Catherine the Great (1934 film)

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Catherine the Great
Directed by	Paul Czinner
Produced by	Alexander Korda Ludovico Toeplitz (uncredited)
Written by	Marjorie Deans Arthur Wimperis
Starring	Elisabeth Bergner Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Dorothy Hale
Music by	Ernst Toch (uncredited)
Cinematography	Georges Périnal
Editing by	Stephen Harrison Harold Young
Distributed by	London Films/United Artists
Release date(s)	1934
Running time	95 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
IMDb profile

Catherine the Great is a 1934 film based on the play The Czarina by Lajos Biro and Melchior Lengyel, about the rise to power of Catherine the Great. It was directed by Paul Czinner, and stars Elisabeth Bergner as Catherine, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as Grand Duke Peter, Dorothy Hale as Countess Olga, and Flora Robson as Empress Elizabeth.

[edit] Plot

This historical drama recounts the events that led up to the rule of Russia's 18th-century Catherine the Great. Arriving from Germany as a young woman who is to wed Grand Duke Peter, she soon becomes caught up in the court intrigue and marries the lit-fuse duke. As the Grand Duke's mother lays dying, she relates her fears about her son's mental states, leaving Catherine to contend with his irrational and cruel behavior. When he goes too far with his antics, he is overthrown and put to death, though not by her wishes. Soon, however, Catherine is made the new Czaritza and restores order to her country.