Cleopatra, una reina para César

Pascale Petit plays the young Cleopatra who challenges her brother for the throne of Egypt. They both seek Roman allies to further their cause. Cleopatra "seduces" Julius Caesar, (Gordon Scott) by appearing nude in front of him. She is rolled up in a carpet and rolls out of it at Gordon Scott's feet. There were 2 endings filmed for this final scene, one with clothes on and one naked. Most versions show the clothed version but there are copies of the nude one floating around and on Y/T. The distributor in the UK released the movie in 1962 and didn't realize that they had sent out the nude version to video stores. They then had to rush around and replace those copies with the fully clothed version. You can only see the bare back of the gorgeous Pascale Petit but it is well worth looking for. (There is a photo of her nude in the IMDB gallery attached to this posting). Geogio Ardisson does most of the action throughout the movie and Gordon Scott is only in that one final scene.

There is a great deal of palace intrigue and skullduggery going on about Cleopatra and her arch-rival brother Ptolemy. Some excitement is generated when the queen is imprisoned and a devoted lovestruck soldier (Giorgio Ardisson) risks his life to free her. After several perilous shifts in the power struggle, the film ends at that entrancing legendary moment when she is smuggled into Caesar's presence rolled in a carpet. Julius (played by a much too young Gordon Scott in a brief cameo role) is bemused.

While the long filming of the Hollywood epic CLEOPATRA with Elizabeth TAYLOR was still underway, the film UNA REGINA PER CESARE with Pascale PETIT as the Egyptian queen was being shot at CINECITTA. The German distribution title CLEOPATRA, THE NAKED QUEEN OF THE NILE is once again incredibly stupid. Pascale PETIT is not seen naked once in the film.

The backstory is told before Cleopatra and Gaius Julius Caesar (Gordon SCOTT) meet for the first time. That is why Hollywood star Gordon SCOTT, who has moved to CINECITTA, only has a small appearance at the end. Before that, Cleopatra has to fight with her brother Ptolemy for the succession to the throne. She gets help from a bodyguard (Giorgio ARDISSON), who also becomes her lover. The Italian actor Rik BATTAGLIA also gets involved as the scheming general Lucius. A few years later, BATTAGLIA played the villain in WINNETOU III (1965) who was responsible for the death of the Apache chief Winnetou from the Karl May novels, a character so popular in German-speaking countries. Before Cleopatra finally decides on Caesar, she also tries her luck with his adversary Pompey (Akim TAMIROFF, who received an OSCAR nomination for his role in FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS). We know how that ends from history lessons.

Filming with Elizabeth TAYLOR dragged on for three years, no lie. It's no wonder that the resourceful Italians were able to quickly bring this quite acceptable production to the cinemas. However, the major Hollywood studio 20TH CENTURY FOX didn't like that at all, so they made sure that the film disappeared into obscurity for the time being.

It's a nice but regular historical flick and in Peplum style . A classy story of the power struggle and how a common soldier risks his life to serve her queen. Alexandria , 46. B.C. , there takes place a hard battle between Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Pascale Petit) and her brother Ptolemy XIII (Corrado Pani) , both of whom fight for the Egyptian throne after the death their father . Ptolemy vanquishes and Cleopatra is incarcerated . Then , Achilles (George Ardisson ) a guard officer helps her to escape . Later on , they look for Pompeius (Akim Tamiroff) . Pompeio , who was previously defeated in Farsalia battle , goes on fighting against Caesar . At the end Cleopatra meets Julius Caesar (Gordon Scott) after rolled herself up into a carpet and he becomes infatuated with her .

Intermittenly interesting extravaganza about the known queen and her adventures , while attempting to be Queen of the powerful Egypt . It's a little bit boring but the history aficionados will appeal some historical recreation and appearance of historic roles . This Sword and Sandals movie functions like a blimp-size , multi-colored sleeping tablet and really fictional story . Historical characters are utterly dwarfed by the tongue-in-cheek style and some lousy interpretations . The dialog , cinematography , and direction combine to cast a passable and attractive movie , though it is spoiled by the excessively ironic tone . Atmospheric sets , functional costumes , ordinary stars , massive scope , opulently grotesque interiors , including great spectacle of crowd scenes decently staged . Audiences are benumbed by a show of crowd scenes , many of them stock shots from other Roman films . Pascale Petit seems to be enjoying herself in the lead role in this hokey ,overdone Peplum . Pascale looks often acts like a very young sexy bomb ruler . Gordon Scott in a brief intervention is hopelessly wooden . Support cast is passable , full of Italian actors and two American ones : Akim Tamiroff , Gordon Scott , Rik Battaglia , Corrado Pani , Franco Volpi as Apollodoro , Ennio Barbo , Barbara Loy , Aurora Del Alba , ,and Giovanni Cianfriglia . The motion picture was regularly directed by Piero Pierotti, and Viktor Tourjansky .

