Mary of Scotland DVD: Review By JIm Mourgos

A box-office flop in 1936, yet the pageantry and the scenery still shine. I really liked this film for some time in the first half (it's over 2 hours long!) with Mary making her way to Scotland but as in her historical counterpart, she cannot totally gather the clans who have their own agenda, which includes making her a puppet ruler of Scotland.

She marries for political gain which flops. She falls for Bothwell of the guard, and that is a flop too. The movie then plods along - despite the great use of shadow, the cast of many, the great accents and interesting special effects of the time - where Mary eventually is tried and executed. And Bothwell, goes mad in a Danish prison.

Katharine Hepburn does quite well in this tale. She confronts her enemies but with empty accusastions and threats. Her enemies seem to out-maneuver her at every turn. Katharine's monologue at the end of the film and her confrontation with the judge and jury is quite amazing.

The scenery was top-notch as were the amazing costumes. But the acting at times was strained. John Carradine as Mary's secretary, overacts like crazy when it looks like he is abouit to be assassinated. Was kind of humorous, actually. The pipers playing and Bothwell riding into the plaza on his high horse was quite dramatic and appealing.

The Queen Elizabeth, played by Florence Eldridge (interestingly the wife of Fredrick March who played Bothwell) really overacts like crazy. Her rolling eyes and dramatized shouts and her smarmy manner are really not easily accepted by this viewer. Please, can we have another actress??

Despite some of the plot falls and the slow pace, the film is not a bad peek into the history of England, Scotland, and two women at all odds who both but want what's right for their countries.

But for Mary, a sad, tragic ending.