Fire Over England **** (1937, Laurence Olivier, Flora Robson, Vivien Leigh) – Classic Movie Review 7329

Director William K Howard’s spirited 1937 British romantic adventure Fire Over England brings together screen and real-life lovers Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh together for the first time. Clemence Dane and Sergei Nolbandov’s screenplay is based on the novel by A E W Mason.

The English fleet of Queen Elizabeth I (Flora Robson) sets out to defeat the Spanish armada of King Philip II (Raymond Massey), and the heroic Michael Ingolby (Olivier) has a thing about one of her ladies in waiting, Cynthia (Leigh), in this spirited swashbuckler with lively handling, intelligent scripting and superb fight scenes.

The venerable British performers give a brio series of sprightly performances, led by Olivier as navy officer hero Michael Ingolby, who makes great display of his prowess in duelling and romance (with Leigh of course, as the Queen’s lady in waiting Cynthia). But, even so, it is the more subtle Robson and Massey who stay best in the memory. Future star James Mason has an all-too-brief role as Hillary Vane.

Also in the cast are Leslie Banks as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, Lyn Harding, Robert Newton, Donald Calthrop, Tamara Desni, Morton Selten, George Thirlwell, Henry Oscar, Charles Carson, Evelyn Ankers, Francis De Wolfe, Cecil Mainwaring, Howard Douglas, Roy Russell, Lawrence Hanray and Herbert Lomas.

Fire Over England runs 92 minutes, is shot in black and white by James Wong Howe and produced at Denham Studios by Alexander Korda and Erich Pommer. When the adverts say: ‘A truly brilliant producer brings you a thrilling tale of love and danger that will live in your memory as long as there is romance in your heart!’, I guess they are talking about the uncredited Korda, the London Film studio boss.

Olivier and Leigh followed it up with Lady Hamilton [That Hamilton Woman], but by then they were married to each other.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7329

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