July 6 movie: Cleopatra. The 1934 version with Claudette Colbert and Warren William as Julius Caeser. Also features Henry Wilcoxon, Joseph Schildkraut and C. Aubrey Smith (who looks ridiculous in Roman costume). Colbert is the reason to watch the movie, far and away. She is extraordinary. On the downside, movie includes the worst, most boring battle scenes I have ever seen in any movie. Just fast-forward over that part and get back to Claudette as quickly as possible.
One interesting note: Colbert was famous for favoring the left side of her face. She thought she looked much better on that side, and hated being shot in right profile or straight on. When she became a big success, she was able to demand that entire sets be designed so she could be filmed only in left profile. She had the nickname "the Dark Side of the Moon" because of this.
Well, Cleopatra was made before those days. The movie definitely favored the left profile, but there are a few close-ups of her in right profile. And you know what? She really does look different! Her nose is distinctly different on the right side. Georg says that I probably wouldn't have noticed if such a big deal hadn't been made of it, and he's right. Still, she does look different.
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