- Actors: John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ralph Morgan, Diana Wynyard
- Directors: Charles Brabin, Richard Boleslawski
- Writers: Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, Lenore J. Coffee, Mercedes de Acosta, Robert E. Sherwood
- Producers: Bernard H. Hyman
- Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Warner Archives
- DVD Release Date: 23 Mar 2009
- Run Time: 120 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B002EAYEB0
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 88,167 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
hammer made an decent attempt to portrait one of the most interesting personalities in history.not for everyone, this surprising non horror movie was extemely well done, especially the look and feel.christopher lee does a brilliant job in the lead, bringing his comanding style to new hights.not completely historically acurate, and a little abrupt, i still found it to be quite good.
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
hmmmmmm, i'm not quite sure what film the previous review is addressing but it certainly isn't this one.
i am reviewing the "M.G.M" production with the barrymore actor family and the only occassion where all three of them appeared in one film. that fact alone, makes this film worth watching.
in the title role, lionel barrymore gives a good performance as the evil and meglomanical monk who will stop at nothing to sieze control of all russia, including the royal family. he tends to be a bit hammy at times though and this slightly spoils what is otherwise good acting.
john barrymore gives the best performance as one of the loyal and devoted royal subjects who plots and executes his plan of disposing of rasputin. he knows when to resist the temptation to "ham it up" as it were and therefore gives quite a restrained but brilliant performance. i can understand how he was considered a natural in front of the cameras, more so than his brother and sister.
as the queen of russia, ethel barrymore is perfectly watchable but i gather the impression that she wishes she were elsewhere as she sometimes has a somewhat faraway expression. apparently, she had to be convinced to accept appearing in this film as she had quite serious doubts about films in general. as a result, her scenes were often shot out of sequence and also to allow her the time to honour her theatre commitments.
i was quite startled at the quite graphic details in the scene where john and lionel barrymore engage in their final confrontation in the film's climax. for my taste, it was a rather violent scene but well made regardless.
in my opinion "rasputin and the empress" does not deserve to placed in obscurity and i am glad and relieved that it has finally surfaced on dvd.
i am reviewing the "M.G.M" production with the barrymore actor family and the only occassion where all three of them appeared in one film. that fact alone, makes this film worth watching.
in the title role, lionel barrymore gives a good performance as the evil and meglomanical monk who will stop at nothing to sieze control of all russia, including the royal family. he tends to be a bit hammy at times though and this slightly spoils what is otherwise good acting.
john barrymore gives the best performance as one of the loyal and devoted royal subjects who plots and executes his plan of disposing of rasputin. he knows when to resist the temptation to "ham it up" as it were and therefore gives quite a restrained but brilliant performance. i can understand how he was considered a natural in front of the cameras, more so than his brother and sister.
as the queen of russia, ethel barrymore is perfectly watchable but i gather the impression that she wishes she were elsewhere as she sometimes has a somewhat faraway expression. apparently, she had to be convinced to accept appearing in this film as she had quite serious doubts about films in general. as a result, her scenes were often shot out of sequence and also to allow her the time to honour her theatre commitments.
i was quite startled at the quite graphic details in the scene where john and lionel barrymore engage in their final confrontation in the film's climax. for my taste, it was a rather violent scene but well made regardless.
in my opinion "rasputin and the empress" does not deserve to placed in obscurity and i am glad and relieved that it has finally surfaced on dvd.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
THE THREE BARRYMORES - TOGETHER.
