Rough List of Romanovs on DVDs and VHS

[James Hogland]

Dear Silja: In reply to your query, I must apologize. The plastic case with the VHS of "The Last Days of the Last Tsar" has faded almost to unreadability. The subtitle you mentioned is not noticeable, nor did I see it on the film itself, although it is possible. I believe my copy is a poor one made from the actual film, as I noticed some gaps at the beginning and end. The film is religious in nature. It used actors to re-enact the scenes of the family's imprisonment and murder. Many were shot on the actual location. I recognized one of the cottages at Peterhof, Anna Vyrobonas house, and the New Study in the Alexander Palace. I can't say if the murder scenes were shot in the Iptivev House or not, but if not, the producers went to a lot of expense to recreate the house. The murder room in the basement is excellently recreated, as is the fact that Dr. Botkin slept in an L-shaped ante room to the living room. I recognized the interiors from actual photos of the house. The scenes are excellently woven into historical film footage and photos, many of which I had never seen before. The producers were Leonid Sarochan and Anatoly Ivanov.
Anatoly Ivanov was the director also. I can barely make out the address of the company. I believe it to be
Cyrillic Films, 3145 Geary Blvd, PO Box 441, San Francisco, 94???, tel. 415-221-0593.  Sorry I can be of no better help with the information.

[Silja]

Dear James,

Thanks for the information. Your descriptions have been quite sufficient, so thank you. It IS Expiatory Punishment. I really like it for its atmosphere.
I'm still trying to find out who composed that particular music which was repeatedly played in it. The end credits give four Russian composers, so I have no idea who of them wrote that aprticular one . . .  

Regards,
Silja

[Greg_King]

To me, the best depiction of Alix was by Gayle Honeycut (I've probably spelled that wrong) in the sadly underseen "Fall of Eagles," a BBC TV series from 1974 if I recall.  It was a 10-12 part dramatic series, with about half the episodes focusing on the Romanovs.  She GOT Alix perfectly-even Janet Suzman told me she was terribly impressed by her performance.

Greg King

[Greg_King]

I'm cross-referencing this to the other thread from memory, so hope I don't repeat!  These focus on N/A only-there is a whole subgenre of other Romanov films out there (about 40 titles in all).  But a few others:

Documentaries

1.  "October" ("10 Days That Shook the World") has some interesting footage, as Bob pointed out to me a few years ago, showing Nicholas and Alix's private apartments in the Winter Palace.

2.  "Bones of Contention" (1994)-a really splendid documentary on the struggles over the Ekaterinburg remains.

3.  "File on the Tsar" (BBC-1972)

4.  "The Russia That We Lost" (1998)

5.  "Secrets of the Romanovs" (A & E's History's Mysteries)

6.  "Rasputin" (2000, History Channel)

7.  "The Real Rasputin" (1996, UK)

8.  "Rasputin" (2002, UK)

9.  "Anastasia" (1995, Equinox, UK)

10.  "Anastasia" (1996, MPR, Germany)

11.  "In Search of Anastasia" (1976)

and a number of other segments on the Romanovs, their murder, and their palaces.

And films:

1.  "Assassin of the Tsar" (1991)

2.  "Fall of Eagles" (1974)

And a whole host of films on Rasputin, in which N/A are depicted in roles of various sizes, including (I did a huge four part article on the Romanov in film a few years ago, so this is all from memory, but any particular questions and I can go dig it out)

1.  "Rasputin" (1918-with Iliodor playing himself!)

2.  "Rasputin" (1928, France)

3.  "Rasputin" (1931, Germany, Conrad Veidt as Rasputin)

4.  "Rasputin" (France, 1953)

5.  "The Last Tsar" (AKA "Nights of Rasputin" (Italy, 1962)

6.  "Je t'ai Rasputine" (France, 1967-authorized by Felix Yusupov)

7.  "Agoniya" (AKA "Rasputin") (Soviet Union, 1976)

and even a 1972 Italian pornographic entry!

A number of Anastasia films, from 1928, 1956 (with Lili Palmer-this was the "authorized" German version of Anna Anderson's story), etc., and a number of other films that are interesting for their use of the former Imperial Palaces in Russia, i.e.:

1.  "Young Catherine" (1990, filmed at Tsarskoye Selo, the Vladimir Palace, and others)

2.  "Anna Karenina" (1997, filmed at various locales including the Vladimir Palace)

and most recently the UK series, shown on A & E, "Hornblower," had an episode filmed in the White Palace at Livadia.  There are a number of others, but off the top of my head that's all I can think of.

Greg King  

[Silja]

I've heard of this programme, and I'd die to see it, also because it also focuses on the Habsburgs, who also interest me a little (too many "alsos" in this sentence, hm . . . ), but as far as I know it has never been on German TV, and I wonder whether the BBC will ever repeat it . . .
There was a book accompanying that series but I haven't got that either.

To Greg King:

Have you seen Lynda Bellingham, and what's your impression? I think she's alright but by no means ideal.

