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Great Catherine (film)

January 29, 2023

Great Catherine is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Gordon Flemyng, based on a 1913 one act play by George Bernard Shaw, and starring Peter O'Toole, Zero Mostel, Jeanne Moreau and Jack Hawkins.[1] Like the play, it is loosely based on the story of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams and his time spent as an envoy at the Russian court.

Great Catherine
Belgian theatrical poster
Directed byGordon Flemyng
Written byHugh Leonard
Based onGreat Catherine
by George Bernard Shaw
Produced byJules Buck
StarringPeter O'Toole
Zero Mostel
Jeanne Moreau
Jack Hawkins
CinematographyOswald Morris
Edited byAnne V. Coates
Music byDimitri Tiomkin
Production
company
Keep Films
Distributed byWarner-Pathé Distributors
Release date
  • 6 December 1968 (1968-12-06)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

It was shot at Shepperton Studios near London with sets designed by the art directors John Bryan and William Hutchinson. The score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin.

Synopsis

A British officer, Captain Charles Edstaston, is sent to the Russian court of Catherine the Great as an envoy, where he has to contend with the crafty machinations of her chief minister Potemkin.

Cast

Critical reception

TV Guide wrote, "They waited 55 years to make it (Shaw's play) into a film and would have been well advised to wait another 55 years. What a mishmash!...Mostel, unless held in check, always overacts, and this is a prime example of a stage actor, accustomed to having to play "big" for the people in the last row, overdoing things for the close-up camera";[2] whereas The New York Times wrote, "GREAT CATHERINE has a great clown named Zero Mostel...the glorious hamming of the portly American makes the picture...Surely Mr. Mostel's antics would have won the playwright's approval...The story, Braced immeasurably by the Shavian lines, as arranged by the scenarist, Hugh Leonard, and stylishly piloted by the director, Gordon Flemyng, the picture is also beautiful in its lavish décor, costumes and color photography."[3]

References

  1. ^ . BFI. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Great Catherine". TVGuide.com.
  3. ^ "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 29 December 2021.

External links

  • Great Catherine at IMDb


 

This article related to a British comedy film of the 1960s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

 

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January 29, 2023
great, catherine, film, great, catherine, 1968, british, comedy, film, directed, gordon, flemyng, based, 1913, play, george, bernard, shaw, starring, peter, toole, zero, mostel, jeanne, moreau, jack, hawkins, like, play, loosely, based, story, charles, hanbury. Great Catherine is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Gordon Flemyng based on a 1913 one act play by George Bernard Shaw and starring Peter O Toole Zero Mostel Jeanne Moreau and Jack Hawkins 1 Like the play it is loosely based on the story of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams and his time spent as an envoy at the Russian court Great CatherineBelgian theatrical posterDirected byGordon FlemyngWritten byHugh LeonardBased onGreat Catherineby George Bernard ShawProduced byJules BuckStarringPeter O TooleZero MostelJeanne MoreauJack HawkinsCinematographyOswald MorrisEdited byAnne V CoatesMusic byDimitri TiomkinProductioncompanyKeep FilmsDistributed byWarner Pathe DistributorsRelease date6 December 1968 1968 12 06 Running time99 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishIt was shot at Shepperton Studios near London with sets designed by the art directors John Bryan and William Hutchinson The score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 3 Critical reception 4 References 5 External linksSynopsis EditA British officer Captain Charles Edstaston is sent to the Russian court of Catherine the Great as an envoy where he has to contend with the crafty machinations of her chief minister Potemkin Cast EditPeter O Toole as Charles Edstaston Jeanne Moreau as Catherine the Great Zero Mostel as Potemkin Jack Hawkins as British Ambassador Akim Tamiroff as Sergeant Marie Lohr as Dowager Lady Gorse Kate O Mara as Varinka Angela Scoular as Claire Oliver MacGreevy as General Pyskov James Mellor as Colonel Pugachov Lea Seidl as Grand Duchess Claire Gordon as Elizabeth Vokonska Declan Mulholland as Count Tokhtamysh Janet Kelly as Anna Schuvalova Henry Woolf as EgrebyomkaCritical reception EditTV Guide wrote They waited 55 years to make it Shaw s play into a film and would have been well advised to wait another 55 years What a mishmash Mostel unless held in check always overacts and this is a prime example of a stage actor accustomed to having to play big for the people in the last row overdoing things for the close up camera 2 whereas The New York Times wrote GREAT CATHERINE has a great clown named Zero Mostel the glorious hamming of the portly American makes the picture Surely Mr Mostel s antics would have won the playwright s approval The story Braced immeasurably by the Shavian lines as arranged by the scenarist Hugh Leonard and stylishly piloted by the director Gordon Flemyng the picture is also beautiful in its lavish decor costumes and color photography 3 References Edit Great Catherine BFI Archived from the original on 11 July 2012 Great Catherine TVGuide com Movie Reviews The New York Times 29 December 2021 External links EditGreat Catherine at IMDb This article related to a British comedy film of the 1960s is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte This article related to historical films is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Great Catherine film amp oldid 1108482557, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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