9 Jan 2003
This is the only sound film in which the three legendary Barrymore siblings ever appeared together. Never considered a dynamic classic, it nevertheless gives viewers a glimpse of America's Royal Family of the Theatre at work. In 1913 Russia, Czar Nicholai Alexander and Czarina Alexandra opulently celebrate 3OO years of the Romanoff dynasty, unaware that their empire is crumbling down all around them....The working title for this film was simply RASPUTIN. Although Charles MacArthur is solely credited for the dialogue, Lenore Coffee, Mercedes de Acosta & John Meehan were all originally involved with the screenplay. The film took 17 weeks to film: both John and Ethel earned $1OO,OOO apiece, Lionel's salary was $4,OOO a week (!). Princess Irina Romanoff Youssoupoff - who was the model for Princess Natasha in this film - filed a damage suit against M-G-M in 1933. She was awarded a hefty quarter million dollars. Now for a REAL piece of trivia: this was NOT the three Barrymore's only film together. They appeared in a 1917 silent allegorical film entitled NATIONAL RED CROSS PAGEANT - the purpose of which was to raise money for the Red Cross during WWI.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
a curiosity piece
25 Jun 2004
The main interest in this film is to see the three renowned Barrymore siblings act together, and though it is rather stiff and heavy handed, ultra melodramatic, and the direction often looks "staged", as if it were a play rather than a film, it also has lavish sets and costumes, and some history on the side.
The plot starts in 1913, and runs through the assassination of the Romanov family in 1918. Rasputin is here portrayed as part Svengali, as he hypnotizes Alexis with a big watch on a chain, part debauched barbarian, and mostly, a power-mad nut case.
Lionel Barrymore plays the Mad Monk almost to the point of caricature, and his hands are fascinating to watch, and often take on the appearance of talons.
John Barrymore is Prince Paul Chegodieff, and is sporting rather a lot of makeup, even along the hairline. "Prince Chegodieff" was a thinly veiled alias for Prince Felix Yusopov, who saw Rasputin for what he was, and who finally arranged and had a hand in Rasputin's death; the studio changed his name to avoid a law suit, but to no avail, as Yusopov sued them anyway . Ethel Barrymore plays the Czarina theatrically, as a doting, emotional mother. Diana Wynyard as Princess Natasha comes off the best, in a sincere and lovely performance.
Crisp and with a lot of definition, the restoration of this film is miraculous; only the sound is lacking in some clarity and depth. I don't think I have ever seen a film of this age look this good. Of great interest to anyone who is fascinated by the Barrymore family, and interpretations of what happened to the Romanov Dynasty. Total running time is 101 minutes.
The plot starts in 1913, and runs through the assassination of the Romanov family in 1918. Rasputin is here portrayed as part Svengali, as he hypnotizes Alexis with a big watch on a chain, part debauched barbarian, and mostly, a power-mad nut case.
Lionel Barrymore plays the Mad Monk almost to the point of caricature, and his hands are fascinating to watch, and often take on the appearance of talons.
John Barrymore is Prince Paul Chegodieff, and is sporting rather a lot of makeup, even along the hairline. "Prince Chegodieff" was a thinly veiled alias for Prince Felix Yusopov, who saw Rasputin for what he was, and who finally arranged and had a hand in Rasputin's death; the studio changed his name to avoid a law suit, but to no avail, as Yusopov sued them anyway . Ethel Barrymore plays the Czarina theatrically, as a doting, emotional mother. Diana Wynyard as Princess Natasha comes off the best, in a sincere and lovely performance.
Crisp and with a lot of definition, the restoration of this film is miraculous; only the sound is lacking in some clarity and depth. I don't think I have ever seen a film of this age look this good. Of great interest to anyone who is fascinated by the Barrymore family, and interpretations of what happened to the Romanov Dynasty. Total running time is 101 minutes.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Based on real and also fictional
3 Aug 2011
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is truly a great MGM extravaganza! 3 x Barrymore (the only one movie!!!).
The Art Direction are stunning and also the acting of the 3 Barrymore's. Also Tad Alexander is acting very good.
Of course its not real biography or something. the movie just based on any real person. Any names was changed and are fictional. But well... its interesting to watching AND VERY ENTERTAINING.
THE DVD: the picture quality is very good (for not restored or remastered). The Soundtrack is mono.
The only Minus I always have with those Warner Archive Collection: there are no english subtitles!!!!!
The Art Direction are stunning and also the acting of the 3 Barrymore's. Also Tad Alexander is acting very good.
Of course its not real biography or something. the movie just based on any real person. Any names was changed and are fictional. But well... its interesting to watching AND VERY ENTERTAINING.
THE DVD: the picture quality is very good (for not restored or remastered). The Soundtrack is mono.
The only Minus I always have with those Warner Archive Collection: there are no english subtitles!!!!!
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