Thomas Cromwell's Arrest (Henry VIII & His Six Wives, 1972)

[@Brace67]

I remember this series well. My late father loved it. A handsome production with Keith Mitchell absolutely wonderful as the king. You see him age as the series progresses and become even more unpredictable and despotic.

[@tommoncrieff1154]

This is the movie made 2 years later. It has a slightly different title and different cast, Cromwell was not played by Donald Pleasence in the TV series.

[@photodom2000]

Keith Michelle.

[@Brace67]

@ His name was Keith Joseph Mitchell as described in his biography on Wikipedia. That is the correct spelling of his last name, however you may choose to spell it differently. There is no ‘e’ at the end of his name.

[@Guitcad1]

@@tommoncrieff1154 I only know the TV series and have never seen this before, but right off the bat I can tell the production value is a lot better. The TV series is almost what I'd call "tele-plays."

[@Guitcad1]

@@Brace67 "Michell", not "Mitchell". No "t" in his last name, which apparently was pronounced the same as "Michael."

[@Theogenerang]

When Brian Blessed starts ripping chains of office off you you know its all over.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Thinner or less muscular than he later was...

[@therespectedlex9794]

Like in Henry V. Older than he later was too...

[@jmcallion2071]

@@Theogenerang One career gone in a FLASH, AH A HE'S GOIN TO SAVE EVERYONE OF US!!!

[@nagoranerides3150]

"By your own law" is a great moment. "Those with nothing to hide have nothing to fear" is a very double-edged sword.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

1:24 - "What more could I do for you?" Note suppressed rage when he says that...

[@onceamusician5408]

Keith Michell - i remember well his multiple roles as this King and at this time 1970-72 - produced the very best portrayals of Henry VIII I have ever seen

[@shouldhavedonebetter]

Michell for me is #2. I think Robert Shaw had him edged out though.

[@robhaskins]

What a treat! Donald Pleasence as Cromwell! I have to see this movie. I'm sure Pleasence would make Cromwell totally likeable.

[@nobodyexpectssi4654]

Demasiada clase la de Pleasence para ser Cromweell. Consiguió hacer simpático incluso a Himmler

[@nez9751]

Blofelt, dr evil,

[@JasonEverley]

Oh that's who that is, idk not serious enough I think

[@ShaneKilpatrick-i4t]

I’ve never seen this! Amazing calibre of actors.👏

[@stconstable]

Great dialogue. Great casting. Great costumes and set design. Great direction. And Michell, for me, the definitive Henry. The spot of blood and grease on England's history brought back to life.

[@shouldhavedonebetter]

Michell was a fine Henry VIII. But I think he was edged out by Robert Shaw.

[@1DX2020]

Damien Lewis? Wolf Hall...Think will be highly regarded.

[@yvesbrisabois5972]

Kieth Mitchell était un Henry VIII plus vrai que nature.

[@lesigh1749]

Apparently it was learning that Cromwell had received numerous Taylor Swift concert tickets from the Privy purse that sent the council over the edge.

[@KnowYoutheDukeofArgyll1841]

Along with those expensive suits and a pair of glasses.

[@199019852007]

Classic

[@LanternOfLiberty]

Is that what set of a Hitler rant, too? That would only make sense. 😮😂

[@tla2119]

I don’t get it

[@lesigh1749]

@@tla2119 Recently UK government ministers have been caught taking thousands of pounds of freebies in return for influence, and for some reason Taylor Swift concert tickets were all the rage.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

A tiny hint that Cromwell is in danger is when the king asks about him discussing the purchase of a castle in a Lutheran part of Germany. Henry was never a thorough-going Protestant and reacted against those who were in the latter part of his reign. His religious attitudes could best be described as Catholicism without the Pope having authority, at least in England.

[@shkodranalbi]

Absolutely right. Deeply conflicted on the matter. Guilt was gnawing him inside for his sins and crimes and doing away with the sacrament of Confession did not help. And like Macbeth, he found it easier to carry on killing...

[@bettyleeist]

I saw a new version of Thomas Cromwell in the Henry the 8th saga.I would’ve of wanted to live during that time in history!It’s better to read about!😊

[@gregorymonroe5407]

Oh my God I loved this series, what a cast. What memories

[@paules3437]

Amazing that Keith Michell played this role in this and then the same role in the BBC "The Six Wives of Henry VIII".

[@tommoncrieff1154]

But the other way round. It was so successful on TV that a movie was made with a slightly starrier cast.

