Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Landau. The music score was by Alex North. It was photographed in 70 mm Todd-AO by Leon Shamroy and an uncredited Jack Hildyard. Cleopatra chronicles the struggles of Cleopatra VII, the young Queen of Egypt, to resist the imperialist ambitions of Rome. In all of cinema history,... Cleopatra is the most expensive film ever made . Despite being a critical failure, it won four Academy Awards. It was the highest grossing film of 1963, earning US $26 million , yet made a loss due to its cost of $44 million, the only film ever to be the highest grossing film of the year yet to run at a loss. The film opens shortly after the Battle of Pharsalus where Julius Caesar has defeated Pompey.
more
| Release date: | June 12, 1963 |
| Directed by: | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Darryl F. Zanuck, Rouben Mamoulian |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 192 Minutes |
| Producer: | Walter Wanger |
| Editor: | Dorothy Spencer, Elmo Williams |
| Music by: | Alex North |
| Cinematography: | Leon Shamroy, Jack Hildyard |
| Screenplay by: | Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
| Estimated budget: | $44,000,000 |