. Filming should take place in England with an almost purely British occupation. Studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck therefore explicitly warned the director Jean Negulesco not to let the actors at the end even talk with a British accent:

"Nothing hurts a film of England in America as much as a pronounced British accent. A British film has to be absolutely sensational to have a chance in this country and to overcome the pronounced reluctance of American viewers to the British accent. A Scottish accent ... is the worst ever. If we leave too much in the film speak with an accent, we have a problem belonging. "

The actress Irene Dunne was cast as Queen Victoria, as most English actors were unknown in America and Dunne despite her 51 years still had many fans. To leave Dunne look like the real queen, she spent every morning around 90 minutes in the mask, where she was dressed older and fuller with the help of latex and makeup. While most contemporary critics herummäkelten to Dunne and her performance and felt they were boring and static, today there are increasing voices, praise the intensity of their interpretation. The actress disappears completely behind the character. She lays here for the only time in her career completely from their light southern accent and speaks rather flat and choppy, just like Victoria. Also omitted Dunne in the role on their otherwise typical expressive movements with your hands. Instead, they interpreted the queen as a woman who has completely withdrawn into themselves and their grief. Almost until the end, she shows little emotion and remains cool and aloof. Only when the Prime Minister of the Queen of the seriousness of the situation described, which arose out of their complete withdrawal from the public for the monarchy itself, it calls in a burst of self-knowledge from

" You do not like me! "

Although there was initially some reservations in the United Kingdom against the occupation of Victoria with an American actress, film for the annual Royal Film Performance is selected, a charity event in aid of the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund. The performance lived King George VI. and the royal family at. Irene Dunne repeated her role in August 1951 in the popular radio show Lux Radio Theatre with Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Disraeli.

The role of Queen Victoria had already been the subject of stage and film presentations. Helen Hayes in 1935 in the play Victoria Regina the biggest success of her career on the stage. In the three years after the premiere, it brought the production to 963 performances and then toured the actress for some years by the United States. 1937 Anna Neagle turned to the side of Adolf Wohlbrück the English film Queen Victoria. The film focuses on the relationship between Victoria and Albert. It was directed by her husband Herbert Wilcox. The great financial success prompted star and director Sixty Glorious Years 1938 to document the entire reign of the monarch. The relationship between the Queen and John Brown was taken to the cinema in 1997 as Mrs Brown, directed by John Madden II with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly. In the early 1970s there were plans to film the project with Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery.

Awards

The film was accompanied by a nomination for the Academy Awards 1951

  • Best Costumes in a black-and-white film

Reviews

Most critics found the film charming. Irene Dunne, however, found no praise for her performance as Queen Victoria.

In the New York Times, the reviewer used very harsh words against the actress:

" [ The ] critic is able to report that it is in this film [ ... ] is a warm and positive production. [ The ] presentation by Irene Dunne in the role of Victoria is stiff and unbelievable. Unfortunately, though not by her fault she does not have the talent for this task. And although it has been made ​​very strongly in time to resemble the overloaded Queen, it barely manages to create the illusion to life or to create real feelings, which is all very unfortunate. "

1950 in film Screenplay Nunnally Johnson Film score Anthony Steel (actor) 23rd Academy Awards
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