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I, Claudius is a British film of genre Drama directed by Josef von Sternberg with Charles Laughton
I, Claudius (1937)
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Add to a movie listDirected by Josef von Sternberg
OriginUnited-kingdom
I, Claudius is an unfinished 1937 film of the book I, Claudius. The abandoned project was being produced by Alexander Korda, directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Charles Laughton (as Claudius), Emlyn Williams (as Caligula), Flora Robson (as Livia), and Merle Oberon (as Messalina), but it was dogged by ill circumstances, culminating in a car accident involving Oberon, which caused filming to be ended before completion. A further attempt to rescue the footage by incorporating it into The Denham Studio Mystery, a proposed sequel to The Arsenal Stadium Mystery also fell through.
Laughton based his interpretation of Claudius on King Edward VIII and his abdication speech. Other speaking parts included Claudius's servant Narcissus, Claudius's doctor, Senators Sentius and Asiaticus, and soldiers Cassius and Lupus.
The BBC used the existing footage in a 70-minute documentary The Epic That Never Was (1965), hosted by Dirk Bogarde and featuring the opening of Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The documentary is included in the DVD box set of the BBC series I, Claudius, and includes about 25 minutes of original footage from the uncompleted film.
Also in the cast were Allan Aynesworth (as Senator Asiaticus) and John Clements (as Valente). Von Sternberg recalled Ralph Richardson having been cast, but Richardson did not agree.
Actors
Charles Laughton
(Claudius)
Flora Robson
(Livia Orestilla)
Emlyn Williams
(Caligula)
Merle Oberon
(Messaline)
Robert Newton
(Cassius)
Leonora Corbett
(Cæsonia Milonia)
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