The Scarlet Empress (1934)

Sam Jaffe: Grand Duke Peter

Photos 

Quotes 

• Grand Duke Peter : Why are those bells ringing?

  [He opens the bedroom door and addresses a man in the hall] 

  Grand Duke Peter : Why are those bells ringing?

  Capt. Gregori Orloff : I don't know, Peter.

  Grand Duke Peter : How dare you address me like that! Who are you?

  Capt. Gregori Orloff : My name is Orloff, and I'm on duty as guard.

  Grand Duke Peter : I'll have your head for this insolence! You're addressing the emperor!

  Capt. Gregori Orloff : There is no emperor. There is only an empress.

• Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : Something for the poor, You Majesty?

  [Catherine removes several bracelets and places them in the collection plate] 

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : For the poor, Captain?

  [Capt. Orloff drops a handful of diamonds in the plate] 

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : Excellency?

  Count Alexei : [Count Alexei tosses a bag of what sounds like coins]  Quite a haul tonight, Father.

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : Chancellor?

  [the chancellor gives him a single coin] 

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : Elizabeth?

  [Countess Elizabeth flings the food she'd been eating onto the collection plate. The archimandrite places the morsel on the table] 

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : Your Imperial Majesty, something for the poor?

  [Peter slaps him] 

  Archimandrite Simeon Todorsky : That was for me. Now what have you got for the poor?

  Grand Duke Peter : There are no poor in Russia! Get out!

• Grand Duke Peter : I want to play with my toys!

• Grand Duke Peter : [Catherine is surrounded by Hessians. Grand Duke Peter points his sword at Catherine's heart]  Right here, gentlemen. What a lovely target. You're looking quite well, Catherine, since you provided me with an unexpected addition to the family.

  Princess Sophia Frederica : Thank you, Peter. It's nice to see you again.

• Grand Duke Peter : There you are, you old crow. Dead as a doornail at last. What have you got to say about it? Open your mouth if you can. In another week, it'll be full of ice. In another month, not a soul will mourn for you. In another year, you'll be forgotten. Where is all your power? It's mine now. Do you hear me? Take it away from me if you can. It's my turn now.

• Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : What are you doing here, sneaking around like a ghost?

  Grand Duke Peter : I hate my wife.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : You hate your wife? You've only been married for a week. Why? You'll make a fine emperor someday, you idiot. You don't even know that you can't force a woman to be sweet to you. She's only a child. Be patient with her. You know our people are waiting for you to raise a family. They don't care whether you like her or not.

  Grand Duke Peter : I don't want her.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : I picked her for your wife, and your wife she will remain as long as I live. Get that into your skull! You're man enough to manage your own affairs. I don't want to hear anymore about it. Do you understand me?

  [He kisses the hem of her skirt. She kicks him and leaves] 

• Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : What the devil do you mean, poking holes in my bedroom?

  Grand Duke Peter : I... I wanted to watch my wife.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : [She slaps him]  Watching your wife won't give you an heir to the throne. The next time I catch you providing my rooms with needless ventilation, I'll have you flogged. I'll catch my death of a draft someday! Now go back to your rooms and wait for your wife! Go on!

  [to Catherine] 

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : This is all your fault. I had hoped by bringing you to Russia to make a man of that half-wit!

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : I'm sorry to intrude, Your Imperial Majesty, but I think the grand duke dropped one of his soldiers in here.

  [Catherine hands her a toy soldier] 

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : Thank you. Good night.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : Wait a minute. Come here. How long have you been at this court, picking up soldiers?

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : Two years and a half, Your Imperial Majesty.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : I fail to recall your exact duties here, Countess Elizabeth.

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : I'm in charge of the entertainment for His Imperial Highness, the grand duke.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : And exactly how far is it to your home, Lizzie?

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : My ancestral home is in the province of Astrakhan, about two weeks' journey from Moscow.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : Not as far as I had hoped. I think His Imperial Highness has been entertained long enough. Do you understand me? I don't want to see you around here again. Now get out.

  [Countess Elizabeth exits] 

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : She won't snoop around here anymore. I should have thrown her out before I had you brought here. Come here, Catherine. Sit down. Haven't you given me trouble enough? Are you going to behave like an obedient wife, or must I continue to treat you like a stubborn child?

