The Night They Killed Rasputin

Fairly inaccurate biography of the rise and fall of the mad monk Rasputin (played with a certain amount of flair by Purdom), with specific concentration given to the several attempts on his life. Barrymore plays the heroic prince who lures the monk to his eventual, though almost comically difficult, doom. (Barrymore's father had played the same role in 1932.) Though the film was released in color in Europe, American theater prints are in black and white. For a closer look at the real story and terrific performances, see the French RASPUTIN, 1939, with Harry Baur playing the mad monk, and RASPUTIN AND THE EMPRESS, 1932, with Lionel Barrymore wildly essaying the role...