[@DavBlc7]

Can't wait to see the arrest on BBC's Wolf Hall soon to be screened.

[@dulls8475]

@@lloydnaylor6113 Well broadly if 10% of the population were say non white then you would expect that to be reflected in casting all being equal. What is really happening is that white people do not do acting anymore and thus it skews the figures without any form of racism. Surely that is what is happening.

[@nez9751]

I’ve watched this again recently , it’s really great. Can’t beleive we haven’t yet had a big budget movie portraying this story.

[@GuiGabois]

There have been many. Richard Burton, Robert Shaw to name 2

[@davidhull1481]

Class prejudice. The aristocrats couldn’t stand the idea of a commoner in such high office.

[@le13579]

Only when he was working against their interests.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

I don't think it's that, as much as... courts demanded a certain balance of power, for favours to be distributed evenly. Every time some guy broke that balance, he became a threat to the others. Cromwell or people like Hugh Despenser or Piers Gaveston. Hogging all the attention = making enemies. It's why the most succesful monarchs in that period made sure not to give any one individual too much power and spreading favours around. Plus, Henry no longer needed Cromwell who had let him down just like Wolsey before him. Anne of Cleves and the idea of joining the Schmalkalden League was his failure. Once you failed Henry, you were out, no mercy.

[@lesigh1749]

In part that was certainly the motive, but also Cromwell did rather too well for himself out of his service to the King, and was like a magpie for honors and freebies. if only we could treat our current free gear ministers like this and have them hauled away to the tower.

[@davidhull1481]

@ I got that idea from Hilary Mantel.

[@mcRydes]

@@lesigh1749 not even Henvry the VIII defended Cromwell's downfall after it was all said and done. He was a cruel and wrathful King, rash and quick to violence. There is no reason to make excuses for his whims. If Cromwell had any fault, it was falling in with bad company.

[@bigfan2710]

Donald Pleasance. Legend!!!!

[@jmcallion2071]

Keith michel was known only for this role and no one has matched him!

[@davidevans3227]

great seeing these old familiar faces thankyou for sharing this 🙂

[@splinterbyrd]

Apparently Henry VIII soon regretted the judicial murder of his faithful servant, and - true to form - blamed other people. I'm no fan of Thomas Cromwell, but if it's any consolation Henry VIII left no grandchildren. Cromwell's family are still alive and well today, and they include the Duchess of Kent, Lord de Clifford and the actor Danny Dyer

[@CommissarKane]

I think it was 5 days later he lamented his death not even a week and you're right others lost their heads for Cromwell's death.

[@splinterbyrd]

@CommissarKane Sounds about right lol. Monsters the whole lot of 'em, and we're still living with the consequences

[@susanm3285]

It's official! Keith Michell is the ultimate onscreen Henry VIII!

[@russell-di8js]

Z cars, Flash Gordon & Kings advisor, is there nothing Brian Blessed has'nt made better by his appearance? Love that guy & what a cast of British top acting in this 1972 film, fantastic.

[@lawrenceh1405]

Don't forget _Black Adder_ Series 1! 😊

[@russell-di8js]

@@lawrenceh1405 Man, too many to name, I Claudius being a little more high brow but he was great in everything.

[@artsleuth193]

He also played Kevin Costner's father in Robin Hood!

[@malcolmabram2957]

This recording of his arrest in 1540 was discovered intact in 1972.

[@SharonPadget]

Yes, I’m surprised they had color back in 1540. I expected it to be in black and white. 😂

[@tommoncrieff1154]

@@SharonPadgetIt was black and white but Holbein coloured it in, in a spare moment.

[@SharonPadget]

@ paint by number, perhaps.

[@Minime163]

and they must have added the sound too because recordings from 1540 would have been silent as sound only came out in about 1926 the jazz singer I believe was the first film with sound.

[@jchisholm1968]

@@SharonPadget Remastered no doubt. Lol

[@Robert-kv5tt]

Having just watched the new version this looks like a school play.

[@hughcapetien]

This was televised on PBS during the early 70's

[@KebabMusicLtd]

That's a telling scene at 1.01 where Wriothesley bows to the King and Cromwell calls after him to acknowledge him too. Cromwell putting his own acknowledgement on a par with the Kings.

[@wolfkafitz9461]

Reminds me of the "Death of Stalin" when Berija met his fate. Sometimes the history books are repeating themselves...

