History YMMV / Cleopatra

** Creator/RichardBurton's Marc Antony drinks a lot -- enough to be troped as TheAlcoholic on the main page.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Has a lot of impeccable decor designs, costume designs, and acting talent poured into it, but the TroubledProduction clearly shows in the final product. It won several Oscars in technical categories and was nominated for several others, but critical reception and audience reception was mostly lukewarm. The movie is still widely remembered and frequently seen owing to its scale, scope and polish, and it still has many defenders mostly because there's no way a movie would be made the same way today.

** Creator/RoddyMcDowall was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination in that category...due to a regrettable error on the part of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox."

** Creator/RoddyMcDowall was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category...due to a regrettable error on the part of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox."

** At the time, studio execs thought the public would see the film mainly for Creator/RichardBurton and Ceator/ElizabethTaylor - resulting in the planned two-parter being cut down to one film (the first would have focused mainly on Cleopatra and Caesar).

* AwardSnub: Creator/RoddyMcDowall was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category . . . due to a regrettable error on the part of Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox."

* PresumedFlop: Despite all the production disasters, the film was a financial success and the most successful film of the year. However, even that couldn't recoup it's enormous budget, which almost ruined Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox.

** Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: Most modern depictions (or parodies) of Cleopatra's life will homage this film in some way - particularly one of the costumes Elizabeth Taylor wears. Even ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'' takes a lot of cues from the film such as when Cleopatra and Caesar are discussing about UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat in his mausoleum.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: Most modern depictions (or parodies) of Cleopatra's life will homage this film in some way - particularly one of the costumes Elizabeth Taylor wears.

* AwardSnub: Creator/RoddyMcDowall was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category . . . due to a regrettable error on the part of 20th Century-Fox."
* CoupleBomb: The most notable bomb featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton starring together, and probably the most remembered. However ''Theatre/TheTamingOfTheShrew'' and ''Film/WhosAfraidOfVirginiaWoolf'' - the two films they did that weren't bombs - are more remembered than their other flops.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Roddy [=McDowall=] came away looking quite good in spite of the film's failure, some feeling his performance comes close to overshadowing the three leads. As noted above, he only missed out on a Best Supporting Actor nomination due to a clerical mistake.

** Richard Burton's Marc Antony drinks a lot-- enough to be troped as TheAlcoholic on the main page.

** At the time, studio execs thought the public would see the film mainly for Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor - resulting in the planned two-parter being cut down to one film (the first would have focused mainly on Cleopatra and Caesar).
** A lot of modern viewers will watch just for the stunning costumes worn by Cleopatra - Elizabeth Taylor even set a record for 65 costume changes in the film.

* {{Hilarious|InHindsight}}[=/=]HarsherInHindsight: Richard Burton's Marc Antony drinks a lot-- enough to be troped as TheAlcoholic on the main page.

* AwardSnub: Creator/RoddyMcDowall was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category . . . due to a regrettable error on the part of 20th Century-Fox.".

* HarsherInHindsight: In the second part of the movie, there is hardly a scene where Mark Antony is not drinking. Richard Burton had serious problems with alcohol, including on the set.

* SoOkayItsAverage: Has a lot of impeccable decor designs, costume designs, and acting talent poured into it, but the TroubledProduction clearly shows in the final product. It won several Oscars in technical categories and was nominated for several others, but critical reception and audience reception was mostly lukewarm.

** UK sitcom fans may be similarly called to retroactive recognition by Richard O'Sullivan as the Pharoah Ptolemy, Cleopatra's ill fated sibling. A decade later he would rise to fame as star of ''Series/ManAboutTheHouse''.

* Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].

* AwardSnub: Roddy [=McDowall=] was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to [=McDowall=]: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category . . . due to a regrettable error on the part of 20th Century-Fox.".

** UK sitcom fans may be similarly called to retroactive recognition by Richard O'Sullivan as the Pharoah Ptolemy, Cleopatra's ill fated sibling. A decade later he would rise to fame as star of ''[[Series/ManAboutTheHouse]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].

* AwardSnub: Roddy [=McDowall=] was originally nominated for Best Supporting Actor, but the studio erroneously listed him as a leading player rather than a supporting one. When Fox asked the Academy to correct the error, it refused, saying the ballots already were at the printer. Fox then published an open letter in the trade papers, apologizing to McDowall: "We feel that it is important that the industry realize that your electric performance as Octavian in ''Cleopatra'', which was unanimously singled out by the critics as one of the best supporting performances by an actor this year, is not eligible for an Academy Award nomination in that category . . . due to a regrettable error on the part of 20th Century-Fox.".

* RetroactiveRecognition: Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].
* SoBadItsGood

* GrowingTheBeard: Mark Antony.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[Series/AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].

* RetroactiveRecognition: Casca, one of Caesar's assassins, is played by Carroll O'Connor, famous for his role as [[AllInTheFamily Archie Bunker]].