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 Cleopatra
US-UK -Switzerland (1963): Drama / Romance
In 1963, this colossal and opulent $60 million spectacular was epic in every sense of the word -- an epic investment, an epic in the annals of Hollywood gossip, and, initially, an epic flop that nearly dragged 20th Century-Fox down the Nile along with Cleopatra's barge. Handsomely mounted by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, (who replaced Rouben Mamoulian as director after six days of shooting), the drama follows the eighteen tumultuous years that led to the founding of the Roman Empire. Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor) meets up with Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) and plans to lure Caesar to her boudoir in order to forge an alliance with Rome so that she may hold on to her Egyptian empire. When Caesar is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate, Cleopatra is left without an ally, and Egypt is up for grabs. When Roman general Mark Antony (Richard Burton) comes along, she seduces him in order to make him over into her new protector. But, under the charms of Cleopatra, Mark Antony is reduced from a an awesome and dominating general to a sniveling, drunken wimp. At the Battle of Actium, Mark Antony is defeated and Cleopatra withdraws her troops, dooming Mark Antony and his army. With Egypt in peril, Antony and Cleopatra, the doomed lovers, meet each other for the last time, as the enemy forces close in. Cast also features Hume Cronyn, Cesare Danova, Martin Landau and Roddy McDowall. (Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide)
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| Some Cleopatra trivia from the IMDb:
| · In 1958 Joan Collins was cast in the title role but after several delays she became unavailable. Collins had previously starred in a similar role in Land of the Pharaohs (1955). After Collins' departure, Audrey Hepburn was considered as a replacement by producer Walter Wanger. Wanger then offered the role to Elizabeth Taylor. He called her on the set of her latest film, Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) and related the offer through Taylor's then husband Eddie Fisher who had answered the phone. As a joke, Taylor replied "Sure, tell him I'll do it for a million dollars." This then unheard-of sum was accepted and in October 1959 Taylor became the first Hollywood star to receive $1 million for a single picture. | 
Joan Collins in
Land of the Pharaohs
| | · Originally, the movie was going to star Peter Finch as Caesar and Stephen Boyd as Marc Antony, Both bowed out after interminable delays, citing conflicts with other projects.
| · A group of female extras who played Cleopatra's various servants and slavegirls went on strike to demand protection from amorous Italian extras and their bottom-pinching fingers. The studio eventually hired a special guard to protect the extras.
| · With set pieces constructed in various locations (sometimes in different countries) and assembled for filming, precision measurements were critical. In Cleopatra's entrance into Rome, for example, the sphynx which she and her son rode in on -- preceeded by flower girls and African dancers and pulled by dozens of slaves -- cleared the arch through which it had to pass by less than a foot. | 
| | · Rex Harrison had a clause in his contract stipulating that whenever Richard Burton's picture appeared in an ad, so would his. A large sign was put up on Broadway showing only Burton and Taylor. After his lawyers complained, the studio fulfilled the contract by placing a picture of Harrison on one corner of the billboard. | 
| | · At $194,800, the budget for Elizabeth Taylor's costumes was the highest ever for a single screen actor. Her 65 costumes included a dress made from 24-carat gold cloth. | 
| | · Widely regarded as one of the biggest flops of all times the reality is different. The film made its money back despite the horrendous costs, but not at once. It took several years. It was one of the highest grossing films of the 1960s.
| · Adjusting for inflation, this is the most expensive movie ever made to date (mid-1999). Its budget of $44 million is equivalent to 270 million 1999 dollars.
| · According to the late director many of the best scenes were cut and there is between 90 and 120 minutes of character development and story missing.
· Art Direction/Set Decoration (Color) 1963: John De Cuir, Jack Martin Smith, Hilyard Brown, Herman A. Blumenthal, Elven Webb, Maurice Pelling & Boris Juraga - Art Direction, Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox & Ray Moyer - Set Decoration
· Cinematography (Color) 1963: Leon Shamroy
· Costume Design (Color) 1963: Irene Sharaff, Vittorio Nino Novarese, Renie
· Special Visual Effects 1963: Emil Kosa, Jr. (This is the first year for an Award in this category.)
· Best Picture 1963: Walter Wanger - Producer (Wanger, 20th Century-Fox)
· Actor 1963: Rex Harrison
· Film Editing 1963: Dorothy Spencer
· Music Scoring Awards (Music Score substantially original) 1963: Alex North
· Sound 1963: James P. Corcoran (20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department) & Fred Hynes (Todd-AO Sound Department)
9 nominations, 4 Awards
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