JohnHowardReid Photographed in Italy in Supercinescope and Eastman Color. U.S. and Australian prints presented in CinemaScope and DeLuxe Color. Producers: Virgilio de Blasi, Italo Zingarelli.Copyright 1960 by Alexandra Films/C.F.P.C./Lyre Films/Athena Films. English-language version released in the U.S.A. and Australia by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. Not theatrically released in the U.K. New York opening at neighborhood theaters, coupled with "The Wizard of Baghdad": 3 March 1961. U.S. release: December 1960. Australian release: 23 February 1961. 90 minutes.Original Italian release title: Le legioni di Cleopatra.SYNOPSIS: In the year 50 B.C. the Roman legions of Augustus Caesar land in Egypt to punish Marc Antony for having betrayed Rome for the love of Cleopatra. Though Antony has tried to strengthen his position by forming a secret alliance with the middle eastern kings, Caesar wins battle after battle and continues pushing onward. Knowing Antony is doomed, Caesar sends a faithful emissary, Curridius, to Alexandria in the hope of persuading Antony to surrender. This arouses the wrath of the Great Council of Priests who make numerous, but unsuccessful, attempts on the young courier's life. In the course of his journey Curridius meets and falls in love with the disguised Cleopatra, without ever realizing the woman is Egypt's queen. Eventually, with the aid of a young girl named Mariamne, Curridius manages to reach Antony. But the latter refuses to surrender.VIEWERS' GUIDE: Not suitable for kids.COMMENT: Fox bought this one FOR A COOL ONE MILLION DOLLARS, mainly to remove a threat to their projected "Cleopatra"! But as it turned out, this movie is much more entertaining. Directed with characteristic zing by Cottafavi, even the atrocious dubbing seems of minor concern when opposed to all the visual excitement throbbing from every corner of the vast screen.

MARIO GAUCI This superior Epic rendition of the 'Antony and Cleopatra' affair, helmed by one of the undisputed Italian masters of the genre, is nevertheless a conceptually flawed effort: incidentally, it seems to have taken a leaf from two recently-viewed and almost identically-titled movies i.e. SERPENT OF THE NILE (1953), which deals with much the same events, and PRINCESS OF THE NILE (1954) – the former in view of the Egyptian Queen's more prominent secondary liaison (not to mention, its love/hate nature) and the latter by way of her leading a double-life as an exotic dancer (for no historically valid reason in this case)! Even so, Linda Cristal's beguiling Cleopatra here is among the more sober, thus notable (if completely unsung), portrayals; interestingly, this would be bookended by her appearances in two films which also featured Maltese character actor Joseph Calleia, including John Wayne's pet project THE ALAMO (1960)! However, the female protagonist's relationship with Antony (an otherwise well-cast Georges Marchal) is vastly underwritten – as they barely share a scene throughout the proceedings! In fact, Ettore Manni (who had co-starred with the latter in Cottafavi's earlier THE WARRIOR AND THE SLAVE GIRL {1958}) is the nominal lead: he falls for Cleopatra when incognito, but then renounces her when he misconstrues her actions to have been politically-motivated and not genuine! To counter this, Manni is involved with a girl whom he buys (along with her brother) at a market place; the boy becomes devoted to him but perishes during a skirmish inside a cave! Both women also get to interact (chiefly so as to intercede for the hero), but Cleopatra then can do nothing to prevent the other woman from being tortured – via the intriguing ruse of premature burial! Also on hand are a dwarf (mute this time around) and Manni's Roman henchman (who constantly makes eyes at a middle-aged but feisty tavern-keeper), both of whom had also featured in that earlier Cottafavi film in practically the self-same roles! Despite my reservations vis-a'-vis the script (one final quibble concerns the fact that neither of the two potentates' famous deaths are shown and, disappointingly, they are forsaken even during the conventional final shot: ironically, I had commended the director for going against the grain at just this moment in my review of THE WARRIOR AND THE SLAVE GIRL!), the technical side of production really cannot be faulted – indeed, Cottafavi's sense of composition (particularly in the handling of action sequences) has virtually no peers within the mini-budgeted arena (no pun intended)!

dbdumonteil Mankiewicz's movie,even if it's unfairly looked upon by pretty much as a failure is a great director's /writer's work.It's not only a question of money;give the same big budget to Vittorio Cottafavi and he will not do what Mankiewicz does.Definitely not."Some French critics ,much to the Italians' surprise,called Cottafavi "an auteur" who transcends the peplum genre".(Jean Tulard;dictionnaire du cinéma,T1).It's wishful thinking.The cock and bull screenplay cannot be taken seriously one single minute.Unlike Mankiewicz's work,which encompasses the whole story,beginning with the rivalry Cleopatra/Ptolemy,"legioni" begins after Actium (maybe it was too expensive to direct a naval battle.So we have Cleo and Mark-Anthony back in Egypt,waiting for Octavius' armies. History is given a rough ride as ever:the plot focuses on a Marc-Anthony's friend,Carridius ,who tries to reconciliate the two former triumvirs.A spate of clichés waits for the audience:taverns where everybody's drunk and fighting,gladiators scenes,tortures aplenty -one of these nice pastimes might indicate that the wicked cruel Egyptians (we do not see the Romans do such a thing)invented the ancestor of the Nuremberg virgin-, and exotic dances,some of them in a low dive,by Cleopatra herself incognito.The plot loses itself in an uninteresting supporting cast which includes a gladiator who becomes friend with the hero Carridius and whose laugh will get on your nerves:a comic relief,this is definitely not;a young and gorgeous slave girl who falls in love with.. well you guess;a courageous slave boy;a very sadistic gladiator.Because of these pointless subplots,we lose sight of the essential,and Georges Marchal,the best actor of the cast,who plays Marc-Anthony ,takes a back seat to the secondary characters.He tries to do the best he can with the lines he gets ,but what can an actor who used to work in "la comédie française" theater do in such a company?

ccmiller1492 ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** Corridius (Ettore Manni), a valorous Roman, becomes unintentionally embroiled in the political intrigues of Queen Cleopatra (Linda Cristal.) While he frequents a favorite tavern of local brawlers, he meets a luscious slave girl dancer and falls in love with her. Although he is offically in opposition to the Queen, his light'o'love is actually the queen in disguise. The power struggle between Antony (Georges Marchal), Cleopatra and Ottaviano comes to a climax after a great deal of trouble for everyone involved and ends in the tragic death of the principals. The valiant Corridius manages to survive and finally ends up with a real slave girl who always loved him. Lots of entertaining action and color with Manni and Cristal standouts as the doomed lovers.