Also known as ‘When Richard met Elizabeth,’ the film signalled the start of what was the sixties equivalent of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie drama, although much more ‘on, off, on again’.
Second director Joseph L Mankiewicz was sacked and then re-hired when it was decided to re-do the battle scenes in Almeria, although, of the famous couple, only Richard Burton was needed for that, the rest of the film having originally been filmed in Italy, Egypt and London, where bad weather and trade unions stopped play on numerous occasions.
The scene where Anthony confronts Octavian’s legions was made at Las Salinas, Cabo de Gata, whereas the Rambla de Tabernas was used to represent Philipi and the scene where Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus.
The Alcazaba palace of Almeria was used as Anthony’s headquarters at Tarsus, and a full shot of the castle is seen just after the death of Cassius, and after Cleopatra has insisted that Anthony needs her.