Documentary

The Epic That Never Was

The story of the aborted 1937 filming of "I, Claudius", starring Charles Laughton, with all of its surviving footage.

Release Date : 1969-09-19

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : BBC

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Tiberius Claudius (archive footage)

Original Name : Charles Laughton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interviewee [original author]

Original Name : Robert Graves

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interviewee [director] / Himself (archive footage)

Original Name : Josef von Sternberg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interviewee / Messalina (archive footage)

Original Name : Merle Oberon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Interviewee / Livia (archive footage)

Original Name : Flora Robson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Interviewee / Caligula (archive footage)

Original Name : Emlyn Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interviewee [script girl]

Original Name : Eileen Corbett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Interviewee [costume designer]

Original Name : John Armstrong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator

Original Name : Dirk Bogarde

Gender : Male

Character Name : Himself – Ms. Robson's Host (uncredited)

Original Name : John Abbott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cassius, Captain of Caligula's guard (archive footage; uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Newton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Xenophon, Claudius' doctor (archive footage; uncredited)

Original Name : Basil Gill

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-09-05

If you are at all interested in the Robert Graves "I, Claudius" stories then this is a must watch. Dirk Bogarde is superb narrating this hybrid of original, remarkably well preserved, rushes and specially shot interviews with the likes of Merle Oberon and Dame Flora Robson as they describe the logistical and personal nightmares that dogged the attempts by, initially, Sir Alexander Korda and subsequently Josef von Sternberg to turn this classic story into a film. Insightful contributions alert us to the difficulties faced by Charles Laughton ("Claudius") and Emyln Williams ("Caligula") in creating their characterisations and we are given an interesting look at just quite how a film of this stature - grand sets, costumes, Vestal Virgins and orgies was to be put together before - that is - it all went a bit pear-shaped. It's a well put together documentary with plentiful original content to sustain interest and by the end I think I understood why this wonderful story of intrigue, scandal - and sex has never been attempted for the big screen since!