A Royal Scandal *** (1945, Tallulah Bankhead, Charles Coburn, Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Vincent Price, Mischa Auer, Sig Ruman) – Classic Movie Review 8208

Director Otto Preminger’s lush 1945 black and white costume drama A Royal Scandal [Czarina], with more than a few splashes of humour, stars Tallulah Bankhead as 18th century Russian queen Catherine the Great who shows an eye for naive, idealistic and handsome officer Lieutenant Alexei Chernoff (William Eythe), becomes infatuated with him and appoints him Chief of the Imperial Guard.

However, she is furious when she discovers that he is a revolutionary leader, but mellows when it also emerges that he is the husband-to-be of her faithful lady-in-waiting Countess Anna Jaschikoff (Anne Baxter). This enjoyable tale, based on a play by Lajos Biro and Melchir Lengyel, is lustily directed by Preminger, who took over from the unwell Ernst Lubitsch, who is uncredited.

Charles Coburn as the Royal chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch and Vincent Price as the French ambassador Marquis de Fleury (who is seduced by Catherine) have fun, the costumes (designed by René Hubert) are plush and Bankhead extravagantly relishes the wild woman role.

Just so you don’t think it is too serious, or a boring history lesson, Twentieth Century Fox set the tone by spicing up the advertising with ‘Saucy! Naughty! Delicious!’ And also at the start of the film: ‘This picture is about Catherine of Russia. Her people called her the “Mother of all all the Russias”. Her biographers called her “the Great”. Our story takes place at the time of her life when she was not so much of a mother but when she was especially great.’

Also in the cast are Mischa Auer, Sig Ruman, Vladimir Sokoloff, Mikhail Rasumny, Grady Sutton, Don Douglas and Egon Brecher.

Lubitsch apparently directed the rehearsals of the film.

Other great Catherines: Elisabeth Bergner in The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934), Marlene Dietrich in The Scarlet Empress (1934), Jeanne Moreau in Great Catherine (1968), and Bette Davis in John Paul Jones (1959).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8208

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