Fire Over England

1588. War between England and Spain is unavoidable. Michael Ingolby is a young officer whose father was put to death by the Spanish. Queen Elizabeth sends him to the Spanish court to find out when the fleet is coming and where. Michael enters the court under another man's name, handling the risk of exposure and his own account with his father at the same time. By the time the intelligence reaches England the fleet has already sailed, and what the queen has left is fire. William K. Howard directs the British film; ninety-two minutes, with Flora Robson as Elizabeth, Laurence Olivier as Michael and Vivien Leigh as Cynthia at court. Alexander Korda and Erich Pommer produced, James Wong Howe shot it. Olivier and Leigh appeared together for the first time here; they became lovers during the shoot and later married.