Rasputin and the Empress

Plot synopsis:
The highly fictionalized story takes place in the Russian Empire during the last years of the reign of Czar Nicholas II (Ralph Morgan) and the Czarina Alexandra (Ethel Barrymore). Reform-minded Prince Paul (John Barrymore) has long been concerned about the plight of the common people and knows a revolution is brewing. Prince Alexei, heir to the throne, is loved by the people but has hemophilia, and a slight fall turns out to be life-threatening. When royal physician Dr. Remezov (Edward Arnold) is powerless to stop the boy's bleeding, Princess Natasha (Diana Wynyard), Alexandra's lady-in-waiting and Paul's fiancee, recommends Rasputin (Lionel Barrymore) as a healer. He convinces the frantic Empress that he has been sent by God to cure the child. Left alone with Alexei, he hypnotizes the boy and relieves his agony but also gradually makes Alexei a slave to his will.
With the influence he now wields over the relieved parents, Rasputin begins replacing those loyal to them with his own men. He is greatly aided when the head of the secret police (Henry Kolker), fearful of losing his job over his failure to prevent the assassination of a nobleman close to the Czar, turns to him for help. With police dossiers at his disposal, Rasputin is able to use blackmail to increase his power even further.
Prince Paul fears that Rasputin's actions will bring about the downfall of the empire. However, even Natasha believes in Rasputin. She warns him that Paul is going to try to kill him. Paul shoots him, but Rasputin is unharmed: he has taken the precaution of wearing a hidden metal breastplate. Nicholas forces Paul to resign his position when he admits he tried to assassinate the man.
When Germany issues an ultimatum demanding that Russia cease mobilizing its army over the crisis between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, Nicholas and his advisers are divided. Rasputin convinces him to reject the ultimatum, leading to World War I.
Finally, Rasputin begins to make subtle advances on Grand Duchess Maria (Jean Parker), Alexandra's daughter. When Natasha finds out, she becomes furious and shouts that she will go to the Empress. Rasputin overpowers her and puts her in a deep trance. The Empress fortuitously enters the room at that moment, enabling Natasha to recover her wits and tell what she saw. When he is unable to shake Alexandra's faith in Natasha, Rasputin boasts of how he is now effectively Czar. In despair, the Empress sends for Paul. He assures her that he knows what to do.
At a big party where Rasputin is guest of honor, he recognizes the servant who has been bringing him his favorite traditional Tobolsk cakes all night; he used to work for Paul. Immediately suspicious, Rasputin has the house searched. They find Paul and Dr. Remezov. Rasputin is eager to dispatch his most implacable enemy himself; he takes Paul into the cellar at gunpoint. Once they are alone, Paul taunts Rasputin, telling him the cakes were filled with poison. He then leaps at Rasputin and beats him into unconsciousness. However, Rasputin refuses to die. Covered with blood, he rises and walks toward Paul, shouting that if he dies, Russia will die. Paul finally drags him out into the snow and throws him into the river to drown.
Immediately, Alexei is freed from his hypnotic trance and hugs his mother. Nicholas is forced to exile Paul, as Rasputin's minions are still in power. However, the old charlatan's last prophecy comes true, as the Czar is overthrown and shot with his entire family by the Bolsheviks.

Tags: murder

Review:
Names have been changed (and that didn't prevent MGM from law suits) and a lot of the information we now know about this period of Russian history - was not known in 1932.As other people have commented about this being the only film that Ethel, John, and Lionel Barrymore appeared together, this movie doesn't show why the Barrymores have the reputation that they have.
Lionel Barrymore, wearing one of the phoniest fake beards, tries to capture the charisma and sense of control that Rasputin had over Czarina Alexandra and the Czarevitch.
When her only son seems to be close to possible death, she doesn't seem all that bothered.C. Henry Gordon is a great Grand Duke Igor, Ralph Morgan is a convincing Czar Nicholas II, but they don't appear that frequently.
Barrymore's portrayal of Rasputin plays this up, plus making claims that he will be Russia.
He seems almost like Charles Manson at times in the way he can make someone, especially the Czarevitch, behave like they are totally different people compared to the way they acted before meeting Rasputin.It is best to watch this movie as just that - a fictional representation of various accounts of what happened in the royal court of Russia in its final days.
The writers included Charles MacArthur, Ben Hecht, Robert Sherwood, Mercedes de Acosta, and Lenore Coffee - some of the best writers of the period.It's worth a view - don't expect historical accuracy, but it is an interesting film that tries to show a much different world than what Americans would have known..
