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.
