Charles Laughton

Robert Graves

Josef von Sternberg

Merle Oberon

Flora Robson

Emlyn Williams

Eileen Corbett

John Armstrong

Dirk Bogarde

John Abbott

Robert Newton

Basil Gill

Bill Duncalf

Sarah Jennings

Charles Parnall

David Findlay

David Samuelson

Alan Featherstone

Robert Kauffman

Brian Keene

Documentary

The Epic That Never Was

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

If you are at all interested in the Robert Graves "I, Claudius" stories then this is a must watch. Dirk Bogarde is superb narrating this hybrid of original, remarkably well preserved, rushes and specially shot interviews with the likes of Merle Oberon and Dame Flora Robson as they describe the logistical and personal nightmares that dogged the attempts by, initially, Sir Alexander Korda and subsequently Josef von Sternberg to turn this classic story into a film. Insightful contributions alert us to the difficulties faced by Charles Laughton ("Claudius") and Emyln Williams ("Caligula") in creating their characterisations and we are given an interesting look at just quite how a film of this stature - grand sets, costumes, Vestal Virgins and orgies was to be put together before - that is - it all went a bit pear-shaped. It's a well put together documentary with plentiful original content to sustain interest and by the end I think I understood why this wonderful story of intrigue, scandal - and sex has never been attempted for the big screen since!

English

The Epic That Never Was (I' Claudius)