Details

Release year: 1958

Storyline

In 18th century Russia, Imperial officer Piotr Grinov is dispatched to a faraway isolated outpost where his loyalties are tested during the Pugachev Rebellion against the Empress Catherine II.

Top credits

Directors

Alberto Lattuada

Writers

Cast

Silvana Mangano — Masha Mironova
Van Heflin — Emelyan Pugachov
Viveca Lindfors — Catherine II
Geoffrey Horne — Piotr Grinov

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Did you know

• Vittorio Gassman, possibly the biggest male star in Italy at the time, plays a one-scene cameo in this film, with special "guest star" billing. Years before, at the start of his film career, he had had a supporting role in another film version of the same Pushkin story, playing the role played in this version by Helmut Dantine.

• The African-American playwright Louis Peterson did receive screenplay credit on the English-language version of this film shown in the UK, though possibly not elsewhere. Michael Wilson's contribution, however, was made anonymously - it would be another six years before Wilson finally got off the blacklist. Alberto Lattuada fell ill briefly whilst directing the film, and was replaced for roughly two weeks by, surprisingly, Michelangelo Antonioni, who had not at that time achieved the international renown which he would gain soon afterwards. (The British release of this film came shortly after the London opening of "Le Amiche", the first Antonioni film to be shown - albeit after a four-year delay - in the UK).

• The first of three movies which Van Heflin would make for producer Dino De Laurentiis over a two year period. Two of these films (the other was "Jovanka E Le Altri", aka "Five Branded Women") starred De Laurentiis's wife, Silvana Mangano. De Laurentiis had been trying to establish international stardom for her, but she remained mainly known for Italian films.