My Hutton House Lecture series, 1939 In Technicolor continued yesterday, with a discussion on, and screening of Michael Curtiz’ The Private Lives of Elizabeth And Essex, starring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn, with Olivia DeHavilland, Donald Crisp, Vincent Price, and a very young Nanette Fabray in supporting roles. The backstory of the film is just as entertaining as the film itself. First, Davis and Flynn HATED working with each other.  Davis wanted to work with Laurence Olivier, since she felt Flynn was not the best man for the role. Flynn disliked Davis’ attitude throughout the shooting, especially when she strikes him during one scene. In reality, Flynn saw stars. Then, there was the problem with the title of the film: the film is based on Elizabeth The Queen, a play by Maxwell Anderson. At first, the title of the film was going to be, The Knight And The Lady. To which Davis squawked, “What, are you out of your minds, The Knight And The Lady? I am playing the Queen of  England. Then, the title was switched to The Lady And The Knight, to which Flynn was annoyed since he was not getting top billing. Davis would constantly storm into Jack Warner (the head of Warner Brothers) and complain. Jack sometimes did not want to be bothered, so he would hide in the men’s room, which was connected to his office, until Davis would go away. Warners could not title the film, Elizabeth And Essex, since that was already a copyrighted title of a book. Thus, they went with The Private Lives of Elizabeth And Essex. Next week, I present the first of two sessions on GONE WITH THE WIND.