The 1953 Coronation of The Queen, was a very early Television spectacular which had us all watching, sometimes in other people’s homes who had a television set at the time – but of course it was in Black and White and shown in those days on 12 inch or 14 inch screens

However a film was also made and was released to cinemas shortly after the event – and this was in glorious Technicolor at it’s very best and that was about as impressive as it could ever be.

This 1953 feature film has been restored and was given a limited cinema release earlier this year 2022

I would love to have seen “A Queen is Crowned” in the cinema.

I am informed that in cinematic terms, it is jaw dropping. The brilliance of the ceremony at Westminster Abbey is shown in its full glory.

The sheer power of Great Britain’s history is on show. However the star must be Technicolor at the very end of the Technicolor era.The beauty of the young Queen, the deep reds, gold, blues and greens that only Technicolor can offer are contrasted with grey exterior shots of a cold and wet London warmed by huge crowds and a massive military parade.

The commentary was written by Christopher Fry, who was much in vogue as a poetic playwright at that time, and it is delivered with too much ‘ham’ by Laurence Olivier. He is in “Henry V” mode here

This is a film to be seen on the big screen. The colour and detail is simply not visible on DVD even on a large television.

Incredibly the film was released and is showing in cinemas on 7 June 1953 just five days after the Coronation.

Apparently the commentary had been written and recorded prior to the event and probably the musical score too.

Either way it was some achievement to see this wide screen colour film so soon after the event

The Advertisement above for the film at the Cinema in Slough shows it being teamed with an unlikely candidate but that seems to be how things went in those days. The programme had to have a supporting film so it seems whoever chose the teaming up just took what was on offer – or available after release – at that time