  Princess Sophia Frederica : I don't care what you do with me.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : You might change your mind about that. You're in love with His Excellency, Count Alexei, aren't you?

  Princess Sophia Frederica : No, Your Majesty, I'm not. I'm not.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : It's a good thing you're not. I wouldn't advise you to become my rival.

  Princess Sophia Frederica : Rival? What does Your Majesty mean?

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : You'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you can blow out the candles. Before you retire, you can be of one more service. Behind my mirror, a concealed passage will lead you down a flight of stairs to another door. Behind that door you will find someone waiting to come up. I don't want him to see you, so be careful.

  Princess Sophia Frederica : Good night, Your Majesty.

  Empress Elizabeth Petrovna : Good night, Catherine. And you don't need to report for duty until late tomorrow.

• Grand Duke Peter : I suppose you, too, want to congratulate as the father of the heir to the throne of Russia.

  Marquis de la Chetardie : That was my intention, Your Imperial Highness. And I bring you the felicitations of my nation, and my own personal congratulations on so glorious an event.

  Grand Duke Peter : Yes, I know. Tell me about it some other time. I want to be alone, do you hear? Get out, all of you! I'm crammed up to my neck with congratulations! Get out! And if you must congratulate someone, congratulate my wife!

• Grand Duke Peter : [Grand Duke Peter cuts off the head of a fair-haired doll]  What do you think of this decapitation?

  Princess Sophia Frederica : It would be more amusing if it were real. Where's your visitor?

  [Countess Elizabeth enters] 

  Princess Sophia Frederica : Oh, it's Lizzie. Is she in charge of your entertainment again? What will Her Majesty say?

  Grand Duke Peter : Her Majesty doesn't know anything about it, and I wouldn't advise you to tell her.

  Princess Sophia Frederica : I wouldn't dream of telling the empress anything. She has her own system of spies. Besides, not for the world would I interfere with your pleasures, as long as you don't interfere with mine. How is Astrakhan, Lizzie? Or was it Afghanistan?

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : If you're wise you'll find out for yourself before it's too late. There's some very comfortable convents along the way, and all you have to do to gain admission is shave your head. It's good for the scalp anyway.

  Princess Sophia Frederica : Entirely too many men love my hair. And I have no intention of changing my residence. Anyway, this country will soon need a new empress.

  Countess Elizabeth 'Lizzie' : You may as well know that Peter's going to marry me when the old bat dies and as soon as he gets rid of his present wife!

• Grand Duke Peter : I've had enough of this sanctimonious talk. Let us drink. Why doesn't he take up his collections in church? To the most charming woman in my empire, my friend, the countess Elizabeth.

  [the party stands. Catherine remains seated and sets aside her drinking glass] 

  Grand Duke Peter : Go ask Her Majesty, my wife, why she doesn't join our toast.

  Adjutant : His Majesty, the emperor of Russia, wishes me to ask why Her Majesty refuses to join the toast.

  Sophia's Aunt : Tell His Majesty that my thirst is not as great as his tonight.

  Adjutant : Her Majesty wishes me to convey to His Majesty that her thirst is not as great as his tonight.

  Grand Duke Peter : Go tell my wife she's a fool.

  Adjutant : His Majesty, the emperor of Russia, wishes me to inform Her Majesty that she is a fool.

  [Beneath the table, Catherine ties her napkin into a knot. She and Capt. Orloff rise from the table, and she takes his arm] 

  Grand Duke Peter : What is your rank, Orloff?

  Capt. Gregori Orloff : Captain, Your Majesty?

  Grand Duke Peter : Well, you're nothing now.

  [He strips decorations from Orloff's uniform and takes his sword] 

  Grand Duke Peter : Now get out, both of you, and stay out!

  [Catherine and Orloff depart] 

  Grand Duke Peter : Sit down. My wife is not to leave the palace. She's under arrest until further orders. Am I the emperor of Russia, or am I not? We'll issue a proclamation that she died...

  [He examines a knife] 

  Grand Duke Peter : and ask the people to pray for her.

  [He stabs an apple on the word "pray"] 

• Guard : Your Imperial Majesty, we're sorry to trouble you, but Her Majesty isn't in here, is she? She's no longer in her rooms.

  Grand Duke Peter : You infernal blockhead! This is the last place in the world she would come to. Double the guard! Surround the palace! Find her and bring her here to me!