In 18th century Russia, the naive and idealistic lieutenant Chernov meets Empress Catherine the Great who becomes infatuated with him and appoints him Chief of the Imperial Guard.
In 18th century Russia, a naive and idealistic lieutenant, Alexei Chernoff, deserts his unit and rushes to the Imperial Palace to warn Empress Catherine the Great of great dangers. Lieutenant Chernoff's fiancée, Countess Anna, is one of the ladies-in-waiting of the Empress. Upon forcing his way into the palace, lieutenant Chernoff meets Chancellor Nicolai Iiyitch who promises to convey his warning to the Empress but Chernoff wants to meet the Empress in person. His fiancée is also surprised to see Chernoff inside the palace. After Chernoff finally meets the Empress, he's mesmerized by her personality and swears to give his life to protect her. Catherine is impressed by his sense of sacrifice, innocence, sincerity, loyalty and also by his good looks. Infatuated with him, she makes him her boy-toy, to Anna's dismay. Overnight, Chernoff is appointed Chief of the Imperial Guard and his rank is raised to captain, to major, or to colonel, according to Empress Catherine's romantic mood.—nufs68
The demanding and iron-fisted Russian Czarina Catherine the Great (Tallulah Bankhead) has a domestic dispute with her latest lover Variatinsky (Donald Douglas) which countess Anna Jaschikoff (Anne Baxter), the Czarina's confidante and lady-in-waiting, gleefully reports to Chancellor Nicolai Ilyitch (Charles Coburn). When Catherine discards her latest lover, Variatinsky, commander of the palace guard, he responds by attempting to shoot himself, though he missesThe Russian palace is full of intriguers, With Variatinsky out, General Michael Ronsky (Sig Ruman) schemes to install his oafish nephew Boris Negitin (Grady Sutton) as commander of the palace guard and overthrow Catherine in a military coup.Devoted Chancellor Nicolai Ilyitch conducts delicate negotiations for a treaty with France while surreptitiously stealing from the Imperial treasuries. Chancellor Nicolai orders Balakov to make sure that no one beyond the Ambassador and himself spend any time with the Czarina. However, a determined young Lieutenant, Alexei Chernoff (William Eythe), coincidentally Jaschikoff's fiancé, insists on an audience with Catherine after riding for three days and storming past palace security at the east gate to speak to her.Chancellor Nicolai is determined to conclude the Russo-French treaty by receiving the Marquis de Fleury, the French Ambassador (Vincent Price). The Marquis has been delayed two days because of his fascination with a Polish dancer named Olga Polanska. Nicolai instructs the Marquis to escort Czarina Catherine to a state dinner. Just as the Marquis is about to meet Catherine, Chernoff barges his way into to room with his message for the Czarina. He tries to bribe the Chancellor for a meeting when Anna enters and is delighted to see her fiancé. When the castle guards appear, Anna apologizes for Chernoff's rude behavior. Her relationship with the Chancellor keeps any further harm from befalling Chernoff.Chancellor Nicolai Ilyitch greets Catherine appealing to her sense of vanity. She is in a foul mood and is aware of Ilyitch's pilfering of state funds. However, she determines Ilyitch is irreplaceable. Catherine notices a man in uniform standing on the roof. Ilyitch and Catherine discuss the need to annex the Crimea peninsula. Catherine, however, detests war.Alexei Chernoff barges in interrupting their conversation. Chernoff comes bearing news of the rebellion of two of her top generals, which comes as no surprise to the Czarina or to Chancellor Nicolai, who has already made an "arrangement". Ilyitch reports they made a deal bribing each general separately that ended with each killing the other. Catherine, however, takes a liking to the heroic and handsome patriot noting his stamina in riding three straight days to warn her and hardly looking fatigued.Countess Anna Jaschikoff, the Czarina's confidante, enters bring the Czarina a book by Voltaire to be reading when greeting the French Ambassador. The Czarina counts on Anna to help her navigate the social aspects of court life. The Czarina rewards the handsome Lieutenant for his loyalty, promoting him to Captain and asking him to prepare a report on his troops on the Western front which he will present to the Czarina at 10:00 p.m. Smitten with Chernoff, Catherine then cancels the reception for the French Ambassador.The Chancellor tries to offer advice how to handle the Czarina, but Alexei insists that he insists on delivering a 35-page report on all that is wrong with Russia. When he enters the Czarina's chambers for their prearranged night meeting, the Czarina takes little interest in Alexei's report but wants to know Alexei personally. When she uncovers that Alexei is in love, she advises the new captain to return to the Western garrison. However, the Czarina reverses course when she learns that the Chancellor has already offered Alexei a half dozen horses from the Czarina's stable for his return. Catherine believes that the Chancellor is trying to not only dominate the government, but her life as well. As the night progresses Catherine promote Alexei to major. With much bravado, Alexei swears his loyalty to defending the Czarina. For this, Catherine insists on kissing Alexei. Alexei becomes emboldened, but instead of a romantic pursuit, Alexei uses the opportunity to deliver his report to Catherine what is all wrong with Russia.Chancellor Ilyitch makes Ronsky aware that he knows about his nascent rebellion. Alexei Chernoff