The Scarlet Empress (1934)

 

The Scarlet Empress - 1934

Welcome back to our Royal Week.  Today's entry is 1934's "The Scarlet Empress", a fictionalized version of events that sees a young woman arrive in Russia and her rise to power as Catherine the Great.

The film's cast includes Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, C. Aubrey Smith, Gavin Gordon, Olive Tell, Ruthelma Stevens, Davison Clark, Jane Darwell, and Maria Riva.

In Germany, Princess Sophia Frederica of Anhalt is destined to become the bride of the future Tsar of Russia.  She's informed by her family and is told to await the arrival of the representative of Empress Elizabeth.

He arrives and tells the princess wonderful things about her future husband.  She cannot wait to meet him in person.

However, on the way to Russia, the princess finds herself becoming attracted to the empress's representative, Count Alexei.  She fights her urges, saying it would be disloyal to her future husband.

Arriving in Russia, Sophia Frederica meets with the Empress, who changes her name to Catherine.  Catherine thanks the Empress for all of her kindnesses.  "What I have done is nothing in comparison with what I shall do," replies the Empress.

The Empress asks if there is any request she can grant.  Catherine replies that she wishes to see her future husband, Peter.

When he arrives, Catherine is quickly disillusioned, having pictured Peter completely differently.  The man before her is only interested in toy soldiers, executions, and his mistress.

On her wedding day, Catherine is assisted by the Empress, who reminds her that it is her duty to provide Russia with a male heir.

Catherine numbly goes through the marriage ceremony.  Peter looks around the room with a huge grin on his face.

They are watched most jealously by Peter's mistress, Countess Lizzie Varonsoff.

Catherine's mother, Princess Johanna Elizabeth, and the Empress also cast their eyes over the proceedings.

At the reception, everyone has a good time, except for Catherine.  She sits very solemnly.

Time goes by, and Catherine doesn't produce the longed-for heir.  Empress Elizabeth begins to lose her patience and starts to become very short-tempered with Catherine.

While assisting the Empress one night in her bedroom, Catherine sees something coming through the wall.  It is Peter, who is making a hole in the wall so that he can see what his wife is up to.

The Empress is furious.  When she asks him why he was poking holes in her bedroom wall, Peter replies that he wanted to watch his wife.  "Watching your wife won’t give you an heir to the throne.  The next time I catch you providing my rooms with needless ventilation, I’ll have you flogged!" the Empress shouts in a rage.

To assist in the providing of an heir, the Empress has Peter's mistress banished from court.  Naturally, this doesn't endear Catherine to her husband.

Catherine eventually looks for comfort elsewhere.  The result of a liaison with an army officer is the birth of a son.  He is proclaimed the future tsar.

Because of the birth of a son, Catherine's esteem at court is enhanced.  She also begins to do what she pleases with whom she pleases.

Peter, however, delights in tormenting his wife, ordering a regiment of soldiers to point their guns at her.  He also secretly brings his mistress back to court.

Eventually, Empress Elizabeth dies, and Peter and Catherine succeed to the throne.  As a ruler, Peter decides to terrorize the citizens of Russia.  Catherine decides to cultivate friendships among the military, which could be of great advantage later on.

At a dinner one night, Peter publicly insults Catherine by offering a toast to his mistress.  He also decides to lock Catherine up with the intention of killing her.  However, Catherine has other plans.

Because the military is on her side, they refuse pointblank to kill her.  Instead, they turn Peter's plans on himself, and he is killed.

Catherine is proclaimed Empress in her own right, and begins her reign with the armies of Russia paying homage to her at the palace.

Cast rundown:

   Marlene Dietrich....................................Empress Catherine

   John Lodge...........................................Count Alexei

   Sam Jaffe.............................................Grand Duke Peter

   Louise Dresser.......................................Empress Elizabeth

   C. Aubrey Smith....................................Prince August

   Gavin Gordon........................................Capt. Gregori Orloff

   Olive Tell..............................................Princess Johanna Elizabeth

   Ruthelma Stevens..................................Countess Lizzie Varonsoff

   Davison Clark........................................Archimandrite Simeon

   Jane Darwell.........................................Miss Cardell

   Maria Riva............................................Young Catherine

And that's it for The Scarlet Empress.  The film is notable for its Expressionist art design.  Pete Babusch created many different types of gargoyle-like sculptures which adorn the royal thrones, hallways, and serving dishes.  I'm definitely not a fan of that type of art, but the costumes, designed by Travis Banton, were very lavishly done and very beautiful.

