The Epic That Never Was poster

The Epic That Never Was( 1969)

TV-MADocumentary
67%
User
Score

Overview

The story of the aborted 1937 filming of "I, Claudius", starring Charles Laughton, with all of its surviving footage.

    Top Billed Cast

    1. cast image

      Charles Laughton

      Tiberius Claudius (archive footage)

    2. cast image

      Robert Graves

      Interviewee [original author]

    3. cast image

      Josef von Sternberg

      Interviewee [director] / Himself (archive footage)

    4. cast image

      Merle Oberon

      Interviewee / Messalina (archive footage)

    5. cast image

      Flora Robson

      Interviewee / Livia (archive footage)

    6. cast image

      Emlyn Williams

      Interviewee / Caligula (archive footage)

    7. cast image

      Eileen Corbett

      Interviewee [script girl]

    8. cast image

      John Armstrong

      Interviewee [costume designer]

    9. cast image

      Dirk Bogarde

      Narrator

    10. cast image

      John Abbott

      Himself – Ms. Robson's Host (uncredited)

    11. cast image

      Robert Newton

      Cassius, Captain of Caligula's guard (archive footage; uncredited)

    12. cast image

      Basil Gill

      Xenophon, Claudius' doctor (archive footage; uncredited)

    Social

    Review 1Discussion

    A review by CinemaSerf

    8
    Written by CinemaSerf on Thu Sep 05 2024
    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 creati...

    Media

    Videos 1Backdrops 3Posters 2

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    Facts

    Status

    Released

    Original Language

    English

    Budget

    -

    Revenue

    -

    Keywords

    • movie business
    • archive footage
    • documentary
    • cancelled film