His books include nicholas and alexandra, peter the great. Jan 31, 2010 nicholas and alexandra is a 1971 film based on the life of tsar nicholas ii and tsarina alexandra feodorvna. Bbc radio 3 the essay, just juvenilia, just juvenilia. Jun, 2014 janet suzman was online to discuss her remarkable career from shakespeare to south africa, federico fellini to kim cattrall, here are her answers to your questions. Britain, germany, and the winning of the great war at sea, and catherine the great. His book, nicholas and alexandra 1967, was adapted as a british film by the same name that was released in 1971.
Joining them in a sumptuous and stirring tale about the oftencalled mad monk who held a powerful perhaps hypnotic sway over world war iera russian royalty was the third member of the american stages royal family. While trying to cope with raising their hemophiliac son and the growing tumult within their homeland, the couples lives are further complicated by the machinations of the occultist rasputin. Nicholass political naivete, alexandras obsession with the corrupt mystic rasputin, and little alexiss brave struggle with hemophilia. Nicholas and alexandra are brought to life in a way that connects the extremes of their tragic lives. Micheal jayston nicholas ii and janet suzman alexandra star in this epic portrayal of the years of corruption, oppression and bloodshed leading up to the. Books and films about the romanovs and imperial russia. Dec 15, 2019 robert massie, who has died aged 90, was a historian who could claim to be one of the most popular and successful of the past halfcentury. The story of nicholas and alexandra deserves something much better than this.
I thought the acting excellent, and for me, janet suzman and michael jayston. May 04, 2016 actress janet suzman recalls playing alexandra in a film about the romanov dynasty, nicholas and alexandra. Mar 19, 20 nicholas and alexandra is an elegant and allencompassing look at the rise and fall of the royal family. Nicolas and alexandra michael jayston, janet suzman 1971 laserdisc. Five figures from the arts and science introduce books that changed their lives and. Dec 14, 1971 the woman is the empress alexandra, the gently neurotic, germanborn consort to nicholas ii, and her son is the hemophile czarevich, alexis.
She was a thrilling bbc hedda gabler and was nominated for an oscar for her title role in nicholas and alexandra in. Schaffners nicholas and alexandra, 1971 view the tcmdb entry for nicholas and alexandra. Massie book, edward bond additional dialogue, james goldman screenplay. Massie was born in lexington, kentucky, and studied american history at yale and european history at oxford, which he attended as a rhodes scholar. In her first film, nicholas and alexandra 1971, her performance as empress alexandra feodorovna earned her several honours, including a nomination for the academy award for. Nicholas and alexandra, dvd, widescreen, drama, biography, 043396032958. The movie itself is worth watching, and i recommend watching it on bluray. Massies book of the same name, which is a partial account of the last ruling russian monarch, tsar nicholas ii of russia, and his wife, tsarina alexandra. Schaffner and written by james goldman, based on robert k. Ethel barrymore, making this the lone feature with all. His books, mainly on tsarist russia, sold well over six. Dame janet suzman, dbe born 9 february 1939 is a south africanbritish actress who. His first book, nicholas and alexandra 1969, which remained on the.
Yvonne blake shared an academy award with antonio castillo for the films. In her first film, nicholas and alexandra 1971, her performance as empress alexand. Dame janet suzman, dbe born 9 february 1939 is a south africanbritish actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the royal shakespeare company, later replaying many shakespearean roles, among others, on tv. Janet suzman biography, celebrity facts and awards tv guide. Nicholas and alexandra official trailer this lavish, overlong production chronicles the downfall of the last russian czar nicholas ii michael jayston, and his wife alexandra janet suzman. It won academy awards for best art directionset decoration john box, ernest archer, jack maxsted, gil parrondo. I thought the acting excellent, and for me, janet suzman and michael jayston forever set the gold standard in portrayals of empress alexandra and tsar nicholas a highwater mark to which future actors should attain. At just over three hours long, 1971s nicholas and alexandra is a movie that has the slow, inexorable melodramatic pacing of the titanic treading towards an iceberg. The first half for there is an intermission plods along as a dictatorial jerk of a tsar acts like he still lives in the 18th century while lenin, the bolsheviks, and miscellaneous peasant groups riot and make plans to. It stars michael jayston and janet suzman, with a number of major actors in supporting roles. Nicholas and alexandra 1971 movie clip your gentle czar. An intimate account of the last of the romanovs and the fall of imperial russia is a 1967 biography of the last royal family of russia by historian robert k. Nicholas and alexandra is a 1971 british biographical film directed by franklin j.
