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Scarlet Empress Details

1934 Certificate 12 Certificate 12
  • 70
  • from 483 members

Of the two 1934 film versions of the life of Russia's Catherine the Great, Josef von Sternberg's The Scarlet Empress was the most opulent and exotic. Marlene Dietrich plays the German-born Catherine, who is required to marry Russia's mad Grand Duke Peter (Sam Jaffe, decked out in a Harpo Marx wig). As if her joke of a marriage .. Read more

Starring Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser
Director Josef Von Sternberg
Genres Drama

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Scarlet Empress

Of the two 1934 film versions of the life of Russia's Catherine the Great, Josef von Sternberg's The Scarlet Empress was the most opulent and exotic. Marlene Dietrich plays the German-born Catherine, who is required to marry Russia's mad Grand Duke Peter (Sam Jaffe, decked out in a Harpo Marx wig). As if her joke of a marriage isn't torment enough, Catherine must endure the excesses of her new mother-in-law, Empress Elizabeth (Louise Dresser). Eventually, Catherine finds solaceand romance in the form of Count Alexei (John Lodge). But even this balm is denied her when the ambitious Alexei begins wooing the much-older Elizabeth. When the old Empress dies, Catherine ascends to the Russian throne, knowing full well that her addled husband would kill her at the slightest provocation. Soon her power outstrips Peter's, and the opportunistic Alexei now comes back into her life. The finale finds Catherine emerging triumphant over all her enemies-and, in the film's least subtle sequence (which is saying a lot!), the new Empress is shown astride a horse, to whom she displays far more affection than any of her human compatriots. The Scarlet Empress has even less to do with accuracy than Paul Czinner's Catherine the Great of the same year, which starred Elizabeth Bergner. Watch for Dietrich's real-life daughter Maria Sieber (aka Maria Riva) as the 7-year-old Catherine in the early scenes.

Starring Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, C. Aubrey Smith, Gavin Gordon, Olive Tell
Director Josef Von Sternberg
Studio UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
Run time DVD: 1 hr 40 mins
LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 40 mins
Certificate Certificate 12 DVD
Certificate 12 LOVEFiLM Instant
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
LOVEFiLM Instant: English
Released Production year: 1934

To Watch Online:
LOVEFiLM Instant: 19 Jul 2010

To Rent:
DVD: 13 Oct 2008
Watch now Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant. Subscribe.

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    • Scarlet Empress

    • Scarlet Empress
      Of the two 1934 film versions of the life of Russia's Catherine the Great, Josef von Sternberg's The Scarlet Empress was the most opulent and exotic. Marlene Dietrich plays the German-born Catherine, who is required to marry Russia's mad Grand Duke Peter (Sam Jaffe, decked out in a Harpo Marx wig). ...

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