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DramaHistory

The Rise of Catherine the Great

- The more he hated her, the more she loved him...this girl of MANY loves who rose to rule a hundred million souls but could not govern her own heart.

The woman who will become Catherine the Great marries into the Russian royal family when she weds Grand Duke Peter, the nephew of Empress Elizabeth. Although the couple has moments of contentment, Peter's cruel and erratic behavior causes a rift between him and Catherine. Mere months after Peter succeeds his aunt as the ruler of Russia, a revolt is brewing, and Catherine is poised to ascend to the throne as the country's new empress.

Release Date : 1934-02-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : London Films Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Character Name : Grand Duke Peter

Original Name : Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

Gender : Male

Elisabeth Bergner

Character Name : Catherine

Original Name : Elisabeth Bergner

Gender : Female

Flora Robson

Character Name : Empress Elisabeth

Original Name : Flora Robson

Gender : Female

Gerald du Maurier

Character Name : Lecocq

Original Name : Gerald du Maurier

Gender : Male

Irene Vanbrugh

Character Name : Princess Anhalt-Zerbst

Original Name : Irene Vanbrugh

Gender : Female

Joan Gardner

Character Name : Katushienka

Original Name : Joan Gardner

Gender : Female

Dorothy Hale

Character Name : Countess Olga

Original Name : Dorothy Hale

Gender : Female

Diana Napier

Character Name : Countess Vorontzova

Original Name : Diana Napier

Gender : Female

Griffith Jones

Character Name : Grigory Orlov

Original Name : Griffith Jones

Gender : Male

Gibb McLaughlin

Character Name : Bestujhev

Original Name : Gibb McLaughlin

Gender : Male

Clifford Heatherley

Character Name : Ogarev

Original Name : Clifford Heatherley

Gender : Male

Laurence Hanray

Character Name : Goudovitch

Original Name : Laurence Hanray

Gender : Male

Allan Jeayes

Character Name : Colonel Karnilov

Original Name : Allan Jeayes

Gender : Male

Charles Carson

Character Name : English Ambassador

Original Name : Charles Carson

Gender : Male

Stewart Granger

Character Name : Regiment Soldier

Original Name : Stewart Granger

Gender : Male

Judy Kelly

Character Name : Guest at Hunting Lodge

Original Name : Judy Kelly

Gender : Female

John Turnbull

Character Name : Rumyantsev

Original Name : John Turnbull

Gender : Male

Michael Wilding

Character Name : Regiment Soldier

Original Name : Michael Wilding

Gender : Male

Arnold Lucy

Character Name : Minor Role

Original Name : Arnold Lucy

Gender : Male

William Heughan

Character Name : Minor Role

Original Name : William Heughan

Gender : Male

Heron Carvic

Character Name : Minor Role

Original Name : Heron Carvic

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-22

Some actors just emit a sort of magnetism through the camera - and Douglas Fairbanks Jr (Grand Duke Peter) does it in spades in this rather prosaic depiction of the early life of Catherine II of Russia. When Princess Sophie (Elisabeth Bergner) is chosen to marry the young Grand Duke by his aunt, Empress Elisabeth (Flora Robson) and the Kaiser, she arrives in a court where it isn't just the weather that is ice cold. Their relationship develops, in fits and starts, as she decides she is not going to simply be his trophy bride. Bergner depicts the young woman well, combining the personas of naive flightiness soon tempered by a steeliness of character. There is a strong, lively, performance from Robson as the Empress with her own coterie of lovers and a rather fun contribution from Gibb McLaughlin as Bestujhev. Overall, however, the film lacks the intrigue and the chemistry of Von Sternberg's "The Scarlet Empress" - It is a little dry; but the dark cinematography lends much to the integrity of the depiction of 18th Century Russian court life and the narrative does engender some sympathy for the young woman who was in no way equipped for what destiny had in store for her.