His life and world for which he won a pulitzer prize for biography, the romanovs. The problem with nicholas and alexandra is that it considers the. Tsar nicholas ii, the inept last monarch of russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to siberia with his family. Nicholas and alexandra covers the rise and fall of the last of the russian romanovs. The overthrow of nicholas romanov the last czar plunged russia. Born to be one of the worlds most powerful men, ruler of millions with an empire that stretched over more than one sixth of the world, nichols and his family are. Nov 20, 2014 at just over three hours long, 1971s nicholas and alexandra is a movie that has the slow, inexorable melodramatic pacing of the titanic treading towards an iceberg. Jeff bridges, the last picture show leonard frey, fiddler on the roof richard jaeckel, sometimes a great notion ben johnson, the last picture show roy scheider, the french connection. In this 1971 academy awardwinning film, the cinematography of freddie young contrasts the pomp and ceremony of the russian court of czar nicholas ii michael jayston and his beloved wife, czarina alexandra janet suzman, with the misery and despair of the czars povertystricken subjects. She was a thrilling bbc hedda gabler and was nominated for an oscar for. We first meet czar nicholas michael jayston and his german bride alexandra janet suzman at their 1894 wedding. Tender early sequence, 1904, as nicholas romanov, the last russian czar michael jayston, learns he has a son, and discusses names with the czarina janet suzman in director franklin j.
Nicholas and alexandra depicts fall of romanovs the new. Michael jayston,janet suzman,roderic noble,ania marson,lynne frederick,candace glendenning,fiona fullerton,harry andrews,irene worth,tom baker,jack hawkins,timothy west,katherine schofield,jeanclaude drouot,john hallam,guy. Nicholas and alexandra depicts fall of romanovs the. Nicholas and alexandra 1971 movie daybill poster michael. It starred laurence olivier, michael jayston, and janet suzman. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of imperial russia to tell the story of the romanovs lives. The woman is the empress alexandra, the gently neurotic, germanborn consort to nicholas ii, and her son is the hemophile czarevich, alexis. Nicholas and alexandra pioneer special edition laserdisc double disc. My heart is only tender toward this family, and especially the tsarina. She has since pursued a richly varied career in all manner of performance disciplines. Nicholas and alexandra 1971 journeys in classic film. Michael jayston and janet suzman, two experienced british actors who. Schaffners sweeping historical romance manages some moderately intelligent historical observations amid its lavishly recreated. In spite of its flaws, however, this is certainly a film well worth owning and watching.
Selfish and racist notions from the queen mother irene worth before the czar michael jayston, czarina janet suzman and grand duke harry andrews meet the new monk rasputin tom baker in nicholas and alexandra, 1971 view the tcmdb entry for nicholas and. My six best books janet suzman, 74, is famous for title roles in the film nicholas and alexandra and the royal shakespeare company production of antony and cleopatra. Massie shows conclusively how the personal curse of the young heirs haemophilia, and the decisive influence it brought rasputin, became fatally linked with the collapse of imperial russia. May 14, 2010 janet suzman nominated for an oscar for her role in nicholas and alexandra, she is appearing in dream of the dog at the finborough theatre, london. Nicholas and alexandra nicholas e alexandra, 1971 trailer. Show more writers, painters and other practitioners revisit an early piece of work. Read all about janet suzman with s exclusive biography including their list of awards, celeb facts and more at. Jul 18, 2018 a scene from nicholas and alexandra 1971, with michael jayston and janet suzman, front, in the title roles. Nicholas and alexandra provided our first compelling glimpse. Michael jayston, janet suzman, roderic noble, ania marson directed by.