[@david_porthouse]

I was just about to post a comment making the same comparison!

[@jacquie2193]

Wonderful Keith Michel

[@garybrockwell2031]

I was going to say that, when it came on I was in doubt 🤔 what a great KEITH 🇬🇧💪🥇 He was...

[@paulclayton745]

Keith Michelle has to be the best Henry Viii since the original both in the series and movie. And Australian to boot!

[@mercian1030]

And Australian to boot! Brit deep down.

[@deborahkogan8742]

Poor Cromwell...

[@redmi9834]

I read that Henry did later regret having executed Cromwell and blamed it on listening too much to his enemies and believing their lies about him.

[@Bob-s5p4m]

He girlbossed too close to the sun

[@TamsinHartnell]

This comment is underrated

[@EPICFAILKING1]

hahahahaha

[@eamonwright7488]

😂😂😂

[@howardsontz983]

Donald Pleasance. What a versatile actor.

[@philbates7975]

Donald Pleasance as Thomas Cromwell😂😂 Hilarious.

[@paultester8672]

Shows the Lords as they truly are and were, greedy and avaricious. The so called’betters’.

[@abrarahmed1888]

Mercy, mercy, mercy!

[@kdallas3966]

Trusting henry was a fatal mistake

[@paulbale3872]

This was the film version of the tv series Keith Michel starred in.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

The only actor that looks like Henry VIII. You could possibly include the young Charles Laughton as Henry VIII, who did look remarkably like him. All the actors playing the part haven't looked remotely like him, including the present interpretation in Wolf Hall.

[@monicabeaston4996]

Well

[@monicabeaston4996]

The Wolf Hall one does have red hair!

[@Guitcad1]

Laughton wasn't anywhere near tall enough. Also, they had him look more or less the same through that whole movie and only gave him some grey hairs in the final scene.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

@Guitcad1 Laughton still looked effective. Yes, Laughton was short, but the actor carried weight, and his performance was solid.

[@andrerosa6470]

In this scene, Henry was a perfect example of a warm.

[@shkodranalbi]

Donald Pleasance - brilliant

[@Guitcad1]

Donald Pleasance? 😳 I guess so. I've never seen him with a full head of hair before. I thought Wolfe Morris did an admirable job of playing Cromwell in The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I don't know how he would have done with this portrayal. Much more physical acting. And I've never seen any other of Morris' work.

[@nobodyexpectssi4654]

Pleasence es extraordinario. Pero demasiado humano para hacer de Cromwell, le da una clase que Cromwell no tenía. Pleasence consiguió darle humanidad incluso a Himmler. Leo McKern era, en ese, sentido, mejor Cromwell. Igualmente, Michell tiene un aspecto demasiado imponente, un rostro más estructurado y majestuoso que el verdadero Henry nunca tuvo. Los reyes de Inglaterra tienen una gran deuda con los maravillosos actores que los interpretaron. Esta película se acerca al ambiente paranoico y de terror de la corte Tudor que tan acertadamente describió Ford Madox Ford en ‘La quinta reina’.

[@rhonataylor85]

I’m getting Baldrick vibes from Donald Pleasance.

[@lawrenceh1405]

Ah, another _Black Adder_ fan! 🤜🤛 😊

[@allisonarthurs2469]

Keith Michell is the best Henry ever.

[@maestroclassico5801]

Has this movie still not made it to DVD?

[@spookycat8556]

It is on DVD. Amazon has it.

[@JenniferM13]

I've owned the DVD for years.

[@dr.impossibleofcounterpunc1984]

@@maestroclassico5801 Studio Canal released it quite a while back. There's rumours that the film might get a 4K restoration. Maybe.

[@davidevans3227]

strange thing to say?

[@maestroclassico5801]

@@davidevans3227 Not at all for many years, it WASNT. The six wives of Henry VIII ...a BBC miniseries that preceded this movie.....where Keith also plays Henry.....has been available for years but this film, again, I can assure you, has not been.

[@fig1115]

pretty sure this all happened before 1972

[@markscribb]

3:01 when your 'standard issue' helmet is just a bit too small.

[@prac2]

for some reason this scene reminded me of the dark crystal

[@XKT035]

Alfred Pennyworth doesn't think much for traitors

[@visionist7]

Is that the guy who played Alfred in Forever & Batman & Robin

[@eamonndeane587]

​@@visionist7The Very Same Man. Michael Gough was a great actor.

