Anna Boleyn was restored in 2001
by the Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung in Wiesbaden,
in collaboration with the Deutsche Filminstitut - DIF, Frankfurt am Main
The basis was a camera negative from the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv, Berlin
and a tinted nitro copy from the Fondazione Cineteca Italiana, Milan
Most of the intertitles were obtained from the flash titles on the camera negative
Missing title cards were reconstructed
on the basis of the censorship card from the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv
The copying was carried out by L'lmmagine Ritrovata in Bologna
The master negative of this reconstruction was used in 2014 for the 2K digital version
A historical drama in 6 acts by Fred Orbing and Hanns Kraly
Direction: Ernst Lubitsch
Set Decoration: Kurt Richter Cinematography: Theodor Sparkuhl
Technical Direction: Kurt Waschneck Costumes: Uli Hubert
CAST:
Henry ("Heinrich") VIII, King of England: Emil Jannings
Queen Catherine ("Katharina"): Hedwig Pauli
Princess Marie ("Maria"): Hilde Muller Duke of Norfolk: Ludwig Hartau
Anne ("Anna") Boleyn, his niece: Henny Porten
Sir Henry ("Heinrich") Norris: Paul Hartmann
Jane ("Johanna") Seymour: Aud Egede Nissen
Lady Rochford: Maria Reisenhofer
Mark Smeaton ("Marc Smeton"): Ferdinand von Alten
Cardinal Wolsey: Adolf Klein
Cardinal Campeggio: Wilhelm Diegelmann
Archbishop Cranmer ("Crahmer"): Friedrich Kuhne
The jester: Paul Biensfeldt The physician: Karl Platen
Count Perry ("Perey"): Erling Hanson The nurse: Sophie Pagay
Sir William Kingston, commandant of the tower: Josef Klein
On the journey from France to England
Finally back in the homeland
Now you shall soon be lady-in-waiting to the Queen of England
Henry Norris
The Duke of Norfolk, your uncle, sends me to accompany you to him
Lady Anne Boleyn has arrived
I shall now speak with him!
On the name-day of Queen Catherine of England
Princess Marie
I'm so very happy, my child,
because today the King cannot stay away
His Majesty the King has not yet returned from the hunt
The congratulations shall begin only when the King arrives at the castle
Henry VIII, King of England
Henry Norris, ride to the king presently
Notify the Queen that I'm coming
The congratulatory reception
Henry's smiling, the sun is shining, Cathy's sitting home and crying
Go home to Katie, Leave us the pastry!
I was looking forward so much to being introduced to the Queen!
The King!
For this day, at least, I expected a little more attention,
given the company I'm entertaining
The company you're entertaining is so barely attractive that - -
The Lady's afraid of me?
You won't run away from me again, then?
My niece
A beautiful niece
Tell me, do you know you would have lost your head,
had it not been - - so beautiful?!
You are unjust with her!
Dear Anne, I thought you had chosen King Henry over your Henry Norris.
The Fool informed me otherwise.
If you are no longer angry with me,
await me this evening at the garden window of your room:
I shall come wearing a black cloak, to hear a word of pardon from you.
- Henry Norris
You've got me wrong, King Henry!
You must be mine, - even if it costs the crown of England!
You - the King's!
Are you aware that I need only say YES to become the Queen of England? -
Beautiful Lady
Sweetest of All Ladies
The next morning
Cardinal Lord Chancellor Wolsey, on the King's orders
Catherine - You have failed to provide a male heir to the throne.
Declare yourself willing to divorce so that I may marry again. - Henry
Never!
Lord Chancellor Wolsey,
I command you immediately to call the whole of England's church leaders
to annul my marriage!
An annulment without the permission of the Pope? -
I have a solution
I'm here for service to the court
I'm here to offer you the crown
You have a holy duty to fulfil, -
you must endow England with an heir to the throne!
The annulment court
King Henry, appear before the court!
Queen Catherine, appear before the court!
We hereby call upon England's high church leaders
to annul the marriage of King Henry to Catherine of Aragon,
who has failed to bring any benediction to the land - -
Cardinal Campeggio, with a message from the Pope
Representatives of God: The sanctity of marriage is inviolable.
