Cecil B. DeMille directed this blockbuster, as he also did the remake, starring Liz Taylor, in 1963. Be not deceived, the original is still the best!
Starring Claudette Colbert, as the super vamp Cleopatra, it is a thrilling romp in keeping with the finest tradition of historical epics, as only DeMille could do them. Warren William and Henry Wilcoxon star as the Queen's lovers, Caesar and Antony, respectively, and a fine job they do, adding drama and humor to the production.
The sets are lavish, the costumes expensive and revealing, in the case of the ladies, and the dance sequences, as Cleopatra entertains Anthony on her floating palace, superb. The dialog is twentieth century slang, as opposed to Shakespearean English, which seems to bother some, but I like it fine, myself. One look at Colbert’s eye-popping costumes and I almost forgot about the dialog anyway! This movie was produced before the censors became the norm in Hollywood, so it shows a bit more skin and sex than later movies. Actually, quite innocent by today’s standards but enough to make you do a double take, nonetheless!
Fans of Cleopatra will also enjoy "The Ten Commandments", "Ben Hur", "Sign of the Cross", and "The Fall of the Roman Empire".
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