A lavish spectacle (perhaps not as famous as the 1963 version) that I'm afraid was a bit of a disappointment when I finally got to see it. It's one of director-producer Cecil B. DeMille's many extravaganzas, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (and 3 others).It does features Claudette Colbert, in the title role and a stunning wardrobe, as well as some incredible sets (though the inside of her "barge" looks a little too much like a studio set, from certain angles) and Academy Award winning Cinematography.But I'm afraid that Warren William's Caesar, and Henry Wilcoxon's Marc Antony leave much to be desired. William didn't seem to make up his mind about how to play Caesar; his performance begins rather woodenly and ends up almost campy. Though Wilcoxon's Antony is "dumb" enough to be manipulated by the Queen of Egypt, I didn't find their passion for one another (nor Caesar's for Cleopatra, for that matter) particularly credible.Ian Keith as Octavian, Joseph Schildkraut as King Herod and C. Aubrey Smith as Caesar's, then Antony's, loyal General provide adequate support. Arthur Hohl and Harry Beresford, who played Titus and Favius (respectively) in the much better DeMille film The Sign of the Cross (1932), play Brutus and the Soothsayer in this one.

A very stagy looking film with dazzling sets and costumes that were the trademark of the (in)famous Director. But this film seems unnecessarily studio bound and that is not typical C.B.Almost every scene is an exercise in opulent, overdone wonder that stuns the senses with hypnotic beauty and sound. All the indoor sets are impressive and sensuous.However, the battle scenes in the middle are pedestrian by the standards set in other, earlier films (some directed by DeMille), and are clumsily cut, and seem, unfortunately, unsatisfying and out of place. This is some lazy movie-making from a Director, that one doubts, has ever been accused of such.Cleopatra is alluring and sweet, beautiful and sexy, as are all the female extras semi-clad in sheer material and stepping sensuously throughout. The male leads are less than Shakespearean and are completely extinguished by the lavishness of it all and that's acceptable if one is looking for an example of a large number of pretty pre-code sex-pots and sensational choreography, but the dialog and story are nothing but sophomoric strings that loosely, and "barely" hold it all together.

Despite its many flaws, this CLEOPATRA is a lot more watchable (and fun to watch) than the overly produced version in the '60s starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton.Claudette Colbert has fun with the role of the siren who flirted mightily with her enemies, all the while conspiring against any power that might want to seize her beloved Egypt. Henry Wilcoxon cuts a fine figure of a man but his role is played almost expressionlessly, except for an occasional attempt at wild laughter. Warren William plays himself and rather well, but none of the three principals is entirely convincing given the lame dialog and situations they are forced into.Not that this matters much, because the spotlight is not on the performers but on the spectacle, and here DeMille does not let anyone down. His opulent sets and costumes are on full display. Even with the obvious use of miniatures for the barge scenes and some quick cross-cutting for the action moments, his camera is forever catching the eye-filling spectacle with expert craftsmanship.A more smoothly told tale than the later attempt with Elizabeth Taylor, it manages to hold the interest although there are definitely moments that drag. All told, worth watching for the spectacle.

Cecil B. DeMille was known as a legendary director and producer, one whose films were the very essence of what is now considered "blockbuster". Big stars, big script, and a cast of thousands were the order of the day for DeMille, and woe be to anyone who stood in the way of his vision. Such films as The Ten Commandments, The Squaw Man, Unconquered, The King of Kings (silent version), Samson and Delilah, and The Greatest Show on Earth are DeMille classics that stand the passage of time. However, to truly enjoy the artistry that *is* DeMille, one only has to look as far as his 1934 epic, Cleopatra, starring Claudette Colbert, Henry Wilcoxon, and Warren William. For anyone who thinks that the Taylor-Burton version is the definitive stamp on the costume drama - well, you'd better view DeMille's masterpiece first! Considerably shorter than the aforementioned Mankiewicz version (263 minutes, director's cut), and coming in at just 100 minutes, DeMille's Cleopatra tightly focuses on her two steamy relationships with Caesar and Marc Antony, an unforgettable seduction scene, and a lively battle sequence. Cinematographer Victor Milner, who worked on It's A Wonderful Life brings his magic touch to all the key scenes. The casting of Claudette Colbert seems out-of-place, until the seduction scene with Henry Wilcoxon's Marc Antony. She handles some decidedly modern lines, which is perhaps the film's weakest link. The dialog reflects the typical 1930s snappy cynicism that was fashionable for the period, but seems oddly out of place in this historical piece. Cleopatra: "Together we could conquer the world." Julius Caesar: "Nice of you to include me." Colbert's costumes by Travis Banton - wondrous in black and white - makes one wish for Ted Turner's colorization process, so we're including these beauty makeovers.