Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna - Amy Irving

[investigator]

In this mini tv series (Anastasia: the mystery of anna) a lot of claims have been made such as that Anna Anderson met Cyril and she was accompained by Prince Erich and her lawyer.  And Prince Erich was in love with Anna Anderson who he thought was Anastasia. The role of Dowager Empress Maria was played by Olivia De Havilland.  How accurate was this film?

[Jane]

In this mini tv series (Anastasia: the mystery of anna) a lot of claims have been made such as that Anna Anderson met Cyril and she was accompained by Prince Erich and her lawyer.  And Prince Erich was in love with Anna Anderson who he thought was Anastasia. The role of Dowager Empress Maria was played by Olivia De Havilland.  How accurate was this film?

Investigator,  in response to your question, I am compelled to answer: "Not. At. All. Accurate.'  

First, I am unaware of any evidence that Kirill met with Anna Anderson.  Second, "Prince Erich" was just a fictional character, a plot device originating with (presumably) the producers/writers.  It is pretty much a load of tosh.  Olivia de Havilland was far too good for it.  

Regards,

Jane

ETA: At last I have cracked the mystery of quoting others' posts! Muahahaha!

[LisaDavidson]

In this mini tv series (Anastasia: the mystery of anna) a lot of claims have been made such as that Anna Anderson met Cyril and she was accompained by Prince Erich and her lawyer.  And Prince Erich was in love with Anna Anderson who he thought was Anastasia. The role of Dowager Empress Maria was played by Olivia De Havilland.  How accurate was this film?

Kirill did not meet AA, but his brother, Andrei did. There was no Prince Erich in love with AA, but there was a Prince of Saxe-Altenburg who helped her, though not romantically. The Dowager Empress never met AA.

There is very little accurate in the film, and its point of view was unsatisfactory to nearly everyone.

[Greg_King]

Kirill did not meet AA, but his brother, Andrei did. There was no Prince Erich in love with AA, but there was a Prince of Saxe-Altenburg who helped her, though not romantically. The Dowager Empress never met AA.

There is very little accurate in the film, and its point of view was unsatisfactory to nearly everyone.

Including Peter, who had absolutely no say in it (as is the way when Hollywood options something)!

Greg King

[BobAtchison]

Amy Irving was marvelously beautiful in it - don't you agree?  I watched it for her sake....

Bob

[Namarolf]

Yes she was....! And far more convincing than Mrs. Tchaikowsky-Anderson ever was!

[Janet Whitcomb]

I own that video; the story line intrigued me, of course, as well as the stellar cast. Amy Irving is wonderful. But I look upon it as I look upon the marvelous Ingrid Bergman movie--"parallel universe" stories!  And the Anastasia story also reminds me of classic fairy tales, such as Cinderella, which has many, many incantations, all with a similar central plot, but different ways of telling it, and with various agendas, embellishments, subplots, etc.  

[borgia]

Too bad Anna Anderson did not have a real Prince Erich in her life.I think she  may have been alot happier.And,if Anna had been anything like Amy Irving;I think that more people might have  beleived  her.I would have.The movie was a great period film.

[grandduchessella]

I totally agree. I thought it was a beautiful production and Amy Irving was wonderful (wasn't she at least Emmy-nominated for the role?). It is totally inaccurate though and as long as you approach it as "just a really interesting story with great production values" it's very enjoyable. I have it on tape from when A&E aired it years ago.

[Nick_Nicholson]

But I must say that Susan Lucci of All My Children Fame was a less than convincing Romanov.

The fact that many of the St. Petersburg scenes were shot in New York was also pretty annoying.

After production wrapped, Mr. Spielberg gave Amy Irving (then Mrs. Spielberg) a miniature Faberge egg which, I believe, had been a gift from Grand Duchess Anastasia to Sydney Gibbes.

[Glebb]

Lucky Amy Irving to have been given a real Faberge Egg.

I enjoyed the mini series even though the facts were off (even to someone who knows as little as I do about the subject).

Susan Lucci by looks alone might have been able to play Princess Irina (wife of Felix Yusupov).

Elke Summer (Romanov relative) and Angela Pleasence (sanitarium friend, who also played Katherine Howard in  BBC Six Wives of Henry VIII), both cracked me up.

[Louise]

I just really wish that TPTB (The Powers That Be) would take the time and money and do a re-make of Nicholas and Alexandra. I also hope one day that when they do it, it is historically accruate, or as accurate as Hollywood can ever be.  I dont care if it is a movie made for TV, a mini-series, a PBS etc production. Just as long as they get it right.

Louise

[Ilana]

I remember that Amy Irving was interviewed on Larry King when they were promoting this mini-series.  This was their discovery of Christian Bale, who played Alexei.  Also, the little Faberge egg that Amy was wearing around her neck had the musical note "A" on it, and originally belonged to Anastasia.

[Vive_HIH_Aleksey]

I only saw the parts with the "real" Romanovs, and that part bugged me cause of its inaccuracy too LOL.

But Christian is so great, I love him. Far better than Roderick Noble, but the best Aleksey would be Freddie Findlay.

[Annie]

I just really wish that TPTB (The Powers That Be) would take the time and money and do a re-make of Nicholas and Alexandra. I also hope one day that when they do it, it is historically accruate, or as accurate as Hollywood can ever be.  I dont care if it is a movie made for TV, a mini-series, a PBS etc production. Just as long as they get it right.

Louise

I want to do that SO bad! That has always been a dream of mine.

I taped "The Mystery of Anna" back in 1986 when it first came on TV. I was very disappointed in it, especially the blunt, anticlimatic ending that solved nothing. I also think the "Prince Erich" parts made it boring and drug it down, especially since it was not even true! I had to laugh at the actor they got to play Gilliard, he looked nothing like him. Irving did do a good job, but so much more could have been done with that story!