The Scarlet Empress
“The Reigning Beauty of the Screen!”
Synopsis
During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Insanity of The Scarlett Empress (Marlene Dietrich)
Type: Trailer • Published 2012-12-15
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Marlene Dietrich
Princess Sophia Frederica / Catherine II
John Lodge
Count Alexei
Sam Jaffe
Grand Duke Peter
Louise Dresser
Empress Elizabeth Petrovna
C. Aubrey Smith
Prince August
Gavin Gordon
Capt. Gregori Orloff
Olive Tell
Princess Johanna Elizabeth
Ruthelma Stevens
Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie'
Davison Clark
Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky / Arch-Episcope
Erville Alderson
Chancelor Alexei Bestuchef
Maria Riva
Sophia as a Child
Jane Darwell
Miss Cardell, Sophia's Nurse (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan
Herr Wagner (uncredited)
Akim Tamiroff
Bit Part (uncredited)
Marie Wells
Eric Alden
Elinor Fair
Julanne Johnston
Release History & Theatrical Window
September 15, 1934
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 18, 2001
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$900K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Josef von Sternberg
- Screenplay & Story
- Manuel Komroff, Eleanor McGeary
- Original Title
- The Scarlet Empress
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Production Budget
- $900K
- Production Studios
- Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Josef von Sternberg
Manuel Komroff, Eleanor McGeary
Bert Glennon
Josef von Sternberg, Sam Winston
Josef von Sternberg, Emanuel Cohen
Department Leadership Roster
Josef von Sternberg
Director
Josef von Sternberg
Producer
Bert Glennon
Director of Photography
Travis Banton
Costume Design
Josef von Sternberg
Editor
Sam Winston
Editor
Manuel Komroff
Writer
Eleanor McGeary
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Suitable only for 12 years and over.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Scarlet Empress.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Scarlet Empress.
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The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Scarlet Empress
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Scarlet Empress about?
During the 18th century, German noblewoman Sophia Frederica, who would later become Catherine the Great, travels to Moscow to marry the dimwitted Grand Duke Peter, the heir to the Russian throne. Their arranged marriage proves to be loveless, and Catherine takes many lovers, including the handsome Count Alexei, and bears a son. When the unstable Peter eventually ascends to the throne, Catherine plots to oust him from power.
Who directed The Scarlet Empress?
The Scarlet Empress was directed by Josef von Sternberg.
Who stars in The Scarlet Empress?
The principal cast of The Scarlet Empress includes Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, C. Aubrey Smith.
When was The Scarlet Empress released and how long is it?
The Scarlet Empress was released in 1934 with a total runtime of 1h 44m.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Scarlet Empress?
The Scarlet Empress holds official age classifications: GB: 12 (Suitable only for 12 years and over.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).