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Darryl F. Zanuck's much heralded multi-million dollar CinemaScope production, The Egyptian, will have its premiere on Blu-ray disc this week. The film was scheduled for release on DVD but until now was not available. The announcement that a Blu-ray was going to be released by Twilight Time has stirred excitement for film classic fans of all ages. The Twentieth Century-Fox picture, which brought to the screen for the first time the turbulent story
of an Egyptian era 14 centuries before Christ and had no precedent in the annals of Hollywood film making, has a star-studded
cast headed by Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Michael Wilding, Bella Darvi, Peter Ustinov and Edmund Purdom, The Egyptian" a production of Mika Waltari's world-famous best-selling novel, required more than two years of preparation before Zanuck was ready
to undertake the colossal task of putting the story on film. Since no picture had ever before been made of the era, the
documentation for the creation of the settings and 5,000,000 objects had to be researched from scratch for the 42 studio
departments involved in bringing this spectacular story to the screen. Literally thousands of household utensils used by
Egyptians 33 centuries ago had to be made, costumes were designed for every one of the more than 5,000 members of the cast
and jewelry and special money were created to give an authentic picture of the life of Pharaoh Akhnaton's era in Egypt.
Camera crews were sent to Egypt to film backgrounds in the lands of the Nile, and 67 different sets were built before a
camera turned. Among the elaborate sets were those of the fabulous throne room of the Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty the Temple
of Aton, the Valley of the Kings, the Thebes waterfront and the luxurious quarters of Nefer, the Babylonian temptress.
The writing of the script for The Egyptian required equally as much preparation as did the physical properties for the
production. After several months of conferences with screenwriters Philip Dunne and Casey Robinson on how to best convert
Waltari's basically narrative book into the dramatic form necessary for the screenplay, Zanuck decided on the device of tying
everything together into the central idea of man's search for truth. The basic ingredient of the fabulous story, both on the
screen and in the book, is the life story of one man, Sinuhe, the Egyptian, whose search for truth enmeshed him in war, love
affairs, world travel, murder and, eventually, spiritual peace. In relating this one career, The Egyptian tells of Sinuhe
(Edmund Purdom) and his three loves: his violent infatuation with Nefer, the Babylonian temptress, played by Bella Darvi; his
sharp and bitter love for the Princess Bake-tamon, characterized by Gene Tierney, who turns to Ilorem-heb, Victor Mature, in
revenge; and his full, requited love with the barmaid, Merit, played by Jean Simmons,
Rare advertising mat (left click to enlarge)
In bringing The Egyptian to the screen Director Michael Curtiz used seven stars, 24 featured players including Judith
Evelyn, Henry Daniell, John Carradine, Carl Benton Reid, Tommy Rettig and Anitra Stevens, 87 other players in speaking roles
and 5,000 extras. The picture was Zanuck's one personal production for 1954 and his first since The Snows of Kilimanjaro
over two years before. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy photographed it in color by De Luxe with CinemaScope cameras equipped with
newly-perfected lenses which provided added visual range, extraordinary depth of field, and greater clarity of image, making the
pictorial excellence of this epic production commensurate with the vast sweep and significance of the story. We'll discuss all of these subjects in the column ahead.
Mika Waltari's Masterpiece
For Mika Waltari, the Finnish playwright and novelist, The Egyptian brings to a stunning climax twenty years of
distinguished literary endeavor. Like the late Lloyd C. Douglas, author of The Robe, 46-year-old Helsinki-born Waltari
forsook the ministry for literature and, again like Douglas, his masterpiece was an essentially religious and humanistic book
welcomed throughout the world for its positive power to bring together in understanding peoples of all persuasions and nationalities.