John is fine and properly earnest as Prince Chegodieff, although his performance does seem a bit old-fashioned next to Lionel's.
Later, there is a medley of martial music, accompanied by historical footage, as Russia mobilizes for The Great War. Here we hear "God Save the Tsar", a tune which Mikhail Glinka featured in his opera, "A Life for the Tsar", but which was routinely banned during Soviet performances.
This film is completely inaccurate in its portrayal of actual events in Russian history.
There is Ethel Barrymore looking every inch the empress and giving a convincing portrayal of a woman concerned for the welfare of her very ill son - and I would expect that.
What I didn't expect is how weird it would be to watch a film in which John Barrymore is the shining hero and Lionel Barrymore is a truly diabolical villain, and each are spectacularly convincing in their portrayals.
However, none can explain what happened at the end of his life - how he was poisoned, bludgeoned, shot, and finally thrown into an icy river and still managed to cling to life for awhile.Although Tsar Nicholas is accurately portrayed as a rather weak willed man and the Romanov marriage is also accurately portrayed as one of the few royal arranged marriages that also turned out to be a love match, there is a mischaracterization of the Tsar as being progressive and wanting a Duma only to have Rasputin defeat that plan.
This sets up one of the great ironic struggles in the film - that of aristocrat Prince Paul Chegodieff (John Barrymore) wanting more for the peasants in the way of both bread and democracy, and that of peasant mystic Rasputin (Lionel Barrymore) saying that it was God's will that the peasants were poor and powerless.
Paul wants to save Russia, Rasputin wants to rule it.Another piece of fiction shown in the movie for dramatic measure are the public proclamations about the illness of Tsaravich Alexai, the heir to the Russian throne.
In fact one of the things that turned the Russian people against the royal family - besides the fact that they were starving during WWI - was that the people assumed that Rasputin's hold over the empress was because they were lovers.
Ironically hiding the truth and leaving Rasputin's relationship to the empress unexplained also led to exactly that.Watch this one for the high production values and compelling performances by the members of Hollywood's royal family during its golden age, but as for a Russian history lesson, look elsewhere..
The only film with all three Barrymores together and it's a good film, however, the direction is very poorly done, especially the ending scene.Other than that, Lionel Barrymore portrays an excellent Rasputin and Ethel Barrymore is wonderful as the Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna.
John Barrymore is great as Prince Paul, the assassin of Rasputin (in real life, it was Prince Yussupov who assassinated Rasputin).This is a good film, but if you want a better interpretation of Rasputin's "reign," rent the 1996 HBO version with Alan Rickman or the 1971 movie, "Nicholas and Alexandra.".
The Three Bs. The only film featuring all three Barrymores preserves an acting style that was once considered top-line and now looks rather over-emphatic.
While this film may be of interest to film purists because of the three Barrymores together for the only time, the movie is lousy history.
Rasputin and the Empress (1932) *** (out of 4) Lionel, John and Ethel Barrymore star in this film, which was the only one that all three legends appeared in together.
After her son is near death, Czarina Alexandria (Ethel) lets the monk Rasputin (Lionel) pray with her son who eventually heals and the monk gives credit to God. Saving her son, the monk soon finds himself gaining power inside the government but this doesn't sit well with Prince Chegodieff (John) who will stop at nothing to prove the monk is mad.
Apparently MGM was sued due to how inaccurate the story is here so if you want a history lesson you should go read a book but if you want to see all three Barrymore's together then this is the only film out there that will suit you.
Lionel actually goes way over the top, which is something you'd expect from John but he actually manages to be quite calm and cool throughout the film.
John certainly gives the best performance but it's Lionel who steals the film with his fake beard and over the top antics.
Chiefly of interest because it's the only film that Ethel, John and Lionel Barrymore made together.
This is a reasonably decent movie, well acted (particularly by Lionel, who practically chews the scenery as Rasputin) and the sets and costumes are fairly nice.
But the main selling point is that this is the only time the three Barrymores -Ethel, John and Lionel did a movie together.
A prince plots to kill the "mad monk" Rasputin for the good of the czar, the czarina and Russia.In something of a minor epic, this film tells of the rise and fall of Rasputin, the "mad monk".
If you are vaguely familiar with the story of Rasputin, this film should feel like you've seen it before (in a good way).Everything about the film is quite good, from the acting to the costumes and beyond.
Plot in a Nutshell: Russian Prince Chegodieff (John Barrymore) tries to stop the evil Rasputin (Lionel Barrymore) from exerting his influence over Czarina Alexandra (Ethel Barrymore).Why I rated it a '7': That's a lot of Barrymore!
