October 10 - I, Claudius

Today’s motion picture is a period drama with a scene that happens on October 10. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

I, CLAUDIUS    

In Rome, the Emperor Augustus favors his son-in-law Marcellus over his old companion Marcus Agrippa. The Empress Livia wants her son Tiberius to succeed. Marcellus launches popular games, but then dies, resulting in riots. Marcus Agrippa, who has left Rome, is asked by Augustus to return, but the price is marriage to Julia, the Emperor’s daughter and Marcellus’s widow.  Nine years later when Marcus Agrippa dies, Tiberius divorces his wife and marries Julia, but still favors his ex-wife Vispania. His brother Druses goes to Germany but dies there. Augustus refuses Julia’s request to divorce Tiberius. There is a ‘sign’ foretelling Claudius, who stammers and has a clubfoot will be great. Livia recruits Clotius to sleep with Julia and spy on her. Herod Agrippa arrives in Rome as a hostage. Lucius tells Augustus about Julia’s affairs and she is exiled. Lucius dies and Tiberius returns to Rome. At the Battle of the Teutoborg Forest the Roman army is wiped out. Augustus tells Posthumous he is to succeed. Livia manipulates Augustus to send Germanicus and not Postumous to Germany with reinforcements and to keep Tiberius in Rome. Livia frames Posthumous for rape, and he is exiled, but not before warning Claudius about Livia’s schemes. Claudius is wed. Claudius tells Germanicus his suspicions about Livia.   Augustus visits Posthumous in exile and Livia manipulates the Vestal Virgin to learn Augustus has changed his will. Augustus confides his suspicions to Claudius then dies. Posthumous is killed, while Livia substitutes a false will naming Tiberius as successor. Germanicus dies on October 10, 19. [Ep. 6, 2:32 to 3:38] Constans prosecutes Piso for poisoning Germanicus. Ultimately Piso suicides. Caligula is a brat. Tiberius leads a life of debauchery. Serjanus, commander of the Praetorians seduces Constans wife. Livia confesses all to Claudius on her deathbed.  Claudius weds Serjanus’s sister. Constans then Livia die. Tiberius refuses to let Serjanus wed Costa’s widow. Claudius presents evidence to Tiberius that Serjanus and Lavilla poisoned Costa. Tiberius makes Caligula his heir. Serjanus is arrested and executed. A purge follows and Tiberius dies. Caligula goes into a coma and awakens as a ‘god’. Clauduis’s mom suicides. Claigula kills his sister. Caligula forces the nobility to work in a brothel. Claudius weds Messalina. Caligula is assassinated. Claudius made emperor. While Claudius is conquering Britain, the Empress engages in a contest with a prostitute to see who can bed the most men and wins. Jesus is discussed. The Empress has affair with Silinius then ‘marries’ him.  They are executed.Claudius weds Agrippinilla, the mistress of Marcus Antonis Pallas. Claudius dies and is succeeded by Nero. They think they’ve destroyed his book, but he’s hidden a copy.

                       

A frank story of the sordid political life of Rome. It may or my not be true, but it’s certainly interesting. Definitely holds your attention.        

Chronicle of the Roman Emperors by Chris Scarre (Thames & Hudson, London, 1995) at page 31 gives his death date

Producer - Martin Lisemore          

                           

Director - Herbert Wise

Screenplay - Jack Pulman and Robert Graves

Awards - The film won the Outstanding Art Direction for a Drama Series Emmy. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series and the Outstanding Limited Series Emmys.

Runtime - 5 hours 50 minutes                             

Released - September 20, 1976 

Starring -

Derek Jacobi as Claudius                                    

Siân Phillips as Livia Drusilla

George Baker asTiberius                                     

John Hurt as Caligula 

Brian Blessed as Augustus                                   

Patrick Stewart as Lucius Aelius Sejanus

Margaret Tyzack as Antonia Minor                    

Patricia Quinn as Livilla

John Paul as Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa             

Sheila White as Valeria Messalina

Christopher Biggins as Nero                                

Ian Ogilvy as Nero Claudius Drusus

David Robb as Germanicus                                 

John Castle as Agrippa Postumus

Fiona Walker as Agrippina the Elder                  

Frances White as Julia the Elder

James Faulkner as Herod Agrippa                       

Kevin McNally as Julius Caesar Drusus

Stratford Johns as Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso         

Bernard Hepton as Pallas 

John Cater as Tiberius Claudius Narcissus        

Barbara Young as Agrippina theYounger

Beth Morris as Drusilla (sister of Caligula)      

Simon MacCorkindale as Lucius Caesar

Sheila Ruskin as Vipsania Agrippina                

Angela Morant as Octavia the Younger

John Rhys-Davies as Naevius Sutorius Macro

Christopher Guard as Marcus Claudius Marcellus 

Graham Seed as Britannicus

Jo Rowbottom as Calpurnia

Sam Dastor as Cassius Chaerea

Kevin Stoney as Thrasyllus of Mendes

Freda Dowie as Milonia Caesonia & Cumaean Sibyl

Irene Hamilton as Munatia Plancina

Darien Angadi as Aulus Plautius

Peter Bowles as Caractacus

Norman Eshley as Marcus

John Bennett as Xenophon

Patsy Byrne as Martina

Douglas Melbourne as Tiberius Gemellus

Karin Foley as Julia (daughter of Drusus the Younger)

Earl Rhodes as Gaius Caesar

Richard Hunter as Drusus Caesar

Russell Lewis as Lucius Julius
Caesar Vipsanianus

Robert Craig-Morgan as Young Caligula

Cheryl Johnson as Claudia Octavia

Isabel Dean as Lollia Paulina

Liane Aukin as Aelia Paetina

Moira Redmond as Domitia Lepida the Younger

Bernard Hill as Gratus

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015