The movie's name was changed to "Downhill Racer" from that of its source, Oakley Hall's 1963 novel "The Downhill Racers." Though the two titles still remained quite similar to each other, the changed title works well for the movie. From the film's start, the title character is really in it for himself, and he is set apart from the other skiers by his bad attitude and singular skills.
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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Fan of Nicholas and Alexandra or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Nicholas and Alexandra
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The director Franklin J. Schaffner and Laurence Olivier (Count Witte) died only nine days apart: on July 2, 1989 and July 11, 1989 respectively. They also later collaborated in The Boys from Brazil (1978).
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The movie was a critical success, and got six Academy Award nominations, but it was a financial failure upon release.
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Ian Holm, Michael Redgrave, Jack Hawkins and Laurence Olivier all previously appeared in Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), in which Paul Daneman played Tsar Nicholas II.
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Laurence Olivier first suggested Tom Baker to be cast as Grigori Rasputin. Olivier was the director of the National Theatre in England; Baker was a member of the company.
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According to one White House source, then-U.S. President, Richard Nixon screened the film on Christmas Day, 1971. He wrote that the film did not meet his liking as it did for the director's previous film, Patton (1970).
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Richard Burton was offered the role of Czar Nicholas II. He declined due to personal problems.
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Marlon Brando was considered for the role of Grigori Rasputin.
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Highbrow Russian royals such as Nicholas' three then-surviving siblings: Xenia, Michael and Olga are never portrayed nor mentioned throughout the course of the events in the film. Michael should've gotten mentioned during the abdication scenes as he was next in line to the throne after Alexis.
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Liv Ullmann screen tested with Michael Jayston for the role of Alexandra.
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James Goldman also wrote the mini-series Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986).
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Russia's then-capital city, St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd after WWI began (largely because 'St. Petersburg' was considered too German and Germany became Russia's enemy in the war). However, in the film, the name 'Petrograd' is never mentioned, the city is still called 'St. Petersburg' by several characters (including government officials) in the time after the Great War began. (It's likely this fact was unbeknownst to the filmmakers).
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Grace Kelly was offered the role of Alexandra, but turned it down.
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Press reports during pre-production said that Rex Harrison and Vanessa Redgrave were to appear as the leads. However, a recent biography of Sam Spiegel stated that paperwork in an Israeli museum belonging to Spiegel shows that he never offered them the leads. He offered Harrison the role of Sergei Vitte (played by Laurence Olivier), but Harrison declined because it was too small.
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Michael Jayston strongly resembled Czar Nicholas II, but his voice is very different. Unlike Jayston's fast-spoken clipped speech, recordings of Nicholas' voice reveal that his speech was actually slow and gravelly.
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Despite the massive critical and box-office success of On the Waterfront (1954), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Columbia Pictures was reluctant to give Sam Spiegel the budget he needed due to a recent string of box-office failures, including The Chase (1966) and The Night of the Generals (1967).
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The character played by Curt Jurgens is Arthur Zimmermann, who was responsible for sending the Zimmermann Telegram which brought the United States into World War I.
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Nicholas and Alexandra - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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