Be on the lookout for Marlene Dietrich's daughter, Maria Riva, who plays the younger version of her mother's character in the beginning of the film.

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Government Girl (1943)

 

Government Girl - 1943

Coming up next we have 1943's "Government Girl", a film about a man who comes to Washington to do a job nobody knows how to do.  He's aided in this endeavor by a woman who hates him: his secretary.

The film's cast includes Olivia de Havilland, Sonny Tufts, Anne Shirley, Jess Barker, James Dunn, Paul Stewart, Agnes Moorehead, Harry Davenport, Una O'Connor, Sig Ruman, Jane Darwell, and Warren Hymer.

Elizabeth "Smokey" Allard is upset.  She's just found out that the room she's booked for a friend's wedding night is occupied.  When told the circumstances, the man won't vacate, and she is furious at his lack of consideration.

And she's definitely not happy the next morning when the only way for her to get to work is by motorcycle.  Not knowing how to operate one, she asks around.  To her dismay, the man from the previous evening volunteers.  Not knowing his way around Washington D.C., he asks her to give him directions as they go along.

What happens next is a wild ride through the streets of Washington D.C.

When they arrive at their destination, the War Construction Board, Smokey is fit to be tied, and she hopes never to see the man again.

It turns out that the man is Ed Browne.  He's being tasked by the government to supervise the building of bomber aircraft.

Smokey is completely shocked and dismayed when she finds out that she will be Mr. Browne's secretary.

Mr. Browne begins to tell Smokey his plan for producing the bombers.  He's going to double the number produced, as well as make the factories more effective.  Smokey cautions him about straying too far from government recommendations.

Smokey finds out during a lunch with a friend that the powerful Senator MacVickers is running an investigative committee about goings on in Washington.

Finding herself coming around to Mr. Browne, Smokey starts trying to educate him in the way that Washington works.

He is invited to a reception by society hostess Mrs. Adele Wright.  There, Mr. Browne and Smokey rub shoulders with Washington elite, including Senator MacVickers.  Mr. Browne says, "I can't find out how to get things done in Washington."  The senator smiles and says, "I've been trying to find that out for the last thirty years."

Things get touch for Mr. Browne.  He's accused of cutting corners with his bombers, and some among the Washington elite are looking for a scapegoat.  They actively plot his downfall.

Mr. Browne, however, has other things on his mind.  He's fallen for Smokey, and he is looking for ways to make himself better husband material.

Smokey has fallen for him, too...in a big way.  She even burns evidence that could hurt Mr. Browne in front of Senator MacVickers' committee.

She and her friend are asked by the government to help uncover a spy.  They are successful, and Smokey is able to return some files that Mr. Browne has been "accused" of stealing.

Still, Mr. Browne must face the senator's committee.  Things aren't going well at first, but then Smokey arrives on the scene.  She tells the senator that she's been deliberately kept from the proceedings by the prosecutor.  She gives an impassioned speech, and leaves the meeting.

Naturally, things turn out all right.  When Smokey sees him afterwards, she exclaims, "Oh, Mr. Browne!"  He responds, "Listen, if you ever call me Mr. Browne again, I'm gonna grab ya...and....and kiss ya."  Smokey smiles and exclaims again, "Oh, Mr. Browne!"  They fall into each other's arms.

Cast rundown:

   Olivia de Havilland......................Elizabeth "Smokey" Allard

   Sonny Tufts................................Ed Browne

   Anne Shirley...............................Mary Harness Blake

   Jess Barker.................................Dana McGuire

   James Dunn...............................Sergeant Joe Blake

   Paul Stewart...............................Branch Owens

   Agnes Moorehead........................Mrs. Adele Wright

   Harry Davenport..........................Senator MacVickers

   Una O'Connor..............................Mrs. Harris

   Sig Ruman.................................Ambassador

   Jane Darwell...............................Miss Trask

   Warren Hymer.............................Military Police Sergeant

And that's all for Government Girl.  Both Barbara Stanwyck and Ginger Rogers turned down the role of Smokey before it was assigned to Olivia de Havilland.  In the midst of legal disputes that resulted in the "de Havilland law", Olivia stated that she felt she was being punished and did not enjoy the role.

As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.