Never has there been a storyline as robust as C
leopatra. The BACKSTORY, that is! The 1963 movie received nine Oscar nominations, but mixed reviews from film critics. However, the reason movie fans rushed to theaters to see
Cleopatra was not simply to view a movie, but instead to see the phenomenon that had been filling gossip columns for more than a year. No film production has ever rivaled
Cleopatra for publicizing Hollywood culture. The unrivaled backstory has it all! It was the most expensive movie ever filmed prior to 1963, almost bankrupting 20th Century Fox. The most alluring actress in the world, Elizabeth Taylor, earned the highest salary ever awarded to an actress, $1,000,000. More importantly, she earned the affections of co-star Richard Burton. Both Burton and Taylor were married at the time, making their public affair all the more gossip-worthy. To add to the drama, Taylor suffered a serious illness during the filming and surgery was required to save her life. The original director, Rouben Manoulian, was fired after filming commenced and he was replaced with Joseph Mankiewicz. After filming was completed, Mankiewicz was fired and then rehired when it became clear that no other person would be able to edit the film into a theater-worthy movie. Rex Harrison (Julius Caesar) was the only actor who received an Oscar nomination for a performance on the screen, however we know that the screen is not where the real action occurred. The director's cut of
Cleopatra is
more than 5 hours in length. Much shorter versions are available. However, the elaborate sets, the Oscar winning costumes, and the outstanding cast make the director's cut the clear choice for an unbeatable film experience.
