Cleopatra (1934)

Cleopatra (1934)

A lavish spectacle (perhaps not as famous as the 1963 version) that I’m afraid was a bit of a disappointment when I finally got to see it. It’s one of director-producer Cecil B. DeMille’s many extravaganzas which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (and 3 others). It does features Claudette Colbert in the title role and a stunning wardrobe as well as some incredible sets (though the inside of her "barge" looks a little too much like a studio set from certain angles) and Academy Award winning Cinematography. But I’m afraid that Warren William’s Caesar and Henry Wilcoxon’s Marc Antony leave much to be desired. William didn’t seem to make up his mind about how to play Caesar; his performance begins rather woodenly and ends up almost campy. Though Wilcoxon’s Antony is "dumb" enough to be manipulated by the Queen of Egypt I didn’t find their passion for one another (nor Caesar’s for Cleopatra for that matter) particularly credible. Ian Keith as Octavian Joseph Schildkraut as King Herod and C. Aubrey Smith as Caesar’s then Antony’s loyal General provide adequate support. Arthur Hohl & Harry Beresford who played Titus & Favius (respectively) in the much better DeMille film The Sign of the Cross (1932) play Brutus & the Soothsayer in this one.

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