[Greg_King]

Hi Silja

"Fall of Eagles" unfortunately has never been issued on video or DVD.  I was lucky enough to see it way back in the 1970s and then again in the 1990s when Bravo re-ran it and had the ability to tape it.  I asked a friend who works at the BBC if she could ask after it but they had no plans to do anything with it.

I unfortunately haven't see the film mentioned with Lynda Bellingham-I'd love to, and I try to collect all films with the Romanovs in them.  But until I saw the post here I never even knew about it!

Greg King

[Silja]

Hi Greg,

Yes, I'm also rather pessimistic regarding The Fall of Eagles and the BBC showing it again in the near future . . .

Here's a link to Gleb Panfilov's film Ventsenosnaya Semya

http://www.romanovs.ru/

Regards,
Silja

[anna]

To Greg,

I think you mean the actress Gayle Hunnicut, she's very good. I do remember watching "Fall of Eagles" a long time ago on dutch tv.

But as I already said, in mine opinion no actress can compete with Janet (being one of her biggest fan).
Interesting, did you really meet her?

Kind regards,

Anna

[Greg_King]

Hi Anna-

Thanks for the info.  Re: Janet Suzman.  I first met her in 1989 in London, when she was doing a benefit performance to raise funds for restoration of the Rose Theater.  Then a few years back, I did a four-part article for "Atlantis" on the Romanovs on film, and interviewed her very extensively about making "Nicholas and Alexandra."  I don't really know her other than that, though we spoke a lot and she told me a lot of interesting information about how she prepared to play Alexandra, how the movie was filmed, the sets and costumes, etc.

Greg King

[Silja]

Hi Greg,

Is "Atlantis" a magazine? Do you have the bibliographical details of the editions containing your article?

Regards,
Silja

[Greg_King]

Hi Greg,

Is "Atlantis" a magazine? Do you have the bibliographical details of the editions containing your article?

Regards,
Silja

Hi Silja-

Yes, Atlantis is a magazine Penny Wilson and myself do.  You can find more information by visiting our website at

http://www.atlantis-magazine.com

or if you have any questions let me know-I don't recall off the top of my head which issues had "The Romanovs in Film" though I believe they were the first four we did from 1998-1999.

Greg King

[Silja]

Thank you. I'll have a look.

[Janet Whitcomb]

Will definitely check out the "Hornblower" series--thank you!  I keep wondering when Livadia is going to be recorded on film/video . . . so far, to my knowledge, it has not even been recorded (except for a small photo or two) in publications such as The National Geographic. Some books about the Romanovs do feature lovely photos of the palace's exteriors, but it would be wonderful to see more, and a filmed tour would be best of all.

[anna]

Recommendable: The BBC production "The Lost Prince" by Stephen Poliakoff.

It tells the story of the youngest son (Jonnie) of George V and Queen Mary. He died at the age of thirteen. The child was prone to epileptic fits, learning difficulties and was having the mental age of a three year old.

He lived in a time the whole of Europe changed completely, the outbreak of WWI, the Russian Revolution.
Many of his foreign relatives fled into exile or were killed.

We see a few of his nearest relatives pass by, Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Kaiser Wilhelm, and the Romanovs. There's a nice scene were George and Nicky  pose to make (well-known) a photograph arm in arm.

It's beautifuly made and filmed on location. The part of Queen Mary, played by Miranda Richardson is outstanding. They only annoying (mine opinion) is the portrayal of Tsarina Alexandra a bit too exaggerated.

This serie was recently on British and Dutch tv. Don't know if there are any video/dvd available yet.

Anna

[Robert_Hall]

THE LOST PRINCE is available on dvd, at least, for region 2. Region 1 comes out in April, I am told.
RASPUTIN & THe EMPRESS is a Barrymore fest ! Highl fiction to say the least, but great preformances.  I think the lawsuits altered a lot of the content.
FALL OF EAGLES, yes, a real gem The book itself can be found on websites, not sure which came first, the book or the series. Sadly, the only copies I know of are home taping. I am having mine tranfered to dvd before they disentegrate !
RUSSIAN ARK is indeed strange. I wasn't quite sure what I got myself into until I watched the  "extra" making of part on the dvd.
REVENGE of the ROMANOVS is  quite interesting, easily found on web sites, a documntary leading up to the funeral in 1998.
The information about LAST DAST of the LAST...  is correct. Interestingly the location to contact is in the old Russian emigre neighborhood of San Francisco, near the Russian Orthodox catherdral. I think this is the group that canonized the Imperial family long before the Moscow patriachate did. Their bookshop had, the last time I was there, several religous books-all in Russian on the Imperial Family.
I have seen a tape of the complete Romanov funeral in St. Petersburg, but it was privately lent to me, I would like to find my own copy. It admittedly is long & can be tedious, as most Orthodox rites tend to be if one is not of that church, I personally thought it was quite beautiful.