
Here is a scene from the Italian/French co-production The Night They Killed Rasputin (1959), starring Edmund Purdom and John Drew Barrymore. It also features the luscious Gina Maria Canale. The reason why this clip is so special is that it's in color. For years we've had to contend with the B/W TV prints of this film. Here we actually have a 35mm transfer in all it's glorious color, truly a rarity. In this scene, Rasputin humiliates a Russian officers wife and ultimately degrades the officer, who shoots himself. This film, though by no means an accurate portrayal of what went down, is still a very engaging and titillating version of the Rasputin story, complete with a very tragic atmosphere. Purdom has a ball as Rasputin, excelling in European films at the time usually playing some sort of despot. I carry both versions at Cinefear, one in B/W with English language and the other is gorgeous color but with German dialog. Check out my huge article on Rasputin in Cinema: . And don't hesitate to ask about monthly specials I am offering!