The Scarlet Empress

Unrated

9/15/19341h 44m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The Reigning Beauty of the Screen! ~

Overview:

During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.

Director:

Josef von Sternberg

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$900,000.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

based on novel or book
royal family
biography
empress
royalty
pre-code
18th century
catherine the great

Cast

Marlene Dietrich

~ as ~

Princess Sophia Frederica / Catherine II

John Lodge

~ as ~

Count Alexei

Sam Jaffe

~ as ~

Grand Duke Peter

Louise Dresser

~ as ~

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

C. Aubrey Smith

~ as ~

Prince August

Gavin Gordon

~ as ~

Capt. Gregori Orloff

Olive Tell

~ as ~

Princess Johanna Elizabeth

Ruthelma Stevens

~ as ~

Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie'

Davison Clark

~ as ~

Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky / Arch-Episcope

Erville Alderson

~ as ~

Chancelor Alexei Bestuchef

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
8
If anyone was to have actually filmed aspects of the life of the Princess at the time, then they could hardly have come up with anything more authentic than this fabulous Von Sternberg dramatisation of the rise, and rise of Catherine the Great. Marlene Dietrich is superb as the schemed against who becomes the scheming Grand Duchess married off to the imbecilic nephew (played by a superb Sam Jaffe) of the Empress Elizabeth (an imperious Louise Dresser). Through her series of lovers and strategic alliances, she deposes her idiot husband and accedes to the throne. The (lingering) intimacy of the filming of the star - almost bordering on adulation by the camera (and the director!?); the use of light and shadow - particularly the use of candles; and the marvellous Tchaikovsky score all more than compensate for some of the "train set" model scenery and make this a scintillating story of power. Great stuff.