Curse and damnation shall befall anyone
who moves to annul King Henry's marriage.
Clement VII, Through the Providence of God, the Pope.
I, King Henry the Eighth, declare myself the sole head of the church of England
From today on, no-one shall stand between God and myself!
He who is of different mind, leave the courtroom
The marriage is annulled!
Now I shall compose a wedding poem for Anne Boleyn
If the King wants to chase me away, let him do it himself!
Don't you know that Anne Boleyn is to become Queen?
Now it is too late, Henry
This is your doing - this is not Anne's will!
Did you not receive my order to leave the castle?
You shall ensure that Princess Marie leaves the town tomorrow
before the coronation!
On the day of the coronation
You shall ensure that the people cheer the King and Queen Anne
Any demonstration in favour of the former Queen Catherine
is to be suppressed with force
Lady Jane, today I must be England's most beautiful woman!
Catherine is our lawful Queen!
The coronation is beginning, and you are not yet prepared!
Hail Queen Anne
Do you see how the people cheer for you?!
All the people plead along with us:
Restore our hapless Queen Catherine to your favour!!
Hail Princess Marie!
Tear the crown off of her head!!
Queen Anne wishes you a prompt recovery
Are you happy now, Anne?! -
After all, I'm the Queen of England
Smeaton wishes to recite to you his new poem
From which heavens shall I plunder sounds of the spheres,
To regale the Queen of Beauty?
Mouth's roses, golden locks' glimmer, breast's snow, nape's marble shimmer!
Sir Henry Norris
I am recovered, and report once more for service to Your Majesty
You have served me so poorly that I am dispensing with you
Beware of Smeaton!
The poem was not yet finished
You don't give a damn about my amusement!
How about a spring festival?
Beautiful elves in gossamer vestments
A spring festival!
The spring festival
Have you seen the King?
What's good enough for Henry Norris
has to be good enough for Mark Smeaton!
At last, England will receive an heir to the throne!
It must be a boy!
Prayers shall be offered in every church in the land,
that Heaven bless England with a male heir to the throne!
On the day of the birth
- - - a girl - - -
Hail Queen Anne!
Send that mob to the devil!
Does the King know - -?
The King! The King!
The Queen is waiting - -
Your Royal Highness, Princess Elizabeth
Lady Jane, you shall accompany me on the hunt
Are you so willing to relinquish him to another woman?
Some day you'll share Catherine's fate!
Evening
Take solace: bad luck at gambling, lucky in love
There once was a Queen, Ki-Ka-Konigin.
In the company of a knight, Ri-Ra-Ritter hin.
The knight was neither shy nor tame,
What the fair lady offered up to him, - he took
But as for the King, - hey, hurrah!
He'd soon grown a mighty set of horns
Sir Norris is familiar with the end of this song
Not here! - Tomorrow at the joust you can test your courage!
To make it clear, the hero of the song is Henry Norris!
And who is the - King?
Speak!
Your Majesty is being shamefully deceived
Lies and lies again! -
Queen Anne and Henry Norris are friends from youth
Does this child bear any likeness to me whatsoever?
It has your eyes and your mouth
Is this how you serve your Queen?
I serve you as you - served Catherine!
For my child's sake, stay away from the King!
You shall be the most beautiful woman at the joust today
I am still Queen!
No Queen humiliates herself so!
Henry Norris mustn't leave this joust alive, - you know your reward!
Henry!!
I must take Your Majesty into custody at the order of the King
It cannot be! - Only the purest relations
Be happy - - finally you have a plausible reason
You brought Anne Boleyn to me - now see to it that she disappears!
Your accuser!
Here is the indictment
You can testify that every word is a fabrication!
On the day of the hearing
Queen Anne stands accused, in matters of marital fidelity
With the Queen, you have - - -
He's lying out of vengeance, for I rejected his shameful advances!
So you too, Smeaton?
The Queen answered your prayers too?
Hang him!
Smeaton has confessed
Let him repeat that in front of me!
The death sentence
Just this one thing, - allow me to bid my child farewell
Henry VIII King of England
He signed it!