The Private Life of Henry VIII
“HE GAVE HIS WIVES A PAIN IN THE NECK, And did his necking with an axe. Henry, the Eighth Wonder of the World! And this picture...the wonder of all time!”
Synopsis
Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn, his second betrothed, executed on charges of treason, Henry weds maid Jane Seymour, but that wedded bliss also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the tyrannical king chooses German-born Anne of Cleves, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and so Henry's reign of spousal terror continues.
Top Cast
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Charles Laughton
Henry VIII
Robert Donat
Thomas Culpeper
Franklin Dyall
Thomas Cromwell
Miles Mander
Wriothesley
Laurence Hanray
Archbishop Cranmer
William Austin
Duke of Cleves
John Loder
Peynell
Claud Allister
Cornell
Gibb McLaughlin
The French Executioner
Sam Livesey
The English Executioner
Merle Oberon
Anne Boleyn
Wendy Barrie
Jane Seymour
Elsa Lanchester
Anne of Cleves
Binnie Barnes
Katherine Howard
Everley Gregg
Katherine Parr
Lady Tree
The King's Nurse
Frederick Culley
Duke of Norfolk (uncredited)
Mark Daly
Man (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 21, 1933
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$100K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
10x
+$900K net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Alexander Korda
- Screenplay & Story
- Lajos Biró, Arthur Wimperis
- Original Score
- Kurt Schröder
- Original Title
- The Private Life of Henry VIII
- Country of Origin
- United Kingdom
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 37m
- Production Budget
- $100K
- Worldwide Gross
- $1M
- Production Studios
- London Films Productions, United Artists
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Alexander Korda
Lajos Biró, Arthur Wimperis
Kurt Schröder
Georges Périnal
Stephen Harrison
Alexander Korda, Ludovico Toeplitz
Department Leadership Roster
Alexander Korda
Director
Alexander Korda
Producer
Ludovico Toeplitz
Producer
Kurt Schröder
Original Music Composer
Georges Périnal
Director of Photography
Stephen Harrison
Editor
John Armstrong
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Private Life of Henry VIII.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Private Life of Henry VIII.
Movie Collection
Period Dramas
Movies - Live Action
(Movies) Classic Hollywood
Films from Hollywood's Golden Age (roughly 1927-1969).
Pre-Code Hollywood
Pre-Code Hollywood films, 1929 to 1934.
The Criterion Collection
Every film released by The Criterion Collection on DVD, Blu-ray or 4K, including box sets and Eclipse. Enumerated from Wikidata and Wikipedia.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Private Life of Henry VIII
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Private Life of Henry VIII about?
Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn, his second betrothed, executed on charges of treason, Henry weds maid Jane Seymour, but that wedded bliss also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the tyrannical king chooses German-born Anne of Cleves, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and so Henry's reign of spousal terror continues.
Who directed The Private Life of Henry VIII?
The Private Life of Henry VIII was directed by Alexander Korda.
Who stars in The Private Life of Henry VIII?
The principal cast of The Private Life of Henry VIII includes Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Franklin Dyall, Miles Mander, Laurence Hanray.
When was The Private Life of Henry VIII released and how long is it?
The Private Life of Henry VIII was released in 1933 with a total runtime of 1h 37m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Private Life of Henry VIII?
The Private Life of Henry VIII had a reported production budget of $100K and grossed $1M at the worldwide box office (10 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Private Life of Henry VIII?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Private Life of Henry VIII was composed by Kurt Schröder.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Private Life of Henry VIII?
The Private Life of Henry VIII holds official age classifications: GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).