The Scarlet Empress
(1934)
100 or 103-104 mins | Drama | 15 September 1934
Cast:
Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe [ More ]Director:
Josef von SternbergProducer:
Josef von SternbergCinematographer:
Bert GlennonEditor:
Sam WinstonProduction Company:
Paramount Productions, Inc.According to scripts in the Paramount Script Collection at the AMPAS Library, the working titles for this film were Her Regiment of Lovers , Catherine II and Catherine the Great . The film credits "a supporting cast of 1000 players." Narrative titles are used throughout the film to advance the plot. The film was not released until almost four months after the production was completed. According to modern sources, the reason why Paramount held up its release was that the studio wanted to avoid box office competition from the Alexander Korda production Catherine the Great , starring Elisabeth Bergner, which was released in the United State on 16 Mar 1934. The Scarlet Empress reportedly cost $900,000 to produce. In his autobiography, director Josef von Sternberg states that "about ten feet" of the film, which showed "an enormous number of Russians swarming through the streets," was borrowed from Ernst Lubitsch's 1928 film The Patriot , and Lubitsch, not recognizing his own scene, chastised Sternberg for "willful waste and disregard of costs," believing he had shot the elaborate scene himself. Sternberg states that he wrote a violin composition for one of the scenes and conducted the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra in playing the film's score. Modern sources credit Travis Banton with costumes; Gordon Jennings with titles and effects; Milan Roder as an additional music arranger; Hans Dreier, Peter Ballbusch and Richard Kollorsz as set designers; and attribute the gargoyles and other figures that were displayed throughout the Muscovian court to Ballbusch, a Swiss sculptor. Maria Sieber, who as an adult acted under the name Maria Riva, was Marlene Dietrich's daughter. ... More Less
According to scripts in the Paramount Script Collection at the AMPAS Library, the working titles for this film were Her Regiment of Lovers , Catherine II and Catherine the Great . The film credits "a supporting cast of 1000 players." Narrative titles are used throughout the film to advance the plot. The film was not released until almost four months after the production was completed. According to modern sources, the reason why Paramount held up its release was that the studio wanted to avoid box office competition from the Alexander Korda production Catherine the Great , starring Elisabeth Bergner, which was released in the United State on 16 Mar 1934. The Scarlet Empress reportedly cost $900,000 to produce. In his autobiography, director Josef von Sternberg states that "about ten feet" of the film, which showed "an enormous number of Russians swarming through the streets," was borrowed from Ernst Lubitsch's 1928 film The Patriot , and Lubitsch, not recognizing his own scene, chastised Sternberg for "willful waste and disregard of costs," believing he had shot the elaborate scene himself. Sternberg states that he wrote a violin composition for one of the scenes and conducted the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra in playing the film's score. Modern sources credit Travis Banton with costumes; Gordon Jennings with titles and effects; Milan Roder as an additional music arranger; Hans Dreier, Peter Ballbusch and Richard Kollorsz as set designers; and attribute the gargoyles and other figures that were displayed throughout the Muscovian court to Ballbusch, a Swiss sculptor. Maria Sieber, who as an adult acted under the name Maria Riva, was Marlene Dietrich's daughter. Actor John Lodge, grandson of Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, later became governor of Connecticut and ambassador to Spain. In addition to the 1934 Korda-United Artists film mentioned above, Catherine the Great was the subject of a 1968 British film, Great Catherine , directed by Gordon Flemyng and starring Peter O'Toole, Zero Mostel and Jeanne Moreau. More Less
Catherine the Great
Her Regiment of Lovers
The young German princess Sophia Frederica is chosen by Queen Elizabeth of Russia to marry her nephew, the "royal halfwit" Peter, in order to provide a sane male heir to the throne. Elizabeth changes Sophia's name to Catherine and, following the wedding, Peter tells the queen he hates his wife. When the marriage remains unconsummated, Catherine is blamed. Meanwhile, the debonair Count Alexei pursues Catherine and gives her a locket that contains his picture. The queen discovers their rendezvous, however, and demands that Catherine not leave her sight. That night, Catherine discovers Alexei is the queen's lover and throws his locket out her window, but in remorse goes out into the snowy night to find it. There she meets Lieutenant Dmitri, a guard, who does not recognize her. In an act of vengeance, Catherine makes love with him and becomes pregnant. When she gives birth to a boy, Catherine satisfies the queen, but Peter knows the child is not his and his hatred for Catherine grows. When the queen dies, Peter becomes czar and begins a reign of terror, torturing and murdering thousands of Russians. By befriending much of the royal army through her feminine wiles, Catherine builds her defense against the increasingly insane Peter. When Peter has Catherine arrested in order to bring his mistress to the throne, Catherine escapes and, with the help of General Orloff, storms the palace, after which Orloff murders ... + −
The young German princess Sophia Frederica is chosen by Queen Elizabeth of Russia to marry her nephew, the "royal halfwit" Peter, in order to provide a sane male heir to the throne. Elizabeth changes Sophia's name to Catherine and, following the wedding, Peter tells the queen he hates his wife. When the marriage remains unconsummated, Catherine is blamed. Meanwhile, the debonair Count Alexei pursues Catherine and gives her a locket that contains his picture. The queen discovers their rendezvous, however, and demands that Catherine not leave her sight. That night, Catherine discovers Alexei is the queen's lover and throws his locket out her window, but in remorse goes out into the snowy night to find it. There she meets Lieutenant Dmitri, a guard, who does not recognize her. In an act of vengeance, Catherine makes love with him and becomes pregnant. When she gives birth to a boy, Catherine satisfies the queen, but Peter knows the child is not his and his hatred for Catherine grows. When the queen dies, Peter becomes czar and begins a reign of terror, torturing and murdering thousands of Russians. By befriending much of the royal army through her feminine wiles, Catherine builds her defense against the increasingly insane Peter. When Peter has Catherine arrested in order to bring his mistress to the throne, Catherine escapes and, with the help of General Orloff, storms the palace, after which Orloff murders Peter. + −
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