I, Claudius, the story of the stuttering, limping cousin and successor to the cruel Emperor Caligula, was never released. Filming was halted when Merle Oberon was in a terrible car accident, and for thirty years, the footage was locked away. Finally, as there was such a great mystery as to why the film was never finished, a documentary was released in 1965: I, Claudius: The Epic That Never Was.
Dirk Bogarde hosted the documentary, and Emlyn Williams, Merle Oberson, Flora Robson, director Josef von Sternberg, and writer Robert Graves all gave their own interpretations of why the filming was stopped and never resumed. Alas, Charles Laughton and Robert Newton had since passed away. It's a very interesting hour, and all the original footage is included for the audience's viewing pleasure. Outtakes and misspoken lines are shown, as well as entire completed scenes, adding up to almost thirty minutes of footage from I, Claudius.
Charles Laughton plays the title character, and he delivers what would have been one of the most memorable screen monologues, had it been released into theaters. He's so very pitiful as Claudius, and it's truly heartbreaking to see the other characters make fun of his flaws. I happen to like Charles Laughton and think he's very talented, so it was easy for me to be engrossed by his performance. Nothing's sadder than his pout; and when he's ridiculed, he never gets angry or has attitude, making him all the much more endearing.
If you like Charles Laughton, definitely give this documentary a watch. You'll get to see a good semi-performance, and you'll be educated in film history.