Antony and Cleopatra (1913 film)
Antony and Cleopatra is a 1913 Italian silent historical film directed by Enrico Guazzoni, starring Gianna Terribili-Gonzales, Amleto Novelli and Ignazio Lupi. The film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same title, with inspiration also drawn from the play or dramatic poem Cleopatra by Pietro Cossa.
The film was released by George Kleine in the U.S. as Antony and Cleopatra, and in Germany as Die Herrin des Nils—Cleopatra.
The film still exists today.
Cast
- Gianna Terribili-Gonzales as Cleopatra
- Amleto Novelli as Marc Antony
- Ignazio Lupi as Augustus Caesar Octavian
- Elsa Lenard as Octavia
- Matilde Di Marzio as the slave Hagar
- Ruffo Geri as the Chief of the plotters
- Ida Carloni Talli as the Witch of the oracle
- Bruto Castellani
- Giuseppe Piemontesi
Historical background
After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, the Second Triumvirate was formed by Mark Antony, Octavian, and Marcus Lepidus. After the Battle of Phillipi against Caesar's killers, the control of Rome's Eastern provinces including the client kingdom of Ptolemaic Egypt fell to Mark Antony, Caesar's nephew. Antony was married to Octavia, Octavian's sister. Egypt was ruled by the beautiful and seductive Cleopatra VII, with whom Antony fell hopelessly in love and fathered several children. A rivalry grew up between him and Octavian, who instigated a war, ostensibly against Cleopatra, since Antony was a true Roman. Defeated, Antony and Cleopatra separately committed suicide.Synopsis
The film opens with Antony arriving in Egpyt to arrest Cleopatra for her rebellion against Rome: however he falls for her charms and they fall in love. Antony's wife Octavia, the sister of Octavian, arrives and jealously accuses Cleopatra for her illicit relationship with Antony. Egyptian nobles plot against Rome. The Roman senate denounces Antony as a traitor. Octavian's legions arrive. The naval Battle of Actium takes place in which Octavian wins a crushing victory over Antony's ships and the Egyptian forces. The pair flee to Alexandria which is beseiged. Panic ensues, and Antony commits suicide. Cleopatra still hopes to win the heart of Octavian, the conqueror, but he declares her a prisoner and must go with him to Rome. Unable to bear the humiliation of a triumphal procession with her in chains, Cleopatra commits suicide by an asp bite.Production
The opening credits of the US version state that the film was staged in Italy and Egypt. The cinematographer, Alessandro Bona, was previously behind the camera for Quo Vadis, also directed by Guazzoni.Release
The German premiere of Die Herrin des Nils–Cleopatra took place on 14 September 1913 at the Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz, Berlin The cinema, the first free-standing, purpose-built film theatre in the capital, was built by Joe Golsdoll and A. H. Woods, Cines' representatives in Germany and owners of Cines film rights. The cinema had opened in March that year with another Cines historical blockbuster, Quo Vadis, also directed by Guazzoni. Antony and Cleopatra was still running in December, after nearly 200 performances.A competing film with a confusingly similar title and subject matter was released in September by the Rheinisch-Westfälischen Filmzentrale company in Bochum. The 1912 US film Cleopatra starring Helen Gardner was also released in Germany in September 1913.
The film was released in the USA on 26 September 1913.