Summary
During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.
Cast
Marlene Dietrich
Princess Sophia Frederica / Catherine II
John Lodge
Count Alexei
Sam Jaffe
Grand Duke Peter
Louise Dresser
Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
C. Aubrey Smith
Prince August
Gavin Gordon
Capt. Gregori Orloff
Olive Tell
Princess Johanna Elizabeth
Ruthelma Stevens
Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie'
Davison Clark
Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky / Arch-Episcope
Erville Alderson
Chancelor Alexei Bestuchef
Maria Riva
Sophia as a Child
Jane Darwell
Miss Cardell, Sophia's Nurse (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan
Herr Wagner (uncredited)
Akim Tamiroff
Bit Part (uncredited)
Marie Wells
Eric Alden
Elinor Fair
Julanne Johnston
Agnes Steele
Philip Sleeman
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Gerald Fielding
Richard Alexander
Nadine Beresford
Hal Boyer
James Burke
John Davidson
George Davis
Anna Duncan
May Foster
Ivan Linow
James A. Marcus
Eunice Murdock Moore
Patricia Patrick
Warner Richmond
Blanche Rose
Katherine Sabichi
Sam Savitsky
Dina Smirnova
Minnie Steele
Belle Stoddard
Kent Taylor
Jameson Thomas
Bruce Warren
Leo White
Harry Woods
Crew
Director
Josef von Sternberg
Writer
Manuel Komroff
Writer
Eleanor McGeary
Reviews
Geronimo1967
June 13, 2022
8
If anyone was to have actually filmed aspects of the life of the Princess at the time, then they could hardly have come up with anything more authentic than this fabulous Von Sternberg dramatisation of the rise, and rise of Catherine the Great. Marlene Dietrich is superb as the schemed against who becomes the scheming Grand Duchess married off to the imbecilic nephew (played by a superb Sam Jaffe) of the Empress Elizabeth (an imperious Louise Dresser). Through her series of lovers and strategic alliances, she deposes her idiot husband and accedes to the throne. The (lingering) intimacy of the filming of the star - almost bordering on adulation by the camera (and the director!?); the use of light and shadow - particularly the use of candles; and the marvellous Tchaikovsky score all more than compensate for some of the "train set" model scenery and make this a scintillating story of power. Great stuff.
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$900,000.00
Revenue:
$0.00
