Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)

You get a pretty good sense that the film you're about to watch will be pretty good when the opening sequence reveals that the author adapted his own play for the screenplay. You feel even better about that when the author in question is George Bernard Shaw. No surprise then that this film's Shavian dialogue sparkles. The witty, sophisticated speech sounds even better when it's being delivered by Claude Rains, possibly the most underappreciated major star in the history of Hollywood. He's tremendous in the lead role here, striking the perfect balance between Caesar's majesty and middle-aged earthiness. Vivien Leigh looks good -- as always -- though she was perhaps a tad lightweight for the role of Cleopatra. She tends towards acting silly here, though that hardly weighs down the presentation too much. And 'presentation' is a good word for it: tremendous acting combined with impressive set design, and that Shavian wit in the script, make for an impressive couple of hours for the viewer. Definitely worth watching, especially for you lovers of the classics.