Movie Cosmos - The Scarlet Empress

Description:

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.

Top 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

Maria Riva

As Sophia as a Child

Jane Darwell

As Miss Cardell, Sophia's Nurse (uncredited)

Edward Van Sloan

As Herr Wagner (uncredited)

Akim Tamiroff

As Bit Part (uncredited)

Marie Wells

Eric Alden

Elinor Fair

Julanne Johnston

Agnes Steele

Philip Sleeman

Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Gerald Fielding

Richard Alexander

Nadine Beresford

Hal Boyer

James Burke

John Davidson

George Davis

Anna Duncan

May Foster

Ivan Linow

James A. Marcus

Eunice Murdock Moore

Patricia Patrick

Warner Richmond

Blanche Rose

Katherine Sabichi

Sam Savitsky

Dina Smirnova

Minnie Steele

Belle Stoddard

Kent Taylor

Jameson Thomas

Bruce Warren

Leo White

Harry Woods

Top Crew >

Josef von Sternberg

Director, Art Direction, Producer, Editor

Bert Glennon

Director of Photography

Travis Banton

Costume Design

Emanuel Cohen

Executive Producer

Harry D. Mills

Sound

Sam Winston

Editor

Hans Dreier

Art Direction

Manuel Komroff

Writer

Eleanor McGeary

Writer

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (8/10)

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.

2022-06-13