Room for the Aged

Cleopatra is a 1934 American epic historical drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Paramount Pictures. A retelling of the story of the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII, the screenplay was written by Waldemar Young and Vincent Lawrence and was based on Bartlett Cormack's adaptation of historical material. Claudette Colbert stars as Cleopatra, Warren William as Julius Caesar, and Henry Wilcoxon as Mark Antony. Pre-production began in July 1933 while DeMille was working on another film. A staff of twelve people, headed by screenwriter Jeanie MacPherson, spent eight months doing research. The production used 250,000 square feet of space for the sets and employed more than 5,000 actors, extras, and technicians. Principal photography was completed in two months. Cleopatra premiered in New York City on August 16, 1934. Nominated for five Academy Awards, it was the first DeMille film to receive a nomination for Best Picture. Victor Milner won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. It is the third and final film DeMille made with Colbert and the first one he made with Wilcoxon, who would later become DeMille's associate producer.