The Scarlet Empress 1934

imdb-logo 7.5 / 10

The Scarlet Empress

During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.

During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.

Videos & Photos

All 1 Videos & 13 Photos

... Princess Sophia Frederica / Catherine II

... Count Alexei

... Grand Duke Peter

... Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

... Prince August

... Capt. Gregori Orloff

User reviews

See All 1 Reviews

13 Jun 2022 by CinemaSerf

If anyone was to have actually filmed aspects of the life of the Princess at the time, then they could hardly have come up with anything more authentic than this fabulous Von Sternberg dramatisation of the rise, and rise of Catherine the Great. Marlene Dietrich is superb as the schemed against who becomes the scheming Grand Duchess married off to the imbecilic nephew (played by a superb Sam Jaffe) of the Empress Elizabeth (an imperious Louise Dresser). Through her series of lovers and strategic alliances, she deposes her idiot husband and accedes to the throne. The (lingering) intimacy of the filming of the star - almost bordering on adulation by the camera (and the director!?); the use of light and shadow - particularly the use of candles; and the marvellous Tchaikovsky score all more than compensate for some of the "train set" model scenery and make this a scintillating story of power. Great stuff.

Release Date:

May 09, 1934 (United States)

Run Time:

1hr 44`

MMPA Rating:

NR

Original Language:

English

Production Countries:

United States

Status:

Released

Related Movies To

The Scarlet Empress

Write Review

Found 1 reviews in total

13 Jun 2022 by CinemaSerf

If anyone was to have actually filmed aspects of the life of the Princess at the time, then they could hardly have come up with anything more authentic than this fabulous Von Sternberg dramatisation of the rise, and rise of Catherine the Great. Marlene Dietrich is superb as the schemed against who becomes the scheming Grand Duchess married off to the imbecilic nephew (played by a superb Sam Jaffe) of the Empress Elizabeth (an imperious Louise Dresser). Through her series of lovers and strategic alliances, she deposes her idiot husband and accedes to the throne. The (lingering) intimacy of the filming of the star - almost bordering on adulation by the camera (and the director!?); the use of light and shadow - particularly the use of candles; and the marvellous Tchaikovsky score all more than compensate for some of the "train set" model scenery and make this a scintillating story of power. Great stuff.

Cast & Crew of

The Scarlet Empress

Directors & Credit Writers

Cast

... Princess Sophia Frederica / Catherine II

... Count Alexei

... Grand Duke Peter

... Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

... Prince August

... Capt. Gregori Orloff

... Princess Johanna Elizabeth

... Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie'

... Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky / Arch-Episcope

... Chancelor Alexei Bestuchef

... Sophia as a Child

... Miss Cardell, Sophia's Nurse (uncredited)

... Herr Wagner (uncredited)

... Bit Part (uncredited)

Produced By

... Executive Producer

Videos & Photos of

The Scarlet Empress

Videos ( 1)

Photos ( 13 )

Related Movies To

The Scarlet Empress

Found 12 Movies in total

poster-House of Ga'a
House of Ga'a (2024)

0 /10

At the height of the Oyo Empire, the ferocious Bashorun Ga'a became more powerful than the kings he enthroned, only to be undone by his own blood.

Run Time: 2hr . MMPA: R . Release: 26 Jul 2024

Director: Bolanle Austen-Peters

Producer: Bolanle Austen-Peters

Stars: Femi Branch , Mike Afolarin , Funke Akindele , Toyin Abraham , Ibrahim Chatta , Femi Adebayo

poster-Out of Exile
Out of Exile (2023)

0 /10

Recently paroled thief Gabriel Russell tries to balance his life and mend a troubled family as an FBI agent hunts him down, along with his crew after a botched armored car robbery.

Run Time: 1hr 47` . MMPA: R . Release: 20 Jan 2023

Director: Kyle Kauwika Harris

Producer: Marcus Cox , Jacob Snovel , Karrie Cox

Stars: Adam Hampton , Karrie Cox , Kyle Jacob Henry , Ryan Merriman , Peter Greene , Hayley McFarland

poster-The Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

9.3 /10

Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

Run Time: 2hr 22` . MMPA: R . Release: 23 Sep 1994

Director: Jesse V. Johnson , James Ellis , Robert Barnett

Producer: Niki Marvin , David V. Lester , Chris Cozzi

Stars: Tim Robbins , Morgan Freeman , Bob Gunton , William Sadler , Clancy Brown , Gil Bellows

poster-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2024)

0 /10

Four tales unfold in Wes Anderson's anthology of short films adapted from Roald Dahl's beloved stories, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar", "The Swan", "The Rat Catcher", and "Poison".

