Trivia / Nicholas and Alexandra

• Acclaimed Flop: Although the film received critical acclaim for its production value, strong cast performances, and garnered six Academy Award nominations, it was a financial flop upon release.
• All-Star Cast: Though the leads were played by relative unknowns (for Janet Suzman, it was her film debut), the supporting cast is filled to the brim with Big Names (Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, Jack Hawkins, Harry Andrews, Irene Worth, Tom Baker, Brian Cox, Ian Holm, Steven Berkoff, Julian Glover, John Wood, Curd Jürgens).
• Box Office Bomb: Budget, $9 million. Box office, $7 million (rentals).
• California Doubling: Like producer Sam Spiegel's previous Russian epic Doctor Zhivago, the film was shot mostly in Spain.
• Executive Meddling: Despite the massive box-office success and critical acclaim that Sam Spiegel had brought Columbia Pictures with On the Waterfront, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Lawrence of Arabia, the studio was unwilling to give Spiegel the budget he needed, due to a string of recent box-office failures, including The Chase 1966 and The Night of the Generals.
• Fake Russian: Needless to say, none of the cast are actually Russian.
• Same Language Dub: By this point in his life, Jack Hawkins had lost his voice to throat cancer, so all his lines had to be dubbed in by Robert Rietti, who did the same for nine other films.
• Star-Making Role: Subverted for Tom Baker. Despite getting lots of praise and a Golden Globe nomination, it really didn't launch Baker into stardom, he'd have to wait 3 more years for Doctor Who to do that.
• Uncredited Role: Robin Askwith as a Russian soldier.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Joseph L. Mankiewicz and George Stevens were approached to direct. Anthony Harvey, who had worked with screenwriter James Goldman on The Lion in Winter, was briefly attached to the film but left over disagreements with Spiegel.
  • Richard Burton was offered the role of Tsar Nicholas, but he declined due to personal problems, with which he was dealing at the time.
  • Julie Christie, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Vanessa Redgrave were considered for Alexandra.
  • Marlon Brando and Peter O'Toole were considered for Rasputin. Yul Brynner actively sought the role.
  • Rex Harrison turned down the role of Count Witte, saying, "Tell him (Sam Spiegel) I do not play bit parts."
  • Olivia Hussey was considered for one of the Grand Duchesses.

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