In 1937, director Josef von Sternberg began filming an epic version of the best-seller "I, Claudius." Featuring Charles Laughton in the title role and Merle Oberon as his love interest, Messalina, the film seemed destined for greatness, but friction on the set, artistic disagreements and a serious accident befalling Oberon doomed the project. This 1965 documentary features all the extant footage from von Sternberg's film and new interviews with the surviving principals.
In 1937, director Josef von Sternberg began filming an epic version of the best-seller "I, Claudius." Featuring Charles Laughton in the title role and Merle Oberon as his love interest, Messalina, the film seemed destined for greatness, but friction on the set, artistic disagreements and a serious accident befalling Oberon doomed the project. This...