''The Rival of the Empress'' (Italian: ''La rivale dell'imperatrice'') is a 1951 Italian

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

directed by

Jacopo Comin Jacopo Comin (1901–1973) was an Italian film producer, writer, and director. Selected filmography * '' Summer Storm'' (1949) *''The Rival of the Empress ''The Rival of the Empress'' (Italian: ''La rivale dell'imperatrice'') is a 1951 It ...

and

Sidney Salkow Sidney Salkow (June 16, 1911 – October 18, 2000) was an American film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulf ...

and starring

Richard Greene Richard Marius Joseph Greene (25 August 1918 – 1 June 1985) was a noted English film and television actor. A matinée idol who appeared in more than 40 films, he was perhaps best known for the lead role in the long-running British TV series '' ...

Valentina Cortese Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''Day for Night'' (1973). Personal life Cortese was bor ...

and

Isa Pola Isa Pola (19 December 1909 – 17 December 1984) was an Italian stage and film actress. Born Maria Luisa Betti di Montesano, she appeared in more than 30 films during her career. An early screen role was the female lead in ''Steel'' (1933), a ...

. A separate English-language version '' Shadow of the Eagle'' was released the previous year. It was shot at the Scalera Studios in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Anile p.173 with sets designed by

Wilfred Shingleton Wilfred Shingleton (January 24, 1914 – June, 1983) was an English art director. He enjoyed a distinguished career in the British film industry from his debut in 1937. Some of his early assignments were several George Formby vehicles – hugely ...

. The costumes were designed by

Vittorio Nino Novarese Vittorio Nino Novarese (May 15, 1907 in Rome, Italy – October 17, 1983 in Los Angeles, United States) was an Italian costume designer who found great success in Hollywood after decamping there in 1949. In his first year there he scored an Oscar ...

. Star Richard Greene was dubbed by the Italian actor

Massimo Serato Massimo Serato, born Giuseppe Segato, (31 May 1916 – 22 December 1989) was an Italian film actor with a career spanning over 40 years. Serato was born in Oderzo, Veneto, Italy and started appearing in films in 1938. He played leading roles in ...

Plot

During the 18th century, the empress of Russia

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

sends her lover Count Alexei Orloff to kidnap her rival for the throne, the pretender Elizabeth,

Princess Tarakanova Princess Tarakanova (c. 1745 – ) was a pretender to the Russian throne. She styled herself, among other names, ''Knyazhna Yelizaveta Vladimirskaya'' (Princess of Vladimir), ''Fräulein Frank'', and ''Madame Trémouille''. Tarakanova (''t ...

, from

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. However, Orloff ends up falling in love with the princess.

Cast

as Conte Alexei Orloff *

as Principessa Tarakanova *

Greta Gynt Greta Gynt (born Margrethe Woxholt; 15 November 1916 – 2 April 2000) was a Norwegian dancer and actress. She is remembered for her starring roles in the British classic films '' The Dark Eyes of London'', ''Mr. Emmanuel'', ''Take My Life'', ''D ...

as Contessa Loradona Campaniello *

as Imperatrice Catarina *

Charles Goldner Charles Goldner was an Austrian-born actor who appeared in a number of British films during the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Vienna, Austria, on 7 December 1900, he made his screen debut in the 1940 film '' Room for Two'' and went on to appear in '' ...

as Generale Korsakoff * Hugh French as Sergente Sergei Nikolsky *

Antonio Centa Antonio Centa (10 August 1907 – 19 April 1979) was an Italian film actor. Career Born in Maniago, Province of Pordenone, Centa was among the most active and popular actors between the mid-1930s and 1943 (when the Italian film industry almost ...

as Principe Rasiwill *

Guido Notari Guido Notari (10 May 1893 - 21 January 1957) was an Italian actor and radio presenter. He appeared in more than fifty films from 1939 to 1956. Filmography References External links * 1893 births 1957 deaths Italian male film actors ...

as Vaska * Cippi Valli as Cameriera di Elisabetta *

William Tubbs William Tubbs (May 10, 1907 – January 25, 1953) was an American stage and film actor.Bondanella p.156 He appeared in a number of European films in the years after the Second World War, including several by Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gaston ...

Giulio Donnini Giulio Donnini (born 17 February 1924) is an Italian film actor. Life and career Born in Milan, Donnini made his film debut in 1946, in Giacomo Gentilomo's ''Teheran''. He got his first mayor role two years later, playing the epileptic murdere ...

Dino Galvani Dino Galvani (born Candido Galvanoni; 27 October 189014 September 1960) was an Italian-British actor, who made his career in Britain on stage and radio and in films. He is remembered for his role in the popular BBC radio comedy series ''ITMA'' fr ...

* Enzo Musumeci Greco

References

Bibliography

* Alberto Anile. ''Orson Welles in Italy''. Indiana University Press, 2013.

External links

* 1951 films 1950s historical adventure films Italian historical adventure films 1950s Italian-language films Films directed by Sidney Salkow Films set in Russia Films set in Venice Films set in the 18th century Films about Catherine the Great Films shot at Scalera Studios Italian multilingual films 1950s multilingual films Italian black-and-white films 1950s Italian films {{1950s-Italy-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

Bibliography

External links