The Epic That Never Was
Documentary about Josef von Sternberg featuring Dirk Bogarde, Emlyn Williams and Merle Oberon.
In 1936, Marlene Dietrich secretly paid Alexander Korda $100,000 to let von Sternberg, then sick and broke, direct I, Claudius – a project Korda knew could never be completed. This documentary tells part of that story. Dirk Bogarde and Emlyn Williams lavish sympathy on Charles Laughton (who was playing the emperor) and sneer at Jo, while Merle Oberon preens, and Korda, as always, slips away unscathed. Screening with The Town, (1943, 12min), a World War II propaganda documentary designed to combat isolationism.
| Director | Bill Duncalf |
| Year | 1965 |
| Running time | 70min |
November calendar (PDF)