Theodora, Empress of Byzantium (Italian title: Teodora Imperatrice di Bisanzio ) is a Franco – Italian film by Riccardo Freda, released in 1954 .
Synopsis
In the vi th century, the former dancer Theodora married the Emperor of Byzantium Justinian and became empress. She is opposed to the aristocracy and the generals, hostile to the reforms she inspired to Justinian.
Technical sheet
- Title: Theodora, Empress of Byzantium
- Italian title: Teodora imperatrice di Bisanzio
- Director: Riccardo Freda
- Scenario: Claude Accursi, Andre-Paul Antoine , Ranieri Cochetti, Riccardo Freda and Rene Wheeler .
- Music: Renzo Rossellini
- Director of Photography: Rodolfo Lombardi
- Costumes: Veniero Colasanti
- Editing: Mario Serandrei
- Country: Italy / France
- Duration: 91 minutes in France
- Genre: Peplum
- Release dates:
- France :
- West Germany :
- Italy :
- USA :
Distribution
- Gianna Maria Canale : Theodora
- Georges Marchal : Justinian
- Renato Baldini: Arcas
- Henri Guisol : John of Cappadocia
- Irene Papas : Saida, sister of Theodora
- Carlo Sposito : Scarpios
- Olga Solbelli : Egina, mother of Theodora
- Alessandro Fersen : the bishop
- Roger Pigaut : Andres
- Loris Gizzi : Smirnos, the senator
- Nerio Bernardi : Belisarius
- Giovanni Fagioli : the clerk of the court
- Mario Siletti : the magistrate
- Michele Riccardini : the jailer
- Armando Annuale : the sandals merchant
- Piero Capanna : a citizen
- Oscar Andriani : the defender of Scarpios
- Umberto Silvestri : the executioner
French voices
- Camille Fournier (Gianna Maria Canale)
- Georges Marchal (himself)
- Denise Bosc (Irene Papas)
- Henri Guisol (himself)
- Jacques Thebault (Giovanni Fagioli)
- Lita Recio (Olga Solbelli)
- Pierre Morin (Nerio Bernardi)
- Richard Francoeur (Mario Siletti)
- Roger Pigaut (himself)
- Paul City (Armando Annuale)
Around the film
This historical film was a precursor to the great wave of the Italian peplum of the late 1950s . Its large budget allowed a careful reconstruction. [ref. necessary]