The first Cleopatra movie was made in 1917. It was silent and most unfortunately, no known prints of the William Fox film survive. In 1934 Claudette Colbert made another adaptation of the historical story, wowing the crowds with a rip-roaring box office success. Then came Vivien Leigh's performance, though extremely attractive, as the British actress was, the story line and direction could not make the best of her undoubted acting skills. In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor took on the challenge.

 

Once again, good as the Hollywood queen was, the story and supporting cast was weak, against lavish sets and splendor, the film failed to deliver resounding returns, with Richard Burton droning on and on, as was his monotonous want. A better supporting cast (as would happen today) could still come a cropper financially in our view, if that same old formula was followed. Something different will probably succeed, tackling the story from a different angle. But not another set piece, with massive build costs and vast open spaces. Perhaps CGI will come to the rescue with some tight direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caesar and Cleopatra is a 1945 British Technicolor film directed by Gabriel Pascal and starring Vivien Leigh and Claude Rains. Some scenes were directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, who took no formal credit. The picture was adapted from the play Caesar and Cleopatra (1901) by George Bernard Shaw, produced by Independent Producers and Pascal Film Productions and distributed by Eagle-Lion Distributors and United Artists.

Upon release, Caesar and Cleopatra failed to earn back its colossal budget. John Bryan was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLOT

 

Aging Julius Caesar takes possession of the Ancient Egyptian capital city of Alexandria and tries to resolve a feud between the young princess Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy. Caesar develops a special relationship with Cleopatra and teaches her how to use her royal power.

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

PRODUCTION

Filmed in Technicolor with lavish sets, the production was reported to be the most expensive film ever made at the time, costing £1,278,000 (or £49.8 million at 2019 value), or US$5.15 million (or US$62.3 million at inflation-adjusted value) at contemporary exchange rates. Caesar and Cleopatra held that record until Duel in the Sun was produced in 1946.

Director Gabriel Pascal ordered sand from Egypt in order to achieve the proper cinematic colour. The production ran into delays because of wartime restrictions. During the shoot, Vivien Leigh, who was pregnant, tripped and suffered a miscarriage. The incident triggered Leigh's manic depression, leading to her emotional breakdown, and halted production for five weeks.

The film was described as a "box office stinker" at the time and almost ended Pascal's career. It was the first Shaw film made in colour, and the last film version of a Shaw play during his lifetime. After Shaw's death in 1950, Pascal produced Androcles and the Lion, another Shaw-derived film, in 1952.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECEPTION

According to trade papers, the film was a "notable box office attraction" at British cinemas. According to Kinematograph Weekly, the top British box-office draw for 1946 was The Wicked Lady.

The film earned $1,363,371 in the United States, making it one of the more popular British films ever released there. However, the film's receipts fell short of initial expectations. Variety estimated that Rank lost $3 million (or $32.1 million at 2021 value) on the film after marketing, distribution, prints, insurance rights, and wages were taken into account. Another account says the loss was £981,678.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAST

Vivien Leigh as Cleopatra
Claude Rains as Caesar
Stewart Granger as Apollodorus
Flora Robson as Ftatateeta
Francis L. Sullivan as Pothinus
Basil Sydney as Rufio
Cecil Parker as Britannus
Raymond Lovell as Lucius Septimus
Anthony Eustrel as Achillas
Ernest Thesiger as Theodotus
Anthony Harvey as Ptolemy
Robert Adams as Nubian Slave
Olga Edwardes
Harda Swanhilde as Cleopatra's Lady Attendants
Michael Rennie as 1st Centurion
James McKechnie as 2nd Centurion
Esme Percy as Major Domo
Stanley Holloway as Belzanor
Leo Genn as Bel Affris
Alan Wheatley as Persian
Anthony Holles as Boatman
Charles Victor as 1st Porter
Ronald Shiner as 2nd Porter
John Bryning as Sentinel
John Laurie as 1st Auxiliary Sentinel
Charles Rolfe as 2nd Auxiliary Sentinel
Felix Aylmer as 1st Nobleman
Ivor Barnard as 2nd Nobleman
Valentine Dyall as 1st Guardsman
Charles Deane as 2nd Guardsman

 

 

 

 

 

 

CLEOPATRA THE MUMMY - SCREENPLAY & GRAPHIC NOVEL

 

'Cleopatra - The Mummy' is a graphic novel and script. Kulo-Luna with Treasure Island and Operation Neptune: The Lost City of Atlantis, under development. The John Storm franchise is a series of ocean awareness adventures, featuring the incredible solar and hydrogen powered AI trimaran: Elizabeth Swann.