Henry VIII and His Six Wives

On his deathbed, King Henry VIII recalls how he wooed and wed his six wives – and disposed of five of them – in a bid to secure the succession to the throne with a male heir. Despite his many marriages and the crowded Court, Henry remains essentially lonely. Adapted from the successful BBC TV series, with Keith Michell reprising his award-winning role., Historical drama recounting that king’s life and marriages., Historical drama recounting that king’s life and marriages. Keith Michell, Frances Cuka, Charlotte Rampling, Jane Asher, Jenny Bos, Lynne Frederick. Catherine Parr: Barbara Leigh-Hunt. Cromwell: Donald Pleasence. Norfolk: Michael Gough. Directed by Waris Hussein., Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a feature film based upon the 1971 BBC miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Keith Michell weathers several makeup changes as the much-married titular monarch. While the miniseries was able to explore the political and personal reasons for the selection (and sometimes rejection) of the wives, the shortened version concentrates chiefly on such highlights as the birth of Queen Elizabeth and the execution of Anne Boleyn. The film is constructed in flashback form, with an aged Henry recalling his marital record. Side note: Donald Pleasence appears as Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII and His Six Wives; Pleasence’s daughter Angela had played Katherine Howard, Bride No. 5, in the original Six Wives of Henry VIII.