See you Monday! Oh, okay, one thing. It’s late and we’ve been at relatives and tomorrow’s a work day, but I have to share something that certainly falls under the category of Whoa: This I Did Not Know Existed, At All:
Thought I knew all the big Roman movie blockbusters, but I’d never heard of this one. Caesar and Cleopatra. It was shot during the end of WW2, was the most expensive British film to date, laid a cold fish on its investors’ plates, and ended the director’s career as a bankable helmer. Bonus: script by George Bernard Shaw! (You can just imagine American producers shaking their heads: okay, fine, story by Shaw, but bring in someone to punch it up. No: it’s a stage play, and it’s described as a “romantic comedy” on wikipedia. Old Caesar meets impetuous young queen, teaches her how to wield power, feels young again. Hail Caesar:
Cleopatra:
That’s right. It’s Scarlett O’Hara as Cleopatra. It’s an interesting movie, but I could only take it in small doses. Raines is wonderful - his Caesar has no historical roots, unless you think that Ju-C came down with a serous case of Ironic Introspection later in life, and wandered around rueful and half-amused. (For my money, the HBO “Rome” got Caesar exactly right.) (As if I’d know.) The Trailer, which is British and hence cannot get too excited about things:
One more thing. The credits list Jean Simmons as "Harpist."
She married Stewart Granger in 1950. He was in in the picture as well, as a Hearty Sicilian Fellow Who Laughs At Danger and so on:
She died in 2010 and worked until 2009; she did a voice in "Howl's Moving Castle" - and a role in Star Trek: Next Generation. She divorced Granger, and married Richard Brooks, who did the screenplay for "Key Largo,""In Cold Blood," and "Looking for Mr. Goodbar," among others. So there's a direct link between Caesar, Shaw, Bogart, and Star Trek. It's all connected. Coming next week: oh, just a 250-page website. And more! Oh, and here's my Black Friday column. See you Monday!
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