The original “Vamp” Theda Bara played the title role in the silent and now lost 1917 version. Claudette Colbert starred as the Egyptian queen in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1934 Cleopatra. (“There’s no room in Rome for both Octavian and me!” cried Henry Wilcoxon’s Marc Antony, hardly distinguishing it from a western.) In the literate but 
somewhat set-bound and slightly dull 1945 version of George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra, Vivien Leigh played the seductress. Rhonda Fleming was the low-budget Serpent of the Nile (1953), which might be worthwhile just to see Raymond Burr as Marc Antony! The scale of the 1963 version of Cleopatra put these predecessors in the shade. It was also notable for other reasons: the adulterous romance between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the time and money spent (Taylor got a million dollars for her participation), the somewhat risqué (for the time) bath scene, the changing of directors, the start-over with a new cast in Italy after the film had begun shooting in the totally inappropriate English climate, the movie’s architect and producer Walter Wanger forbidden by 20th Century-Fox to attend the premiere.
The movie was castigated by many critics, which should raise eyebrows because the director of record, respected multi-Academy Award winner Joseph L. Mankiewicz (A Letter to Three Wives, 1949; All About Eve, 1950) was at the helm. Could it be that all the off-set shenanigans colored critics’ opinions? In any event, those negative reviews didn’t matter to the public, which turned out en masse to see the final product. So, if it didn’t upon first release make a huge profit (having cost upwards of an astronomical $40,000,000), it was not a flop, and 20th Century survived thanks to the success of the previous year’s roadshow The Longest Day, the selling of Cleopatra to broadcast TV, and in 1965 the gigantic success that was The Sound of Music.
In addition to Cleopatra’s stunning sets, Alex North’s score was truly magnificent, as had been his music for another recent Roman epic whose protagonists were almost contemporary with Caesar’s Rome: Spartacus (1960). North demonstrated with these epics that he was on a par with Miklos Rozsa (Quo Vadis, 1951; Ben-Hur, 1959; King of Kings, 1961; El Cid, 1961.) North was nominated for Cleopatra, but the Academy Award winner in that category was John Addison for Tom Jones. Long-time master cinematographer Leon Shamroy did win for Best Cinematography as did John DeCuir 
and others for Art Direction, and Irene Sharaff and her team for Costume Design.
However, there is one element that no one has latched onto that does justify disappointment with Cleopatra: only two action sequences adorn this four-hour-plus production: the siege of Caesar’s quarters in Alexandria that is broken by formation of the legionnaires into a “turtle” to destroy the Egyptian catapults, and the sea battle of Actium. Marc Antony (Richard Burton) attempting to commit suicide by attacking Octavian’s forces solo hardly counts. What should have been added is not the aftermath of the Battle of Pharsalus at the beginning of the movie, but the battle itself. This lack of action also compromised Spartacus (1960). As with Cleopatra, only the consequence, not the slave army’s first defeat of a Roman army is shown. Although the final, futile battle begins promisingly, with disciplined legions forming up against massed slaves and their hodge-podge weapons, the battle soon degenerates into a melee, with man against man rather than a launch of legionnaires’ pila (javelins) followed by a locking of shields and the wielding of the gladius, or short sword, to hobble Spartacus’s host.
In Cleopatra, Rex Harrison played Caesar, received an Academy Award nomination 
(Sidney Poitier won for Lilies of the Field) but would not win until the ensuing year’s My Fair Lady. It was rumored that he contributed some of his salary to perk up the action. Not so, said his son Carey:
“Incidentally, I never heard that my father offered to contribute money to Fox for more action in Cleopatra. It’s improbable on so many grounds that I hardly know where to begin. My Dad would never have done such a thing because the idea of his contributing cash to Fox of all hated companies, no matter what he wanted to achieve, is absurd beyond belief (except as a joke over dinner?), and he didn’t have any money, not the kind of money (this was 1961) that would have paid for more than thirty seconds of ‘action.'”
All in all, Cleopatra does not deserve undue opprobrium. It was unique, and Nathan Weiss, one of the film’s publicists, astutely observed in a July 28, 1962 missive from Rome how Cleopatra would:
“…mark the end of a Hollywood era—Hollywood as we knew it as kids, as the world has come to have an image of it. I think with this film it can be seen that the whole system finally breaks down under its own weight. That genius has salvaged greatness out of bigness is an accident not likely to be repeated, or too soon attempted…The [Spyros] Skouras era, almost the company as we know it, is over at 20th Century-Fox, and with it comes a glimpse of the final The End on the movies, as so many of us have lived them and dreamed them since childhood.”
References
Brodsky, Jack, and Weiss, Nathan. The Cleopatra Papers: A Private Correspondence. 1963.