This is an interesting tale, showing how an unknown/outsider was able to insert himself into the lives of the Russian royal family and influence them in ways one wouldn't think possible.
Some reviewers have complained that "Rasputin" is not always true to history (in some ways, it's not), but what this tells me is that Hollywood apparently has been making historically inaccurate films for perhaps longer than anyone thought.
Wow - a chance to see the three Barrymores together.Kind of underwhelming."Rasputin and the Empress" is the amazingly inaccurate story of Rasputin and his influence on the royal family.
Lionel is the man himself, John is the man who wants him dead, Prince Chegodieff, and Ethel is the Empress.This film cost MGM a lot of money in lawsuits even though the names were changed to protect the guilty.
The Yusupov family made quite a bit of money thanks to their portrayal in this film, as Prince Chegodieff and Natasha.The movie doesn't hold up for reasons beyond its plot.
Ethel, who was very good as a character actress in films, here does the sort of acting popular in the day, melodramatic and with a quivering voice.
She just may not have been used to film acting, I don't know.Lionel played Rasputin and he was good, except that his Rasputin is apparently a rapist as well as a madman.
He really should have played Rasputin, and this film would have gone up a level or two.At any rate, seeing the three Barrymores together was a big bust.
The first family of theatre the Barrymores get together in this historically inaccurate depiction of the Romanovs in free fall and the man that help facilitate the end of an empire, Rasputin.
It is the only time the three siblings appear in a film together and all three performances appear to be wanting.The son and heir to Czar Nicholas of Russia is afflicted with a disease (hemophilia) that confounds the royal physicians.
The marquee value of John, Lionel and Ethel Barrymore may well put people inside the theater but unfortunately it is their performances that will move them just as fast to the exit.
Cinematographer William Daniels and set director Cedric Gibbons and crew give the film a regal look of pomp and ceremony but the family Barrymore en masse remains lost if luckier than the Romanovs.
The Royal Family of Broadway - John Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and Lionel Barrymore - come together at MGM, for their one and only feature film together.
Having them play out the epoch final years of the Russian Royal Family (The House of Romanov) seems an appropriately lofty assignment.
It's hardly worth watching for the hysterics, and certainly isn't for the history.Taking moustache-twirling to a new low, Lionel takes advantage of brother John's dissipated state and sister Ethel being new to sound films, to steal the picture.
William Daniels photographs the sets nicely.**** Rasputin and the Empress (12/23/32) Richard Boleslawski ~ Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Diana Wynyard.
In Margot Peters excellent book The House of Barrymore she characterized what MGM had to deal with in the only time the three Barrymore siblings were in a film together, John on drink, Lionel on drugs, and Ethel on her high horse.
For Ethel however this was her first venture into sound films and she was one who took the title of First Lady of the American Theater quite seriously with all the royal prerogatives of same.Somehow this retelling of the last days of the Romanovs did get made and in it Lionel Barrymore who had the most colorful part of the film, takes the acting honors.
Ethel is properly regal and John is the noble prince who eventually does something about the curse over the Romanovs, though too late.Rasputin was bad enough in history though here the writers went a bit overboard.
There's no accusation against him of having designs on the royal princesses, yet we see Lionel casting a lascivious eye on the Princess Anastasia.Though the name was changed for the film, the real assassin of Rasputin, Prince Felix Yousapov did sue MGM and collect a bundle from them.
Personally I think he robbed the lion studio because if anything John Barrymore's portrayal was far more noble than Yousapov was in real life.
To add insult to injury though another guy with the name of Chegodieff which was John's name in the film also sued MGM and claimed he was defamed and won.The biggest historical error I find though was the fact that Rasputin was urging Tsar Nicholas to enter World War I.
Speaking of the Tsar, he's played here as the nebbish he was in real life by Ralph Morgan.For reasons I don't understand the film did not end with Rasputin's demise.
There is some mention of revolution in the air, but nothing in the story suggests what will take place.Rasputin and the Empress is bad history and mediocre drama.
However, it strays far from actual events and abridges the period between the outbreak of the Great War and the killing of the royal family.The three Barrymores -- Lionel, Ethel and John -- are fine as Rasputin, the Empress and Prince Paul, a fictional character who assassinates Rasputin (the real assassin was Prince Feliks Yusupov, who was distressed by the damage that Rasputin was doing to the public image of the royal family).The film correctly shows how Rasputin was interfering with the government and the execution of the Great War. But we don't actually see any sign of the February and October revolutions and the abdication of the czar.
