The Rise of Catherine the Great
The woman who will become Catherine the Great marries into the Russian royal family when she weds Grand Duke Peter, the nephew of Empress Elizabeth. Although the couple has moments of contentment, Peter's cruel and erratic behavior causes a rift between him and Catherine. Mere months after Peter succeeds his aunt as the ruler of Russia, a revolt is brewing, and Catherine is poised to ascend to the throne as the country's new empress.
Alexander Korda
Paul Czinner
Casts & Crew
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Elisabeth Bergner
Flora Robson
Gerald du Maurier
Irene Vanbrugh
Joan Gardner
Dorothy Hale
Diana Napier
Griffith Jones
Gibb McLaughlin
Clifford Heatherley
Laurence Hanray
Allan Jeayes
Charles Carson
Stewart Granger
Judy Kelly
John Turnbull
Michael Wilding
Arnold Lucy
William Heughan
Heron Carvic
Also Directed by Alexander Korda
Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn, his second wife, executed on charges of treason, King Henry weds maid Jane Seymour, but that marriage also ends in tragedy. Not one to be single for long, the king picks German-born Anne of Cleves as his bride, but their union lasts only months before an annulment is granted, and King Henry continues his string of spouses.
Charles Jackson, an American sea-captain and singing soldier-of-fortune, is arrested by the French Foreign Legion for running guns to the rebel forces in Morocco fighting against the rule of the French in north Africa. He is saved by Lili La Fleur, a singer/dance in a Morocco café and, through her, eventually becomes a hero to the Foreign Legion.
Faithful to his word, Michael Tímar, captain of the St. Barbara, becomes the guardian of Kondya, daughter of a Turkish aristocrat on the run. Later, he weds the grateful young Turkish girl whom he saved from the waters of the Danube. While skilfully managing his wife fortune, entrepreneur Tímar becomes an important wholesaler of wheat, and exports his products to Brazil. But his marriage of convenience proves a failure. He is torn between the demands of bourgeois civilisation, governed by money, and the ideal of freedom, consisting in living simply within nature. He then takes refuge by the side of the sweet Noemi on an island on the Danube.
The Pretender lands on Scottish shores and attempts to claim the crown.
Archduke Alexander (Clive Brook) is better known for his sexual conquests than his diplomatic triumphs. After a lifetime of loving 'em and leaving 'em, the Archduke finally meets a girl he can't leave, Hungarian lass Judith Peredy (Billie Dove). She resists his advances but can't hide the fact that she's in love with him. The Yellow Lily was the second of four cinematic collaborations between star Billie Dove and director Alexander Korda.
A derogated prince hopes to restore his wealth and power by marrying off his daughter to royalty. Unfortunately, she has fallen in love with a young man who has been hired to fix the plumbing in their run-down castle.
A melodrama about a virtuous wife unjustly abandoned by her husband, who get him back with the help of a Hindu mystic.
Also Directed by Paul Czinner
Ariane was Hungarian director Paul Czinner's first talking picture. Starring in the title role is Czinner's charming wife, Elizabeth Bergner, likewise making her talkie debut. Young, naive Ariane sets herself for an emotional fall when she falls in love with Konstantin (Rudolf Forster), a much older and very married businessman. For his part, Konstantin regards the girl as just another harmless fling -- until he realizes a shade too late that he's really in love with her after all. Filmed in German, Ariane was simultaneously lensed in an English-language version, The Loves of Ariane.
Romantic quadrangle involving two brothers, one a burgeoning ballet composer; a willful heiress; and a waif.
Adapted from the best-selling novel by K. J. Benes, A Stolen Life serves as a tour de force for German actress Elizabeth Bergner, whose husband Paul Czinner directed the film. Bergner stars as identical twins Sylvina and Martina, whose mild sibling rivalry intensifies when one of the girls tricks the other's sweetheart Alan McKenzie (Michael Redgrave) into proposing to the wrong twin.
Filmed on the stage of London's Covent Garden. Includes extracts from Swan lake, Ondine & The Firebird.
A lighthouse keeper's wife shelters her fugitive lover.
Film version of Shakespeare's comedy of a young woman who disguises herself as a man to win the attention of the one she loves.
The legendary soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf stars in this acclaimed film of Richard Strauss' delightful opera, Der Rosenkavalier. This Salzburg Festival production of Strauss' great work toured the world, and this filmed version was hailed by The New York Times as "Superb." Schwarzkopf performs her signature role as Princess von Werdenberg, an aging beauty involved with a younger man, Octavian. But when Octavian agrees to assist Baron Ochs by delivering the Baron's proposal of marriage to the beautiful young Sophie, the messenger and bride-to-be fall in love with each other!
Dreaming Lips was lovingly assembled by filmmaker Paul Czinner as an "ideal" vehicle for his popular actress wife Elizabeth Bergner. The star plays Gabrielle, the glamorous, spoiled wife of world-famous orchestra leader Peter (Romney Brent). Left alone by her constantly touring husband, she inaugurates a romance with brilliant but reclusive violinist Miguel de Vaye (Raymond Massey).
Girl dressed up as a boy falls in love with a painter.