Run Time: 1hr 29` . MMPA: PG . Release: 14 Mar 2024

Director: Adam Somner , Wes Anderson

Producer: Jeremy Dawson , Steven M. Rales , Wes Anderson

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch , Dev Patel , Ben Kingsley , Richard Ayoade , Ralph Fiennes , David Gant

poster-Wicked Minds
Wicked Minds (2003)

5.3 /10

Holden returns home from college and is surprised to find his overpowering competitive father married to a much younger woman Lana. Holden quickly falls for the beauty and charisma of his step mother. A passionate affair begins between son and stepmother.

Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 01 Mar 2003

Director: Jason Hreno

Producer: Jean Bureau , Vera Miller , Josée Mauffette

Stars: Angie Everhart , Andrew W. Walker , Winston Rekert , Amy Sloan , Frank Schorpion , Ellen David

poster-Front of the Class
Front of the Class (2008)

8.1 /10

A boy with Tourette's syndrome overcomes criticism and discrimination to achieve his dream of becoming a teacher.

Run Time: 1hr 35` . MMPA: . Release: 07 Dec 2008

Director: Peter Werner

Producer: Andrew Gottlieb

Stars: James Wolk , Treat Williams , Dominic Scott Kay , Sarah Drew , Kathleen York , Joe Chrest

poster-After
After (2019)

5.3 /10

Tessa Young is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. Entering her first semester of college, Tessa's guarded world opens up when she meets Hardin Scott, a mysterious and brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself -- and what she wants out of life.

Run Time: 1hr 46` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 11 Apr 2019

Director: Jenny Gage

Producer: Jonathan Deckter , Zhang Haiyan , Vassal Benford

Stars: Josephine Langford , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Shane Paul McGhie , Khadijha Red Thunder , Dylan Arnold , Samuel Larsen

poster-The Wolf of Wall Street
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

8.2 /10

A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.

Run Time: 3hr . MMPA: R . Release: 25 Dec 2013

Director: Adam Somner , Francisco Ortiz , Robert Legato

Producer: Alexandra Milchan , Ted Griffin , Meghan Rafferty

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio , Jonah Hill , Margot Robbie , Kyle Chandler , Rob Reiner , Matthew McConaughey

poster-Watchmen: Chapter II
Watchmen: Chapter II (2024)

0 /10

Suspicious of the events ensnaring their former colleagues, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are spurred out of retirement to investigate. As they grapple with personal ethics, inner demons and a society turned against them, they race the clock to uncover a deepening plot that might trigger global nuclear war.

Run Time: 1hr 29` . MMPA: R . Release: 25 Nov 2024

Director: Vinton Heuck , Brandon Vietti

Producer: Jason Amodeo , Brandon Vietti , Liz Carroll

Stars: Matthew Rhys , Katee Sackhoff , Titus Welliver , Troy Baker , Adrienne Barbeau , Michael Cerveris

poster-The Godfather Part II
The Godfather Part II (1974)

9 /10

In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

Run Time: 3hr 22` . MMPA: R . Release: 20 Dec 1974

Director: Newt Arnold , Charles Myers , Alan Hopkins

Producer: Jack English , Gray Frederickson , Michael S. Glick

Stars: Al Pacino , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton , Robert De Niro , John Cazale , Talia Shire

poster-The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

8 /10

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

Run Time: 1hr 57` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 14 Dec 2006

Director: Lars P. Winther , Carol DePasquale , Michael Viglietta

Producer: Denise Chamian , Angela Demo , Louis D'Esposito

Stars: Will Smith , Jaden Smith , Thandiwe Newton , Brian Howe , James Karen , Kurt Fuller

poster-Kiss and Kill
Kiss and Kill (2017)

2.9 /10

A reckless night of indiscretion and lust leads a woman into the dark world of blackmail and murder. When revealing photos of her sexual tryst unexpectedly surface, Katy is forced to submit to whatever her tormentors desire.

Run Time: 1hr 21` . MMPA: NC-17 . Release: 08 Aug 2017

Director: Dean McKendrick

Producer: Sal V. Miers , Scott Webster , Alan B. Bursteen

Stars: Kira Noir , Eve Marlowe , Damian T. Raven , Madeleine Wade , Jay Smooth , Karlie Montana