Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

At the height of the Roman Civil War, a young Cleopatra meets a middle-aged Julius Caesar, who teaches her how to rule Egypt.

Director:

Gabriel Pascal

Writers:

George Bernard Shaw (scenario) (as Bernard Shaw), George Bernard Shaw (dialogue) (as Bernard Shaw)

Stars:

Claude Rains, Vivien Leigh, Stewart Granger

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claude Rains	...	Caesar
Vivien Leigh	...	Cleopatra
Stewart Granger	...	Apollodorus
Flora Robson	...	Ftatateeta
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Pothinus
Basil Sydney	...	Rufio
Cecil Parker	...	Britannus
Raymond Lovell	...	Lucius Septimius
Anthony Eustrel	...	Achillas
Ernest Thesiger	...	Theodotus
Anthony Harvey	...	Ptolemy
Robert Adams	...	Nubian Slave
Olga Edwardes	...	Cleopatra's Lady Attendant
Harda Swanhilde	...	Cleopatra's Lady Attendant
Michael Rennie	...	1st. Centurion

Storyline

Cleopatra hasn't been on the throne of the pharoahs of Egypt very long when Julius Caesar pays a visit. Caesar finds the prospect of romance more tempting than he expected, since Cleopatra is a rare woman who is bright as well as beautiful. And for Cleopatra, a friendly relationship with the most powerful man in the world may pay dividends in the future.

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Plot Keywords:

character names as title | cleopatra character | julius caesar character | egypt | 1st century b.c. | 

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Taglines:

Days of magnificent adventure... nights of maddest revelry... a temptation in Technicolor!

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 September 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

César y Cleopatra

Filming Locations:

Egypt

Box Office

Budget:

£1,278,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,905,000, 31 December 1945

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,705,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gabriel Pascal Productions, Independent Producers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min 128 min (Encore-Action Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Amongst Director Gabriel Pascal's extravagances, was building his own sphinx, and having it hauled out into the desert. Executive Producer J. Arthur Rank allowed it, because he hoped the picture's success would allow him to make additional historical films. However, it was a box-office failure, and caused Rank to scrub Pascal's next project, "The Snow Goose", with a loss of thirty thousand dollars.

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Goofs

In Caesar's first scene, he appears under a night sky full of clouds and bright stars. The clouds don't move at all and the stars shine bright through them, giving away the fact it's a painted backdrop with lights. Also, very strong shadows exist giving away the use of stage lighting.

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Quotes

Apollodorus: When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares it his duty.

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Connections

Version of Caesar und Cleopatra (1964)

User Reviews

A forgotten classic...

This movie is one of my favourites of all time. It portrays Julius Caesar in his later years, not as a lusting powermonger, but as a wise and benevolent dictator...tired of blood and betrayal and wishing for a brighter vision of humanity. Claude Raines gives a brilliant performance of Caesar as a dreamer, while Viven Leigh perfectly portrays the naieve yet devious young Cleopatra with her usual believability and vigor. No big explosions...no horrific violence...just a wonderfully entertaining and thoughtful film. A definate classic...not to be missed, especially if you are a fan of the costume and elegance of this period of movie.