A Royal Scandal

A Royal Scandal, also known as Czarina, is a 1945 film about the love life of Russian Czarina Catherine the Great.

• Director: Ernst Lubitsch
• Genre:Comedy / Drama
• Runtime:90 minutes

Cast

Tallulah Bankhead: Catherine the Great
Charles Coburn : Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch
Anne Baxter : Countess Anna Jaschikoff
William Eythe : Lt. Alexei Chernoff
Vincent Price : Marquis de Fleury

Catherine The Great had been portrayed by Mae West, Elizabeth Bergner, Marlene Dietrich, and Pola Negri. She lived to be 67 years old. Amazing, if we are to believe her amorous ways. Lubitsch was to have directed this, but he became ill and the reins were handed to Preminger, with Ernst looking over his shoulder and making sure that Otto’s customary heavy hand was somewhat lightened. The ancient Biro/Lengyel play “Czarina,” which had been used as the basis for other movies about the Russian queen, was adapted this time by Mayer and Frank, veteran screenwriters who knew what they were doing …