Rasputin and the Empress
Rasputin and the Empress ★★★ Rasputin: The Mad Monk 1933
Lavish historical epic teamed the three Barrymore sibs for the first and only time, as they vied for scenestealing honors. Ethel is Empress Alexandra of Russia, tied to the weakwilled Nicholas II (Morgan) and under the spell of Rasputin, played by Lionel. John is a nobleman who seeks to warn the Russian rulers of their perilous perch on the throne, made only worse by Rasputin's spreading power and corruption. Ethel's first talkie and Wynyard's first film role. Uncredited director Charles Brabin was replaced by Boleslawski due to his incompatability with the imperious Ethel. 123m/B VHS, DVD . Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Ralph Morgan, Diana Wynyard, Tad Alexander, C. Henry Gordon, Edward Arnold, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Anne Shirley, Jean Parker, Henry Kolker; D: Richard Boleslawski; W: Charles MacArthur; C: William H. Daniels.