Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The Changing Face of Cleopatra...

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:

Cynthia said...

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!

Marfi-topia said...

I love this! I'm very inspired by it. Thank you for sharing it.

Janet Ghio said...

What an interesting collection of photos!! So many played the part!