| Caesar and Cleopatra | |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Gabriel Pascal |
| Produced by | Gabriel Pascal |
| Written by | George Bernard Shaw |
| Starring | Claude Rains Vivien Leigh |
| Release date(s) | 1945 |
| Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Caesar and Cleopatra is a 1945 British, Technicolor, biographical, romantic comedy film directed by Gabriel Pascal and starring Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh.[1] It was adapted from a 1901 play, Caesar and Cleopatra by George Bernard Shaw. The film was produced by Independent Producers, Pascal Film Productions and Eagle-Lion Distributors.
Caesar and Cleopatra was a box office failure, but it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction (John Bryan). [2]
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In this philosophical coming-of-age film, an aging Julius Caesar takes possession of the Egyptian capital city of Alexandria, and tries to resolve a feud between young Princess Cleopatra and her younger brother Ptolemy. During the resulting sometimes-murderous court-intrigues, Caesar develops a special relationship with Cleopatra, and teaches her how to use her royal power.
Filmed in Technicolor with lavish sets, the production was reported to be the most expensive film ever made in Britain at the time. Pascal ordered sand from Egypt to get the right cinematic color. The production also ran into delays due to being filmed during World War II.[3]
The film was described as a "box office stinker" at the time, and virtually ended Pascal's career. It was the first Shaw film made in color, and the last film version of a Shaw play during his lifetime. After Shaw's death in 1950 Pascal went on to produce one more Shaw film, the 1952 version of Androcles and the Lion.
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