Gaetano Donizetti Anna Bolena CAST: Joan Sutherland: Anna Bolena, Judith Forst: Giovanna Seymour, James Morris: Enrico VIII, Gidon Saks: Lord Rochefort, Michael Myers: Lord Percy, Janet Stubbs: Smeaton, Ben Heppner: Hervey Orchestra and Chorus of the Canadian Opera Company Richard Bonynge, conductor Recorded in 1984 This Anna Bolena was recorded in Toronto in 1984 and is especially valuable because it offers a portrait of a great singer in the last years of her career. Joan Sutherland sings here one of her last Anna Bolena, although it will not be the last ever, since she will record another one, only audio, three years later. A certain obfuscation may be perceived in the voice of La Stupenda, but nonetheless she is still impressive thanks to her legendary breath control, her still sparkling high notes and the easy coloratura. It is certainly true that Sutherland lacks the dramatic intensity of other, no less illustrious colleagues, but her pure and magnificent voice will never make you regret something. The rest of the cast, especially in some of its elements, has failed to impress me. James Morris, first of all, is awful in the role of Enrico VIII and he becomes even more unpleasant …

Anna Boleyn (1920) Anne Boleyn a/k/a Deception Henny Porten as Anne Boleyn and Emil Jannings as King Henry VIII The story of the ill-fated second wife of the English king Henry VIII, whose marriage to the Henry led to momentous political and religious turmoil in England. Directed by Ernst Lubitsch Written by Norbert Falk (as Fred Orbing), Hanns Kräly Cinematography, Theodor Sparkuhl Distributed by UFA Release date: Dec 3, 1920 (Germany); Apr 17, 1921 (U.S.) Running time 118 min Country: Germany German/English inter-titles In DVD/CD sleeve, photo label. Guaranteed, replaced with same title. PAY here (CLICK link) for $7.99 DVDs (USA & International) 1 DVD in DVD/CD sleeve, photo label. Guaranteed, replaced with same title. https://rarefilmclassics.myshopify.com/products/pay-here-for-7-99-dvds-usa-international AFTER you make payment – please email [email protected] to advise your titles. You will receive an acknowledgment via email. Your DVDs will mail next day AFTER payment is received.

Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to…

The tragic story of the second wife of England's Henry VIII is given a first-class treatment by Lubitsch, complete with opulent sets and some beautifully-shot exterior sequences. Henny Porten (Kohlhiesel's Daughter, Backstairs) gives a memorable performance as Boleyn, but the film really belongs to Emil Janning's (The Last Laugh, the Blue Angel), one of Germany's greatest screen stars, playing Henry. Jannings's bravura performance conveys Henry's decadence through his insatiable appetite for both food and women, but never reduces him to caricature or pure villain. Janning's also establishes the screen model for Henry that would be further developed by Charles Laughton almost fifteen years later in the Private Life of Henry VIII.