Caesar and Cleopatra (film)
| Caesar and Cleopatra | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Gabriel Pascal |
| Produced by | Gabriel Pascal |
| Written by | George Bernard Shaw |
| Starring | Claude Rains Vivien Leigh |
| Cinematography | Jack Hildyard |
| Release date(s) | 1945 |
| Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5.2 million[1] |
| Box office | $2.2 million[1] |
Caesar and Cleopatra is a 1945 British, Technicolor film directed by Gabriel Pascal and starring Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh.[2] It was adapted from a 1901 play, Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw. The film was produced by Independent Producers, Pascal Film Productions and Eagle-Lion Distributors.
Caesar and Cleopatra was a box office failure, but it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (John Bryan). [3]
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Plot [edit]
In this philosophical coming-of-age film, an aging Julius Caesar takes possession of the Egyptian capital city of Alexandria, and tries to resolve a feud between young Princess Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy. During the resulting sometimes-murderous court-intrigues, Caesar develops a special relationship with Cleopatra, and teaches her how to use her royal power.
Production [edit]
Filmed in Technicolor with lavish sets, the production was reported to be the most expensive film ever made in Britain at the time, coming to £1,278,000.[4]
Pascal ordered sand from Egypt to get the right cinematic color. The production also ran into delays due to being filmed during World War II.[5] During the shoot Vivien Leigh tripped and miscarried.[1] Teenage Roger Moore was an extra in the film.
The film was described as a "box office stinker" at the time, and virtually ended Pascal's career. It was the first Shaw film made in color, and the last film version of a Shaw play during his lifetime. After Shaw's death in 1950 Pascal went on to produce one more Shaw film, the 1952 version of Androcles and the Lion.
Cast [edit]
- Claude Rains - Julius Caesar, Roman conqueror.
- Vivien Leigh - Cleopatra, young queen of Egypt.
- Stewart Granger - Apollodorus, a patrician amateur of the arts.
- Flora Robson - Ftatateeta, Cleopatra's nurse.
- Francis L. Sullivan - Pothinus, Egyptian courtier, tutor and guardian of Cleopatra's brother Ptolemy XIII.
- Basil Sydney - Rufio, Roman general
- Cecil Parker - Britannus, Brittanic slave to Caesar.
- Stanley Holloway - Belzanor
- Raymond Lovell - Lucius Septimus, Roman occupier of Egypt.
- Ernest Thesiger - Theodotus, Greek savant.
- Anthony Harvey - Ptolemy, child king of Egypt
- Jean Simmons - Harpist
- Michael Rennie - Quayside Centurion
- Ronald Shiner - Second Porter
- Roger Moore - Extra (uncredited)
References [edit]
- ^ a b c Jay S.Steinberg, 'Caesar and Cleopatra', Turner Classic Movies
- ^ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/28453?view=cast
- ^ "NY Times: Caesar and Cleopatra". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ "Noteworthy Films Made In U.K.". The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 17 January 1953. p. 27. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) home video review, Turner Classic Movies
Bibliography [edit]
- The Great British Films, pp 97-101, Jerry Vermilye, 1978, Citadel Press, ISBN 0-8065-0661-X
External links [edit]
- Caesar and Cleopatra (film) at AllRovi
- Caesar and Cleopatra (film) at the BFI Film & TV Database
- Caesar and Cleopatra at the Internet Movie Database
- Caesar and Cleopatra at the TCM Movie Database
- Movie Production Stills 1
- Movie Production Stills 2
- Trailer for Caesar and Cleopatra (Video)
- Gabriel Pascal directs Shaw's 'Caesar and Cleopatra' 1945 (Newsreel)
- Film Facts
See also [edit]
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