RHONDA FLEMING SEX APPEAL - AND THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF JULIE NEWMAR!

It's the year 44 B.C. and Julius Caesar has just been assassinated! The armies of Caesar's enemies, Brutus and Cassius, clash with those of Marc Antony (Raymond Burr) and Octavius (Michael Fox), who remain loyal to Rome. Rome is in turmoil as everyone vies for succession with swords and arrows. It's over soon, the forces of Mark Antony and Octavius winning the day. Cassius commits suicide, leaving a note in his hand reading, 'The cause is hopeless'. Capt Lucilius (William Lundigan) brings the news to Brutus, who gives up the fight and takes his own life. Antony sees promise in Lucilius and promotes him to his top general. Even with Rome restored to peace there are conquests to be made, beginning with the serpent of the Nile: Cleopatra (Rhonda Fleming)! Instead though, Antony falls under her spell which leaves him helpless and an enemy to Rome, much to the chagrin of Lucilius who sees her for what she is: Greedy for power, jewels and men.

Before he found his niche directing Horror films, William Castle tried his hand at all kinds of genres: these included Noirs, Westerns and yes, Epics. Made for cheapskate producer Sam Katzman, this looks amazingly handsome under the circumstances of an extremely low budget and sets which were re-used from Rita Hayworth's film Salome. Still, the film's modest pedigree is evident in the way battle scenes are depicted via montages, while a general disregard for authentic detail exposes its sheer commercial nature. Rhonda Fleming is absolutely delightful in her over-the-top portrayal of the legendary queen, her form deliciously outlined in all her costumes. She is perfect in this role, the queen of camp playing the queen of the Nile. Raymond Burr's portrayal of Anthony makes you wonder how such a dope could have risen to such a height of power. As for William Lundigan, well he switched allegiances effortlessly, from Caesar to Brutus to Anthony to Cleopatra back to Anthony to Octavius and then I lost track. One special detail is the ubiquitous dancing girl routine which features a very young and stunningly beautiful Julie Newmar in her first role, completely covered in gold paint during the famous feast for Antony on Cleopatra's barge at Tarsus.