First the good stuff. Well, for me, there was only one, the stunning Rhonda Fleming as Cleopatra, who almost but not quite makes it worth while seeing it through. I did, but only because she's so beautiful. If she doesn't excite you, then don't bother. I couldn't take anything seriously apart from Rhonda in Wiiliam Castle's cheap turn at the Cleopatra and Mark Antony saga. Raymond Burr, before he was famous, plays Mark Antony with a grim look on his face throughout. Still, at least he's more acceptable to watch than the miscast William Lundigan who looks like a New Yorker in a dress. I couldn't get over that Castle didn't at least try to give Lundigan a Roman hairstyle instead of just leaving his hair like a 1950's actor would have it in every day life. It's possibly a bit unfair to judge Raymond Burr's love scenes at the time, knowing as we do now that he was gay but he doesn't look at all happy at having to kiss our beautiful Rhonda. Michael Ansara sparks up the action a bit as the heavy. Michael Fox, not J, is Octavius who is coming to depose Queen Cleo, but doesn't look remotely like you would expect a powerful leader to be. The colourful sets are indeed very colourful but also look very cheap. Everything looks like it was shot on the Columbia back lot. Most of it looks like a stage set and all the Romans look American apart from Michael Ansara who at least looks possibly ethnic. This is one case that Perry Mason lost I'm afraid so two stars only for the gorgeous Rhonda Fleming who I read only passed away recently aged about 150. Beauty wise, she actually gives Liz Taylor and Vivien Leigh a run for their money and she's the best actor in it.
Review of Serpent of the Nile