All of these events happen so suddenly in the film that a casual viewer would lose sense of the chronology.Moreover, the direction is poor and many scenes last too long, making the movie drag..
Lionel Barrymore was a very good actor, but for reasons I will explain his performance was way overwrought and overdone.
Even so the actual facts of the death of Rasputin were known and to my mind the truth was far more dramatic than the way this movie portrayed Rasputin's killing.
Even then they knew that The Empress never did figure out what a scoundrel Rasputin was, whereas in the movie she finally sees through him and calls on John Barrymore to save the throne by getting rid of him.
I guess MGM wanted Ethel and John Barrymore to seem heroic.
Knowing what we know now just makes Lionel's performance of Rasputin seem completely off the mark and throws the whole movie out of whack..
As previously noted in other reviews, this movie has plenty of historical errors (Nicholas II wanted a Duma, Rasputin favored Russia's entry into World War I, the Tsarevich's family nickname and on and on).
As Robert Wuhl says, remember that movies are often "based on a true story." However, the value of the film is that is a good example of acting, directing and writing in the 1930s.
"Rasputin and the Empress" belongs in any good collection of movies for three reasons.
First, it is the only movie with all three siblings of the great stage and screen family of Barrymore.
Second, it is a reasonable portrayal, with facts and fiction, of the last years of the Russian czars and the infamous Rasputin.
Ethel Barrymore plays the Czarina Alexandra, wife of Czar Nicholas II, ruler of Russia.
John Barrymore plays a fictitious character, Prince Chegodleff.
He plays the diabolical Grigori Rasputin, the "mad monk" who mesmerized the Romanov family their last three years.
The detailed history of the time and events covered by this film makes fascinating reading.
The film follows closely the events of the Romanovs and Rasputin from 1914 to1918.
She was a niece of Czar Nicholas, and the wife of Prince Felix Yusupov, who is the person who killed Rasputin.
But the princess still took issue with the fictitious character that John Barrymore plays.
But in the end it shows Barrymore's character dragging Rasputin's body to the river and pushing him under the ice.
The film covers less than four years in time, and mostly focuses on the Romanov family and Rasputin.
I have never seen a Barrymore silent film (When everyone says he was at his best), but I have seen most of his talkies, and he is always good.
Lionel's Rasputin is way over the top and Ethel, even though it was supposed to be history, essentially plays the same kind of character we saw in "Kind Lady", and the "Portrait of Jenny".
The ceremony is interrupted by news of Prince Paul Chegodieff (John Barrymore) that Sergei, the czar's uncle and brother of Grand Duke Igor (C.
Enter Grigory Rasputin (Lionel Barrymore), not a priest but a hypnotist and mystic.
The film is inaccurate here, as Rasputin in real life urged Nicholas not to go to war in 1914.
In the movie, Rasputin loses the favor of the czarina during the war, a situation that never happened as she backed him to the end.
In the film Rasputin has maintained his favor with Czar Nicholas, who eventually dismisses his rival Chegodieff from his military rank.
Although the film is fairly accurate about the monk's demise, note that Rasputin's actual death also came as a result of several gunshot wounds.
In the beginning film credits, the cast listing claims that Chegodieff, Natasha, Grand Duke Igor, and Doctor Remezov are fictional characters, but historians will recognize Chegodieff as Prince Feliks Yusupov (one of Rasputin's assassins), Natasha as Princess Irina (Yusupov's wife), and Grand Duke Igor as Grand Duke Nicholas (not the same man as the czar).
"Rasputin and the Empress" is the only film that features together the three Barrymores: Lionel, Ethyl, and John.
Lionel, although a decade older than Rasputin when the mystic flourished, captures the coarseness of the infamous and enigmatic character, and his impact in Russia's royal court.
As far as how accurate it is, I really wonder if Rasputin is really the person Lionel Barrymore plays.
There is no doubt Lionel is the meaty role here and this might be his best role.The film does present the fact accurately that Rasputin is considered dangerous at the end so he is poisoned.Kind of surprised to hear the Russian President advocating a British or American style of government for Russia.
Watch 1971's "Nicholas and Alexandra", watch the cable TV movie with Alan Rickman as Rasputin, watch the silent film about the last Czar--Don't watch this clunker.
Nicholas, the most watchable actor of all in this atrocity, is hardly seen on screen.Gross, gross re-write of history on several key points and by the film's end I wanted to burn all the copies of this film because of "Prince Paul" and his gal pal....OH, the horror, the horror.The death scenes both of Rasputin and Nicholas and his family is beyond bad..
Too many scenes of the monk (Lionel Barrymore) hypnotizing everyone and everything in sight.