has quickly risen to rank of colonel and commander of the palace guard. Chernoff receives Ronsky as he awakens on a new guest suite. Ronsky tries to impress Chernoff with his familiarity with Alexei's father when Alexei is summoned by Catherine. Alexei enters the Czarina's chambers where Anna is waiting. Anna berates Alexei for becoming Catherine's latest toy wasting his promising military career to become a puppet. When Catherine enters and Anna has departed, Alexei approaches Catherine about returning to the field claiming he is a different type of soldier. Based on Chernoff's report, Catherine suggests that Alexei has become her advisor and takes a newfound interest in the peasants of Russia which Alexei claims are the backbone of the nation. Inspired, Alexei agrees to stay on in the palace.Catherine begins to investigate who is putting the reformist thoughts in Chernoff's head. First, she orders the Chancellor to report on Alexei's conversations and whereabouts. However, the commander of the east gate reveals that Chernoff's fiancé is among the palace court. Catherine calls for Anna. The Czarina tells her assistant that she looks pale and needs a long vacation at home visiting her mother. An argument ensues. Anna insists on staying reminding the Czarina that she is 37 and Chernoff is 24. Countess Jaschikoff is infuriated with Catherine's seduction and takes her anger out on Catherine personally with a barrage of insults. Catherine demands Anna beg for forgiveness before she decides Anna's fate.Catherine turns to Alexei as her advisor, inquiring what she should do with someone who insulted the Czarina of Russia. Alexei, not realizing it is Anna, suggests punishment up to torture and death. When Catherine introduces Alexei to the defiant Anna as the accused, Alexei pleads for leniency and tells Anna she must be out of her mind. Catherine decides to banish Anna to her home, doing exactly as she first intended. Anna breaks off her relationship with Alexei. When Alexei returns to Catherine, he finds Catherine has fainted and is lying on the floor.
Chancellor Nicolai, who has become outraged at now General Chernoff's reformist proposals, attempts to resign, but is compelled to stay on by Catherine, who ensures him that she is not taking Chernoff seriously as an advisor leaving Chernoff's latest edict in the trash basket.Elsewhere, Chernoff is being courted by Ronsky and the rebellious generals. They delight in the stories that Chernoff tells. They wish to use Chernoff's position to ensure that the palace guard does not put up any physical resistance to their forces as they attempt to take over the palace. To drive a wedge between Chernoff and Catherine, Ronsky introduces Chernoff to Variatinsky, who informs Chernoff in private of his intimate knowledge of Catherine. Chernoff attacks Variatinsky furiously.Alexei hurries to Catherine begs her to say that Variatinsky was lying, but the Czarina candidly confirms his claims and describes Chernoff as a "nobody" who she "made" prominent. Catherine is upset with Alexei who has created a scandal but values his loyalty and awards him the order of the golden bear. As they converse, Chernoff finds one of his edicts in the trash basket. Catherine lets it slip that she has been discarding Chernoff's policy plans considering him unfit to run a country. Alexei becomes even more furious. Catherine dismisses Chernoff to his quarters demanding an apology in the morning.Instead, Chernoff returns to Ronsky and pledges his support to the military revolution. When Chernoff leaves, Chancellor Nicolai appears seeking who is to be the new czar. Catherine's sleep is disturbed by footsteps. When she goes to investigate, she finds Alexei standing guard at her door. Eventually, Alexei reveals the revolution plans. Catherine discovers her guard and staff are absent from the palace. Chernoff has dismissed the palace guard and arrests the Czarina personally. Catherine fears she will be killed, but Alexei has claimed her as his spoils from the revolution and promises to send her off to live an isolated life. As the rebels approach, Catherine falls to her knees and pleads Alexei for her life.Troops do storm the palace but they are loyal to Catherine. Chernoff is placed under arrest. The Chancellor has leveraged his illicit control of Russia's finances for the allegiance of the rebels and then immediately betrayed them. The uprising is quelled. Ronsky is made Chancellor Nicolai's servant.Countess Jaschikoff, who has returned from exile to plead for Alexei but upsets the Czarina that Anna is banished all the way to the Crimea Peninsula which Russia does not yet possess. When Anna sees Alexei in the hallway being escorted by guards, she admits to him that though she came to beg for him. However, when she saw Catherine, her mind left her body and she threw something at the Czarina instead.A betrayed Catherine sentences Chernoff to death, a condemnation he readily accepts as a traitor. Catherine is very hesitant to carry out the sentence seeking Alexei to give her a reason not to do so.Finally, Catherine and the French Ambassador conduct their long-delayed meeting. The diplomat, himself a young and handsome nobleman, greets Catherine with such obsequious flattery that the Czarina takes up a romantic interest in him. Catherine tears up the death warrant for Alexei and tells Nicolai he can chose to do whatever he wants with Anna Jaschikoff. Chancellor Nicolai leaves Catherine and the Ambassador to flirt in privacy, confident that a relationship between the two will lead to the alliance for which he has long schemed.
