Rasputin and the Empress (1932)

A prince plots to kill the mad monk Rasputin for the good of the czar, the czarina and Russia.

Directors:

Richard Boleslawski (as Richard Boleslavsky), Charles Brabin (uncredited)

Writer:

Charles MacArthur (screen play)

Stars:

John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ethel Barrymore	...	The Czarina - Alexandra Feodorovna
Lionel Barrymore	...	Grigori Yefimovitch Rasputin
Ralph Morgan	...	The Czar - Nicholai Alexander
Tad Alexander	...	The Czarevitch -Alexis Nikolaiovitch
John Barrymore	...	Prince Paul Chegodieff
Diana Wynyard	...	Princess Natasha
C. Henry Gordon	...	Grand Duke Igor
Edward Arnold	...	Doctor Remezov

Storyline

As Europe looms on the edge of war in 1913, the family and members of the court of the Russian czar Nicholas come under the sway of a mysterious mystic named Rasputin. When Rasputin miraculously appears to cure the czar's son Alyosha of his hemophilia, the monk's reputation is cemented, particularly in the mind of the princess Natasha. Natasha's fiancé (and, later, husband) Prince Paul Chegodieff, however, suspects Rasputin is a charlatan who will cause the downfall of the royal family and perhaps of Russia itself.

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Plot Keywords:

czar | monk | czarina | manipulative personality | imperial russia | 

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Taglines:

The story of a mysterious monk who ruled and ruined a nation. (Print Ad- Poughkeepsie Eagle-News, ((Poughkeepsie, NY)) 21 April 1934)

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dr. William Axt, MGM's musical director, brought together all the Greek and Russian orthodox church choirs in Los Angeles to sing at the celebration mass at the start of the movie.

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Goofs

Although considered to be a mystic, Rasputin was neither a monk and nor was he unmarried. He had left behind a wife and several children in his native village on the outskirts of Russia.

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Quotes

The Czarina: I need you.
Prince Chegodieff: Yes, your Majesty.
The Czarina: I've injured you. But, I've injured Russia more.
Prince Chegodieff: Your Majesty, I know how much you love Russia. Everything in your heart, everything that you've done, you thought was for Russia's good.
The Czarina: My heart is broken. What are we to do?

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Alternate Versions

Upon its premiere "Rasputin and the Empress" ran approximately 132 minutes. Due to the famous lawsuits against it, a number of scenes had to be cut for legal reasons. One critical scene that was deleted was one which implied that Rasputin had raped Diana Wynyard's character of "Princess Natascha". The removal of this scene tended to make the character of Princess Natascha somewhat incomprehensible - initially she is a supporter of Rasputin; in the latter part of the film she is very afraid of him. Unless the viewer is aware of the cuts made in the film, there does not appear to be any explanation for the change in Princess Natascha toward Rasputin.

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Connections

Version of Rasputin (1938)

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Soundtracks

Russian National Anthem
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Played during the opening credits and at the end

User Reviews

Three Barrymore's

Rasputin and the Empress (1932)

*** (out of 4)

Lionel, John and Ethel Barrymore star in this film, which was the only one that all three legends appeared in together. After her son is near death, Czarina Alexandria (Ethel) lets the monk Rasputin (Lionel) pray with her son who eventually heals and the monk gives credit to God. Saving her son, the monk soon finds himself gaining power inside the government but this doesn't sit well with Prince Chegodieff (John) who will stop at nothing to prove the monk is mad. Apparently MGM was sued due to how inaccurate the story is here so if you want a history lesson you should go read a book but if you want to see all three Barrymore's together then this is the only film out there that will suit you. The film should have been a lot better than it is but the thing drags at several points and I'm sure fifteen or so minutes could have been trimmed from the 123-minute running time, although apparently the film ran longer when originally released. The performances aren't what you'd expect but it's certainly fun seeing the three Barrymore's working together. Lionel actually goes way over the top, which is something you'd expect from John but he actually manages to be quite calm and cool throughout the film. John certainly gives the best performance but it's Lionel who steals the film with his fake beard and over the top antics. Ethel is good in her role as is the supporting work from Ralph Morgan. The costumes and set design are wonderful and I really enjoyed the made up ending, which contains some pretty strong violence.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 March 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rasputin and the Empress

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1