[@michaelmouse4024]

The Tory party are really quite vicious aren't they?

[@spookycat8556]

They are vultures picking over their prey.

[@MrAntonBerg]

Cromwell with a bloody nose looks like Hannibal the cannibal.

[@godfrey_of_america]

Brian Blessed???!!!!

[@johnzeszut3170]

The King looks like a wine head.

[@CaliCarpetbagger]

And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, CROMWELL, the laws all being flat?

[@will-i-am-not]

Henry was so fat when he died his body did burst when moved from his bed

[@paulhatcher8450]

The laugh is scary

[@tropicalgardenvlogs]

Henry VIII was a peculiar character.

[@drparnassus2867]

I think it had worked its way up to his head by that point.

[@micu1544]

That actor is a dead ringer for sir Thomas More

[@christophercooper4149]

Sadly Leo Mckern can never be bettered

[@dominicbuckley8309]

He played Cromwell in "A Man for all Seasons", not this.

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

Karma in action.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Or the fun of serving a powerful but possibly paranoid schizophrenic master... Talent ran in his family, though - Oliver Cromwell was a distant relative.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Henry must has set up Cromwell but note he is not present for his arrest. Cowardice?

[@rockyrowlands3652]

This is when historical accuracy outweighs diversity for the sake of diversity.

[@RobertTaylor-sw7wj]

No good being a commoner then! And no good now!

[@Besidethsbeach]

I was eating food and nerly frou up 💀

[@JohnRoberts-wk6rf]

This is not "The Six Wives of Henry VIII".

[@spookycat8556]

It is Henry VIII and his 6 wives.

[@paules3437]

Kinda corny when they all start chanting "Traitor!" and banging their fists.

[@WalterWild-uu1td]

Corny, perhaps. But in most absolute systems, when the power has let it be known that Person A is a "traitor," not "chanting 'Traitor'" and banging your fist can be construed as showing sympathy to the "Traitor"... and leave one open to joining said "Traitor." The noble gentlemen in question had spent significant time in Henry's court to have learned that lesson well.

[@octavianpopescu4776]

I don't know if that happened in real life, but it's not implausible. Films tend to portray that period as more... gentlemanly than it was. Fundamentally, nobles were like mobsters, pretending to care about honour, but corrupt and ready to start a fight, including with their bare fists. There are frequent reports of nobles starting fights at court, which was forbidden, but they did it anyway. One of them (I think it was the Duke of Norfolk) tearing the chain from Cromwell's neck is historically attested. That did happen. So, is it's not that corny. Nobles were more... brutish than people today imagine them to be. Think of them less as elegant and civilized and more like mobsters, talking about honour, but not adverse to killing people who got in their way.

[@tommoncrieff1154]

Look at today’s Parliament with them all jeering and shouting in partisan fashion. And that’s when they know it’s going out on TV and online. I expect it really was a bit like this, albeit this is dramatised.

[@eamonndeane587]

This really happened in real life. A Case of truth being stranger than fiction.

[@Louise-pe1un]

Cranmer turning away in shame. Bernard Hepton played him perfectly.

[@rorysmith559]

I thought his name was Oliver; not Thomas Cromwell

[@ModelTrainOutsider]

Different Cromwell... grandfather to Oliver.

[@rorysmith559]

@ Thank you for the clarification; I was confused because I don’t remember ever hearing of Thomas Cromwell; only Oliver

[@HenryRaeburn367]

​@ModelTrainOutsider Oliver Cromwell was descended from a junior branch of the Cromwell family distantly related from ( as great great great uncle ) Thomas Cromwell chief minister to Henry VIII Thomas Cromwell 's sister Katherine, married a Welsh lawyer, Morgan Williams there son ( Thomas Cromwell nephew) Richard changed his name from Morgan to Cromwell , Thomas Cromwell is not the grandfather of Oliver he's a distant relation of Oliver Cromwell very distant

[@brontewcat]

@@rorysmith559The irony being at the time of Oliver Cromwell’s birth, Thomas Cromwell was far more prominent. He was Henry VIII’s chief minister in the 1530s. Gr Elton, a prominent Tudor historian, credits Thomas Cromwell with the changes that gave Parliament the power to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which lead to Parliament growing in prominence that led to Parliament challenging the King a little over 100 years later and the English Civil War.

[@donnasherwood283]

Awful production awful tudors destroyed England

[@RobertTaylor-sw7wj]

No good being a commoner then! And no good now!