The Scarlet Empress is a 1934 historical drama film made by Paramount Pictures about the life of Catherine the Great (Catherine II). It was directed and produced by Josef von Sternberg, with Emanuel Cohen as executive producer, from a screenplay by Eleanor McGeary, based on the diary of Catherine II, arranged by Manuel Komroff. The film stars Marlene Dietrich as Catherine, with John Davis Lodge, Sam Jaffe, C. Aubrey Smith, Louise Dresser and Maria Riva. Dietrich's daughter Maria Riva (later known as Maria Sieber) plays Catherine as a child.

Young Princess Sophia of Germany is taken to Russia to marry the half-wit Grand Duke Peter, son of the Empress. The domineering Empress hopes to improve the royal blood line. Sophia doesn't like her husband, but she likes Russia, and is very fond of Russian soldiers. She dutifully produces a son -- of questionable fatherhood, but no one seems to mind that. After the old empress dies, Sophia engineers a coup d'etat with the aid of the military, does away with Peter, and becomes Catherine the Great. Written by John Oswalt