Film Snail

6.9

A Royal Scandal

NR·1945·94m

Comedy

History

Drama

Comedy

History

Drama

Summary

Catherine the Great falls in love with an army officer who is plotting against her.

Cast

Tallulah Bankhead

Catherine the Great

Charles Coburn

Nicolai Iiyitch

Anne Baxter

Anna Jaschikoff

William Eythe

Alexei Chernoff

Vincent Price

Marquis de Fleury

Mischa Auer

Captain Sukov

Sig Ruman

General Ronsky

Vladimir Sokoloff

Malakoff

Mikhail Rasumny

Drunken General

Paul Baratoff

Russian General (uncredited)

Eugene Beday

Russian General (uncredited)

Egon Brecher

Wassilikow (uncredited)

Renee Carson

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Harry Carter

Footman (uncredited)

Feodor Chaliapin Jr.

Lackey (uncredited)

Victor De Linsky

Stooge (uncredited)

Donald Douglas

Variatinsky (uncredited)

Nestor Eristoff

Russian General (uncredited)

Fred Essler

Stooge (uncredited)

Sandra Foloway

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Arno Frey

Captain (uncredited)

Eva Gabor

Countess Demidow (uncredited)

Mario Gang

Lackey (uncredited)

George Glebeff

Russian General (uncredited)

Wilton Graff

Russian General (uncredited)

Roxanne Hilton

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Ann Hunter

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Martha Jewett

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Torben Meyer

Stooge (uncredited)

Fred Nurney

Russian General (uncredited)

John Russell

Guard (uncredited)

Dick Ryan

Russian General (uncredited)

Sam Savitsky

Russian General (uncredited)

George Shdanoff

Lackey (uncredited)

Eugene Sigaloff

Russian General (uncredited)

Dina Smirnova

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Leonid Snegoff

Russian General (uncredited)

Grady Sutton

Boris (uncredited)

Henry Victor

Russian General (uncredited)

Michael Visaroff

Russian General (uncredited)

Friedrich von Ledebur

Russian General (uncredited)

Virginia Walker

Lady in Waiting (uncredited)

Marek Windheim

Stooge (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Otto Preminger

Adaptation

Bruno Frank

Screenplay

Edwin Justus Mayer

Theatre Play

Melchior Lengyel

Theatre Play

Lajos Biró

Reviews

Geronimo1967

July 1, 2022

William Eythe is "Lt. Chernoff", an enthusiastic Russian officer determined to warn his Empress that she is in the gravest of danger. Arriving at her palace, he eventually manages to secure an audience but it turns out that Catherine the Great (Tallulah Bankhead) and her shrewd Chancellor "Ilyitch" (Charles Coburn) have already dealt with this potential treachery. The Empress, however, takes a bit of a shine to her gallant young soldier and soon he is soaring through the ranks - much to the chagrin of his fiancée "Anna" (Anne Baxter). As he rises, he begins to think he can make a difference - and is soon treading on toes that could spell his end... The writing is amusing and quick fire, and the efforts from Bankhead and, particularly, Coburn keep this film moving along a-pace. There is plenty of pith in the script, and though it pays but the tiniest of nods to actual history, it does offer us quite an entertaining account of how life might have been when the court was run by a lady who liked the sight of a soldier in a white uniform. Good fun!