Cast of CAESAR & CLEOPATRA (1945)
Stewart Granger (Apollodorus), Vivien Leigh (Cleopatra), Basil Sydney (Rufio) and Claude Rains (Caesar).
I usually showcase more than one set of photo for Mondays post but this photo is so great that I don't need to add anything. I really like this film. It's one of the few movies set in Antiquity I watched on a regular basis when I was young. I still enjoy it today but since my horizon has expanded by blogging about this genre for nearly 10 years, my estimation of it sorta has diminished. Other films have replaced it as my go to for any quick PEPLUM fix. I still contend that Rains was hopelessly miscast but he still good enough not to crash this spectacular production. This was Leigh's first 'big' (aka epic) film after GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) and for many people it didn't live up to the hype of the latter film. Stewart Granger is excellent in his role, which showcased his physicality as well as his acting abilities. Since there were few PEPLUM films made in the 1940s, Stewart's talents were served mainly in the Swashbuckling genre. Costumes, sets, lush color cinematography were all excellent. Some scenes are still outstanding even today. It's sad that it's almost inconceivable that a film like this would be made these days.
Vivien Leigh made Waterloo Bridge and That Hamilton Woman between this and Gone With The Wind.
ReplyDeleteThe extravagant expense of this movie resulted in producer Gabriel Pascal never being able to make another movie in England. It's a beautiful movie and all the money spent shows on the screen.
Yes, she made those films but what I meant was the first BIG PICTURE aka Epic since GONE WITH THE WIND. CAESAR & CLEOPATRA was hyped as such. It is a luxurious production.
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