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:

Never before such seductive beauty; such riotous... luxurious... loving and living

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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:

Caesar and 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

According to Vivien Leigh, this movie took nine months to film, under Gabriel Pascal's direction.

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Goofs

About halfway through when the Romans are marching through the streets on their way to the courtyard, the drummers all have drums with modern-day Batter-King skins.

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Quotes

Julius Caesar: And so to the end of history, murder shall breed murder, always in the name of right, and justice, and peace, until the gods create a race of men that can understand.

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Connections

Version of Caesar und Cleopatra (1964)

User Reviews

Ranks with Pygmalian as a Shaw film classic

Shaw was a wonderful historian with a deadly eye for irony. Claude Rains brings off Caesar with withering poise and breezy wit, standing tall above the flashing eye of an Egyptian hurricane named Cleopatra (Vivien Leigh). Caesar's aide-de-camp is an affable bear of a man named Rufio (Basil Sydney), who mainly just keeps his eye on Caesar. Cleopatra is likewise sheltered by her scheming counselor Ftatateeta (Flora Robson), a name that not even Caesar can pronounce. Character actor Cecil Parker as Britannus adds quaintness and serendipity to an already splendid alchemy of spotty characters. The film moves by turns through a narrow skein of classical history as the reliquarian Egyptian world gives way to a streamlined Roman one. Along the way, we witness the contending parties encompassed and entangled in a delightful pantheon of wit, irony, satire, morals, manners, and adventure. Overall, a tremendously facile projection of one of England's sharpest satirical voices, G.B. Shaw.