For those of you who haven't seen Liz Taylor in her most 'talked about' role . . . here's your chance. Better drink lots of coffee, though: the saga of the Nile goes on and on and on . . . running time listed here: four hours, forty-five minutes. That's NOT the original length, of this film. Either it's a restored version, or a lenghty intro/epilogue, will be part of the festivities. The film as I've seen it, lasts four hours, five minutes.

CLEO'S a curiosity item, that's for sure. Breathtaking sets, eye popping costumes, particularly as worn by Miss Taylor . . . Richard Burton's toga runs far shorter than the others onscreen. Not sure what was going on, with that.

According to Joe Mankiewicz, his film was cut to ribbons, via editing; 96 hrs. of raw footage was shot. Taylor called CLEOPATRA, 'a series of costume changes.' Still, some biting dialogue exists between Burton and Taylor; the scene during which Cleopatra 'demands' that Antony kneel before her, is a knockout.

Some wicked hats and headdresses, worn by Liz. My favorite costume: a soaring, royal blue hat, matching gown and coat. The coat is lined, in leopard.

Many fascinating articles have been written about the making of this film: the Eddie Fisher biography covers CLEOPATRA, in considerable detail. According to Fisher it is he, who sparked the movie's production: 'you should do this for a million dollars' Fisher suggested to Liz, who was brushing her teeth at the time.

The rest . . . is history.
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some photos of costumes to tempt you even more
http://pages.xtn.net/%7Eallant/cleocostumes.html

Thank you, sillage! BTW: take a look at this week's GLOBE tabloid mag. Sadly, Liz Taylor has lived long enough to turn into The Picture of Dorian Gray. Completely unrecognizable. Suffering from congestive heart failure, ET's hard living is evidenced on every inch of her face, and body.

Liz's costumes in that movie were stunning. As was she at the time.

It's sad for me to see her in such declining health and looking so bad.

Hi Mary . . . as you know by now, I never thought LT, was stunning. For the most part, I think she looked terrible in those costumes (headdresses excepted.) Her 'nude' scene in Cleopatra, was truly unsavory. BUT . . . it was Liz they wanted, and it's Liz they got.

The shot of ET on the cover of the Globe, is somewhat shocking. It's as though every drink she ever took, every drug she ever ingested, all the cigarettes, are there WITH her, now. BTW: it's hard now to believe, that when CLEOPATRA was being made, the antics taking place in Rome were often the LEAD story on national news broadcasts. I remember those days, very well.

That IS the bad joke in life, isn't it? When you are young and abusing your bod, you have translucent skin, lots of energy...you think you are beating the system. Wake up at fifty and all your chickens will come home to roost. It's been proven over and over again.

Susan, the shots of Liz in the GLOBE are straight out of the Picture of Dorian Gray. BTW: her children via Michael Wilding and Mike Todd, are not great looking, at least not to my eye. Her son I think, is distinguished, but I wouldn't call him handsome. Liza Todd is . . . well, I suppose she's interesting. Especially since she'll inherit nicely, once LT is gone.

This thread and the one started by Joules, cruising the net and finding the site of Brit actresses in their birthday suits reminded me that while they were rolling the credits for Cleopatra I saw Francesca Annis' name.... I didn't stay up to see all of Cleo, but who did FA play? one of the handmaidens?? and was she as gorgeous in that one (she has a great voice) as she was in the Masterpiece Theatre prod of Lillie Langtry 15 yrs (?) ago. Are she and Fiennes still an item? Anyone know?

S

Hi Sofia . . . I'm not familiar with that name. Could she have been the hand maiden who had to drink the poison, after failing to taste test it, for big Liz?

'To have waited so long . . . to know suddenly. Without you, this is not a world I want to live in.' ET, to RB: CLEOPATRA

I dunno, Armanietros. Like I said couldn't stay up till the bitter end ;-O (groan)

I hope someone else here knows (I'm sure Persey does) and fills us in....

As I said, she was a stunner in L Langtry. I think the series was called something else though. She was one of Edward's famous mistresses --- the Jersey Lilly, the Gilded Lilly ....lol I'm grasping at straws.....

She was also the Seeress in the series made based on the Frank Herbert's Dune ... where her magnificent voice was used to full effect. I think Siobhan Mckenna also has great vocal prescence.

Francesca's role in Cleoopatra
http://www.hotflick.net/celebs/francesca_annis.html


and in Edward the King
http://www.hotflick.net/celebs/francesca_annis.html

"Lillie Langtry's story was dramatised by London Weekend Television in 1978 as Lillie, with Francesca Annis in the title role. "
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Lillie_Langtry

note this trivia
" This dress, which Diana mischievously chose, was first worn by Francesca Annis in the 1978 mini-series "Lillie Langtry"
http://princessdiana.ca/

Thanks, sillage!! The best POL detective, in the business!!

Ditto Thanks Sillage !

Armanis did you see Ava G played Lillie Langtry in a cameo in Judge Roy Bean, -- I guess.