It is an inside look into the private lives of nicholas and his wife alexandra janet suzman, their daughters, their only son, and the painful secret about their son and heir apparent which bound the imperial couple to the mystical grigori rasputin tom baker, and. It was also sold as a vhs tape and dvd in later years. Sweeping historical drama relates the harrowing true story of czar nicholas ii and his wife, alexandra. Unfollow nicholas alexandra to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Nicholas and alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last russian monarch, tsar nicholas ii of russia, and his wife, tsarina alexandra the film was adapted by james goldman from the book by robert k. The year after the allstar grand hotel, brothers john and lionel barrymore teamed again in rasputin and the empress. Massies book also was a commercial success and the basis for a 1971 film adaptation, starring michael jayston and janet suzman, that won the oscar for art direction. Robert massie, author who popularized russian history. The real romanov sisters were prettier than the actresses who portray them, with the exception of lynne frederick. Yvonne blake, awardwinning costume designer, is dead at 78. Michael jayston is excellent as nicholas, but janet suzman is miscast as alexandra.
Miller jane fonda, klute glenda jackson, sunday bloody sunday vanessa redgrave, mary, queen of scots janet suzman, nicholas and alexandra actor in a supporting role. The tragic story of nicholas ii michael jayston, the last czar of russia, set against the backdrop of the russian revolution. Original australian daybill poster for the 1971 movie nicholas and alexandra starring michael jayston, janet suzman, harry andrews, tom baker, michael bryant, maurice denham, jack hawkins, ian holm, curt jergens, john mcenery, er. Nicholas was king george vs cousin and alexandra was queen victorias granddaughter, so the casting of british actors michael jayston and janet suzman was a stroke of genius and they are hardly unknown actors, at least in britain. With michael jayston, janet suzman, roderic noble, ania marson. The story of the love that ended an empire in this commanding book, pulitzer prizewinning author robert k. Nicholas and alexandra is an elegant and allencompassing look at the rise and fall of the royal family. Great films often come from fine books, despite the transliteration to another and. At one extreme massie describes the grandeur of the imperial court, the role played by the royal couple in the cataclysmic events of world war i and, ultimately, the brutality of their deaths at the hands of the bolshevik revolutionaries. Janet suzman was born in johannesburg, graduated from the university of witwatersrand, trained at lamda, and joined the rsc for its inaugural season, the wars of the roses in 1962, where she stayed on and off for a decade playing many of the heroines and culminating in a memorable cleopatra.
The story of the doomed reign and downfall of the romanov dynasty is beautifully acted by michael jayston and janet suzman with strong support from tom baker. In her first film, nicholas and alexandra 1971, her performance as empress alexandra feodorovna earned her several honours. The acting, particularly from janet suzman and tom baker is. Britain, germany, and the coming of the great war, castles of steel. Nicholas and alexandra one of the best of a bad genre, franklin j. Read the full synopsis of nicholas and alexandra, 1971, directed by franklin j. Massie, this book was first published in 1968 and is an amazing and historically accurate account of the fall of the romanovs and the collapse of imperial russia but is also the story of nicholas a husband and father and a family who dealt with a child suffering from haemophilia. Tsar nicholas ii, the inept monarch of russia, insensitive to the needs of his people, is overthrown and exiled to siberia with his family.
Nicholas and alexandra 1971 in 1971, massies bestseller was made into a british biographical film directed by franklin j. Micheal jayston nicholas ii and janet suzman alexandra star in this epic portrayal of the years of corruption, oppression and bloodshed leading up to the russian revolution. Raising arizona widescreen laserdisc nicholas cage holly hunter. The film begins in 1904, with the tsarina, alexandra janet suzman, finally giving birth to an heir, alexei. In a role that would earn her the academy award nomination for best actress, janet suzman plays tsarina alexandra in nicholas and alexandra 1971 the. Nicholas and alexandra is a 1971 film based on the life of tsar nicholas ii and tsarina alexandra feodorvna.
Schaffner, written by james goldman, and starring michael jayston as emperor nicholas ii and janet suzman as empress alexandra feodorovna. Lynne frederick at an event for nicholas and alexandra 1971. As far as im concerned janet suzmans portrayal of alix raised the standard to other actresses that attempt to play this role. Schaffner, with michael jayston, janet suzman, roderic noble, at turner classic movies. Micheal jayston nicholas ii janet suzman alexandra feodorvna roderic noble tsarevich alexei tom baker gregory rasputin. The acting, particularly from janet suzman and tom baker is spellbinding. Robert massie, bestselling historian of tsarist russia whose.
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