Valley of the Kings (film)
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| Valley of the Kings | |
|---|---|
 Original French film poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Pirosh |
| Written by | Robert Pirosh Karl Tunberg C. W. Ceram (book) |
| Starring | Robert Taylor Eleanor Parker |
| Cinematography | Robert Surtees |
| Edited by | Harold F. Kress |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,065,000[1] |
| Box office | $3,305,000[1] |
Valley of the Kings is a 1954 Eastmancolor adventure film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was written and directed by Robert Pirosh from a screenplay by Robert Pirosh and Karl Tunberg, "suggested by historical data" in the book Gods, Graves and Scholars by C. W. Ceram. The music was by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography by Robert Surtees.
Cast
- Robert Taylor as Mark Brandon
- Eleanor Parker as Ann Barclay Mercedes
- Carlos Thompson as Philip Mercedes
- Kurt Kasznar as Hamed Backhour
- Victor Jory as Tuareg Chief
- Leon Askin as Valentine Arko
- Aldo Silvani as Father Anthimos
- Samia Gamal as Dancer
- Rushdy Abaza as Robed Man - Singer (uncredited)
- Leora Dana as Lovely Girl (uncredited)
- Frank de Kova as Akmed Salah - Nomad Guide (uncredited)
- Loutfi El Hakim as Workman (uncredited)
- Mahmoud El-Sabbaa as Guide in Luxor (uncredited)
- Dr. Tewfik Helmy as Antique Dealer (uncredited)
- David Leonard as Claudius (uncredited)
- Manuel Lopez as Arab Chanter (uncredited)
- Laurette Luez as Native Girl (uncredited)
- Sayed Mabrouk as Tuareg Leader (uncredited)
- Paul Maxey as Prior (uncredited)
- Joseph Mell as Antique Dealer (uncredited)
- Mahmud Shaikhaly as Robed Man (uncredited
Background
The title of the film refers to the valley on the west bank of the Nile River in Egypt, where the tombs of the Ancient Egyptian kings are located.
MGM bought the rights to the archaeology text Gods, Graves and Scholars for "protection purposes", as it contained a chapter titled "Robbers in the Valley of the Kings", which might have been seen as having influenced the film's script.
The film was shot on location in Cairo, Luxor, Faiyum, Suez, the Libyan Desert and at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Additional filming took place in El Segundo, California.
The role of Mark Brandon, played in the film by Robert Taylor, was originally offered to Vittorio Gassman.
The film's world premiere took place simultaneously on 21 July 1954 in Cairo and Alexandria (as well as New York City). It marked the first time an American film had a world premiere in Egypt.
The film shows the Abu Simbel temples as they had existed for 3000 years, just before they were relocated due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
Reception
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,591,000 in the US and Canada and $1,714,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $204,000.[1]
References
External links
- Valley of the Kings at IMDb
- Valley of the Kings at the TCM Movie Database
- Valley of the Kings at AllMovie
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