The movie is freely based on historical events , taking real parts here and there : the actual deeds were : It deals with the epic lives of Cleopatra , Julius Caesar , and Pompeius . It's created the first triumvirate formed by Caesar , Pompeyus and Crasus . Caesar fights against Pompeyus who's vanquished in Farsalia . Julius goes to Alejandria , Tolomeo hands over the Pompeyo's head to Caesar who rules over Egypt and gives up the throne to Cleopatra . After that , the out-of-wedlock son of Cleopatra with Caesar is seen to be a threat to his future leadership . Brutus and other Roman legislators scheme the assassination of Caesar . As Julius Caesar is killed by Bruto and Casio . Later on , it happens the second triumvirate : Marc Anthony commands Egypt , Lepido rules Africa and Octavio Augustus governs over Rome and Hispania . Marc Anthony is married to Octavia , Augustus's sister . Then , Marcus Antonius is wedded to Cleopatra , but things don't turn out so well and they are defeated by Octavio Augustus in Actium .

Other films dealing with the infamous Egyptian Queen and her Roman lovers saga are the followings : Silent version ¨Cleopatra¨ 1916 with Theda Bara ; ¨Caesar and Cleopatra¨ by Gabriel Pascal with Claude Rains , Vivien Leigh and Flora Robson , ¨Cleopatra¨ 1934 by Cecil B De Mille with Claudette Colbert , Warren William and Henry Wilconson ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Joseph L . Mankiewicz with Elizabeth Taylor , Rex Harrison , Richard Burton , Roddy MacDowall , Andrew Keir , and TV adaptation ¨Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra¨ with Richard Johnson and Janet Suzman . And TV series : ¨Cleopatra¨with Timothy Dalton , Billy Zane , and Leonor Varela .

As a dedicated fan of dubbed 1960s European costume historical adventures, I went into A QUEEN FOR CAESAR with limited expectations, expecting strong performances from such a good cast, but not much else. Boy, was I thrown a curve! First of all, as the other review noted, the entire film takes place BEFORE Cleopatra's time with Caesar and Antony. We begin with Cleo and her nerdy, immature, arrogant brother Ptolameous, who sounds like he is being voiced (in the English dubbed version) by the fifteen year old Sal Mineo!! We also meet a Roman poet who helps Cleopatra; the military leader Pompeius (well-played by Akim Tamiroff), who lusts after Cleopatra and forces her to use her wiles against him to get what she wants; and her boyfriend Achillas, played by the reliable Georges/Giorgio Ardisson. Cleopatra is played by French actress Pascale Petit, who reminds me of a less buxom Jayne Mansfield and who does a wonderful job of being playful yet strong yet vulnerable, which is just what this character is at this point in her rise. As a Gordon Scott fan, I was anxious to see him as Caesar (by the way, I don't think he's too young for the role--he's in his late thirties at least, and he has a commanding presence, so he convinced ME that he could lead an empire and destroy his rivals!), but Caesar is only in the final third of the film, and Scott correctly received "guest star" billing at the end of the credits. I was not familiar with Cleopatra's history (assuming this film is historically accurate), so the final scene came out of the blue for me and was quite outrageous. My head was spinning for a while after a "THE END" credit came on the screen. On my copy of this film, the direction was credited solely to "V. Tourjansky"--Piero Pierotti was not mentioned. As 1960s historical dramas go, I must rate this as well above average. It may not have epic battles or grandiose court scenes, but I was never sure what direction it would go in, and each character was distinctive and full of little quirks that put the film well out of the realm of the average. It took me many years to find a copy of this, but I'm glad I did. I'll have to dig out some of the other films I have that star Pascale Petit--CODE NAME JAGUAR with Ray Danton, and FIND A PLACE TO DIE with Jeffrey Hunter. She is excellent and I can imagine her in a wide variety of roles. Recommended!!