Fire Over England

Fire Over England aka Gloriana is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the novel Fire Over England by A. E. W. Mason. Leighs performance in the film helped to convince David O. Selznick to cast her as Scarlett OHara in his production of Gone with the Wind. The film is a historical drama set during the reign of Elizabeth I focusing on Englands victory over the Spanish Armada.

Elizabeths chief advisers are the Lord Treasurer, Lord Burleigh Morton Selten, and her longtime admirer, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester Leslie Banks. Burleighs 18yearold granddaughter Cynthia Vivien Leigh is one of Elizabeths ladiesinwaiting, and the ageing queen is plagued by jealousy of the girls beauty and vivacity.In a sea battle between the Spanish, led by Don Miguel Robert Rendel, and the English, led by his old friend Sir Richard Ingolby Lyn Harding the English are captured. Miguel allows Richards son Michael Laurence Olivier to escape. Michael washes ashore on Miguels estate, and his wounds are tended to by Miguels daughter Elena Tamara Desni, who quickly becomes enamoured of the handsome Englishman. As the months pass, Michael recovers and laments being apart from Cynthia, his sweetheart, but is nonetheless impressed by Elenas charms. ........

Source: Wikipedia