Alexander Korda's portrait of Henry VIII and his several wives is as irreverent and rollicking as its hero. Charles Laughton gained international fame and an Oscar for his witty penetration into the lascivious soul of the British monarch. A landmark film of the thirties, The Private Life of Henry VIII has the distinction of being the first British production to make a major dent in the U.S. market, a success all the more impressive as Korda made the spectacular on a glaringly unspectacular budget (the cast all agreed to work without salary on a profit-loss sharing basis), and still managed sets, designed by Vincent Korda, that provide an appropriately luxurious lap for the royal glutton. Henry VIII's spouses include Elsa Lanchester as Anne of Cleves, Merle Oberon as Anne Boleyn, and Wendy Barrie as Jane Seymour. For all its historicity, the film was condemned by the U.S. Legion of Decency (precursor to the Hays Office).