Harrison, Carey. email to Kim Holston. February 3, 2019.
Wanger, Walter, and Hyams, Joe. My Life with Cleopatra. 1963.
By Kim
name. The cast is wonderful and the romantic plot is exactly what you want from an Austen drama: sensitive, slow-burning, with a satisfying and deeply touching finish.
his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families 
but also one of its most sought-after bachelors.”
down and out Europeans stranded in a South American backwater are hired to transport nitroglycerine across rough country to the site of an oil well fire where it will be detonated to stop the conflagration. Who will live, who will die? This Criterion release includes many extras and a 24-page booklet. English subtitles.
insight into the fate of nations currently or in the past facing existential threats that can and sometimes dramatically alter the course of their histories. Diamond focuses on countries with which he is intimately familiar, i.e., where he has lived for extended periods of time. These are Finland, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Chile, Germany and the United States. In Finland’s case, the issue remains how to keep the Soviet Union at bay via diplomacy and and remaining neutral on the world stage. Japan is an example of a country that in the mid-19th century decided that it must foreswear its isolation, learn from the West and become powerful enough to dissuade other nations from enforcing their wishes upon its civilization. Australia presents a case for equally rapid change in the 21st century, as when virtually overnight the government under the pragmatic Prime Minister Bob Hawke changed its stance on immigration, business regulation, and health care. As for the United States, a crisis looms and its outward manifestation is the decline in civility and unwillingness to compromise.
challenge in her life, she decides to cook her way through Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ in one year, and to blog about it. As Julie begins to find her groove as a cook, and her voice as a writer, the project takes on a life of its own. The project provides the struggling young woman with her life’s purpose, to her very pleasant surprise. Julia Child has an amazing love affair with her dashing husband, Paul, all while embracing life and French food. Julie lovingly celebrates the life on one of American food’s most influential and beloved figureheads.”
detective–without a single case. Scotland Yard refuses to take him seriously and his friends deride him for attempting a profession at all. But when an anonymous writer sends a letter to the paper claiming to have committed the perfect crime–and promising to kill again–Lenox is convinced that this is his chance to prove himself. The writer’s first victim is a young woman whose body is found in a naval trunk, caught up in the rushes of a small islet in the middle of the Thames. With few clues to go on, Lenox endeavors to solve the crime before another innocent life is lost. When the killer’s sights are turned toward those whom Lenox holds most dear, the stakes are raised and Lenox is trapped in a desperate game of cat and mouse.”
house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Dorothy’s main goal is to find a companion she can relate to, while her mother, Sophia loves to tell “Picture this” type of stories. Rose is a little corny, but lovable never-the-less, and Blanche spends her time courting every man she can lay her hands on. All these 
feisty seniors have either been divorced or widowed in the past and are having fun living life in the Sunshine State.”
series’ stars and guest stars would have noticed how often the likes of Yvonne “Batgirl” Craig and Anne Helm appeared in the magazine. In fact, Helm had prominent roles in over 80 series during that decade.
(although there were a couple instances of singing) but is certainly the cutest and most amusing, 
others, including Abigail Pettigraw, Dulcie Morrow, Rita Vulner, Helena Dales, Lisa Klemm, Blanche Chante, and on Perry Mason, Glamis Barlow.
Deviants’ interactive way with the touch of humor. Try also the #2 in the series, Beyond the Basics.
set in heaven and the two tenor arias which Caruso chose for his very first recording. Only a few minutes listening to this splendid and dramatically engaging performance, though, are needed to convince the listener that it’s a work of substance, significance and beauty.
cult following ever since. Quirky, atmospheric, and beautifully animated, the series follows two brothers who find themselves lost in a strange land called the Unknown. To find their way home they must face mystery and danger– along with a Beast that lives deep in the wood. Great soundtrack and voice-acting. A treat for fans of animation– especially around Halloween!
spooky rock band was actually Ryan Gosling of “The Notebook” fame– but it’s true! Gosling and co. (along with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir) have created an album that is creepy, kooky, and really, really fun. A perfect addition to anyone’s Halloween party playlist (or you could do like me and listen all year!).
search for answers, they are drawn into an extraordinary mystery involving top-secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one very strange little girl.”
worldwide audience as “Wulfgar,” international rogue terrorist dueling with NYC police sergeants played by Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams. Great chase scenes above and below ground and surprise ending.
Blackmail (1929) to Psycho (1960). Includes the iconic “Funeral March of a Marionette” that opened the long-running (1955-1965) TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents plus selections from such famous films as Shadow of a Doubt, Spellbound, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, and North by Northwest.
perfectly cast, incredibly intriguing.
return from 17th century Salem and set out to cast a spell on the town, but first they must outwit three kids and a talking cat.”
