Fire Over England – 1937 | 92 mins | Drama, Romance | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Glossy Alexander Korda production intended partly as a coronation year spectacular, and to some extent as a political call to arms against the Nazi threat. The jingoistic script is the customary Elizabethan romantic fiction featuring a measure of literary frills and providing some mild swashbuckling from Laurence Olivier. Directed stylishly, it gets by mainly on Meerson’s lavish sets, superb camerawork, and some sterling performances notably Flora Robson’s tempestuous Queen Elizabeth I and Raymond Massey as the villainous brooding King Philip of Spain.

Dashing naval lieutenant Michael Ingolby (Laurence Olivier) seeks revenge after his father is captured and burnt at the stake at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. When the young nobleman offers to obtain advance news of the Spanish Armada by infiltrating the court of Philip of Spain (Raymond Massey), Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson) seizes the chance and gratefully accepts. The queen is also romantically inclined toward the handsome officer, and vexed at the attentions he shows his childhood sweetheart who is her lady-in-waiting, Cynthia (Vivien Leigh). Michael soon learns of Philip’s plans and the conspirators in the Queen’s court; he then makes a dashing escape to England and helps lead the British ships into battle against the Spanish Armada.