All images are staged theatrical productions unless noted.
These are all first class Broadway or West End (or, in the instances of earlier productions, Touring) productions. I have not included the thousands of Off-Broadway, college, regional theatre, high school and amateur productions - nor foreign language productions of which there have also been thousands. It seems that when an intense, charismatic - and stunning! - actress arrives on the scene, producers want her for one role: Cleopatra!
HELENA MODJESKA 1840 - 1909
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1879
ELEONORA DUSE 1858 - 1924
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1887
CORA BROWN POTTER 1857 - 1936
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1889
SARAH BERNHARDT 1844 - 1923
"Cleopatra" 1890
LILLIE LANGTRY 1853 - 1929
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1890
JANE COWL 1883 - 1950
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1899
CONSTANCE COLLIER 1878 – 1955
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1906
FLORENCE LAWRENCE 1886 – 1938
"Antony and Cleopatra" (film) 1908 (no images of this film remain)
IDA RUBENSTEIN 1885 – 1960
"Cleopatra" (film) 1909
MADELEINE ROCH 1883 – 1930
"Cleopatra" (film) 1910 (no images remain from this film)
GERTRUDE ELLIOT 1874 – 1950
"Caesar and Cleopatra" 1910
DOROTHY GREEN 1886 – 1961
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1910
HELEN GARDNER 1884 – 1968
"Cleopatra" 1912
RUTH ST. DENIS 1879 – 1968
"Egypta" 1914 (modern ballet)
THEDA BARA 1885 – 1955
"Cleopatra" (film) 1917
LUBOV TCHERNICHEVA 1890 – 1976
"Cleopatra" (ballet) 1918
HELEN HAYES 1900 – 1993
"Caesar and Cleopatra" 1925
DOROTHY BURGESS 1907 – 1961
"Oh! Oh! Cleopatra!" (film) 1931
CLAUDETTE COLBERT 1903 – 1996
"Cleopatra" (film) 1934
TALLULAH BANKHEAD 1902 – 1968
"Antony and Cleopatra" (film) 1937
VIVIEN LEIGH 1913 – 1967
"Caesar and Cleopatra" (film) 1945
KATHARINE CORNELL 1893 – 1974
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1947
MARIA ANTONIETA PONS 1922 - 2004
"The Intimate Life of Antony and Cleopatra" (film) 1947
LILLI PALMER 1914 – 1986
"Caesar and Cleopatra" 1949
DAME PEGGY ASHCROFT 1907 – 1991
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1953
RHONDA FLEMING 1923
"Serpent of the Nile" (film) 1953
SOPHIA LOREN 1940
"Two Nights with Cleopatra" (film) 1954
VIRGINIA MAYO 1920 - 2005
"The Story of Mankind" (film) 1959
LINDA CRISTAL 1934
"Legions of the Nile" (film) 1959
PIPER LAURIE 1932
G.E. True Theater "Antony and Cleopatra" (televised play) 1959
SUSAN STRASBERG 1938 – 1999
"Caesar and Cleopatra" 1959
KATHARINE HEPBURN 1907 – 2003
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1960
LUCILLE BALL 1911 – 1989
The Lucy Show: "Lucy Plays Cleopatra" (television series episode) 1963
COLLEEN DEWHURST 1924 - 1991
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1963
ELIZABETH TAYLOR 1932 - 2011
"Cleopatra" (film) 1963
HELEN MIRREN 1945
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1965
LEONTYNE PRICE 1927
"Antony and Cleopatra" (opera) 1967
ZOE CALDWELL 1933
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1967
MAGGIE SMITH 1934
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1976
JANE LAPOTAIRE 1944
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1981
LYNN REDGRAVE 1943 - 2010
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1983
DAME JUDI DENCH 1934
"Antony and Cleopatra" 1987
KIM CATTRALL 1956
"Antony and Cleopatra" 2010
KATE MULGREW 1955
"Antony and Cleopatra" 2010
KEI ARAN 1970
"Antony and Cleopatra" 2011
YANNA McINTOSH 1970
"Antony and Cleopatra" 2015
... now, go and make something beautiful!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´
(¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥
3 comments:
Wow! So many brilliant actresses who took on this role. . .obviously some of these were staged (not film) versions, but I'd love to know if anything is viewable of the performances. I'd love to see what Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Lynn Redgrave, Colleen Dewhurst (and several others) were able to do with their unique interpretations of one of the most fascinating women in history. Thanks for sharing this today, Tristan! And, isn't it sad that the silent era film featuring Ms. Roch is gone? At least there are some stills, but I know that I am sorry to see that so many films have been "lost" due to lack of preservation attempts. . .Sorry to digress. . .I really loved looking at all of these Cleopatras!
I love this! I'm very inspired by it. Thank you for sharing it.
What an interesting collection of photos!! So many played the part!
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