After graduating from Helsinki University, where he earned an M.A. degree, Waltari worked as a translator, edited a leading
Finnish illustrated weekly, won the National Literary Prize of Finland in 1933 with The Orange Seed had
written 14 plays. In that year, still under strong religious influence, Waltari wrote his 15th play "Akhnaton" which had to
do with the zealous Pharaoh who lost his kingdom—and his life—for his belief in a single God. So engrossed did he become in
this period of Egyptian history that he used the research he had done on the play as the background for a novel which he
wrote in 1945.
Mika Waltari, Author of The Egyptian
Mika Waltari
We know that book as The Egyptian. It was an instantaneous success, selling more than 1,000,000 copies throughout Europe
where it was translated into eight languages. The tremendous job of boiling the monumental work down to one-third its
original length and translating it into English was undertaken by Naomi Walford. It was published in the United States by G.
P. Putham's Sons on August 9, 1949. It became a Book-of-the-Month Club selection and headed the best-seller lists for several
years. Current sales of the book in the United States have topped the 500,000 mark.
With the release of the multi-million dollar motion picture, the publishers brought out a hard-back reprint
edition which increased the sales by hundreds of thousands. In addition to its European translations, the book
was published in Mexico and Argentina, to make it a truly international success, a contemporary masterwork with the
power to inform, entertain, inspire and finally to uplift all who read it.
Mika Waltari
Michael Curtiz Director
The Egyptian marked the 25th anniversary of the
first professional association of Darryl F. Zanuck, the film's producer, and Michael Curtiz, its director.
Free after many years from contractual commitments at Warner Brothers, Curtiz accepted Zanuck's offer of the plum assignment
of directing his costliest and most ambitious venture. It was at Warner's 25
years earlier that Zanuck, then a screenwriter, and Director Curtiz first teamed, on a Dolores Costello starrer, The
Million Bid,on a budget of $90,000.
The film was an instant hit, running eight weeks in its first run at New York's Roxy Theater.
As Vice-President in Charge of Production at Twentieth Century-Fox, as well as his own producer on The Egyptian, Zanuck was
pleased to obtain Curtiz' services before the veteran film-man started a new contract at Paramount. "I can only say that
Zanuck always gives me the best," Curtiz stated. "I am proud to be directing his most important film to date."
Curtiz holds an Academy Award for his direction of Casablanca. His many other notable successes include Life With Father,Yankee Doodle Dandy and Irving Berlin's This Is the Army.
Director Michael Curtiz
Michael Curtiz
Darryl Zanuck: "Why I made The Egyptian."
In an interview for the press as the film was released, Studio Chief Darryl Zanuck sent out the following statements, this press release is presented here exactly as it read in the release:
"There have been plenty of instances where a book had to be revised before it was suitable for Hollywood's film industry, but
the making of The Egyptian is undoubtedly the first time in Hollywood history that the film industry had to undergo a
complete revolution before it was ready to dramatize a book on the screen.
As soon as I had read Mika Waltari's best-selling novel, I knew that it had to be made into a motion picture, and then for
two years after that I puzzled over how to do the book justice. The day I saw the first tests in CinemaScope and color by De Luxe, I knew that I had my answer. The new screen process would provide the awe & depth of feeling and the impact necessary to
transmit to audiences the meaning and social significance of Waltari's book. In addition to providing the means of filming
the full scope and pageantry of The Egyptian, CinemaScope revived the interest of the public in motion pictures and so made
it possible for Twentieth Century-Fox to invest five million dollars in the production of the film.
My decision to make the film my personal production for the year was strengthened by the realization that the book is a great
spiritual story. It is laid in the time of the Pharaoh Akhnaton, who thirteen centuries before Christ was fumbling toward the
idea of one living God, who was so advanced in his moral thinking that his religious song is a direct forebear of several of
the Psalms, and who is even believed by some, including Freud, to be the teacher of Moses. In many ways the gropings of this
greatest of the Pharaohs, who was the first man to say Love Thine Enemies, can be compared to the search of man today to
rediscover God.
Darryl Zanuck at his desk
Aside from the fascinating story of Akhnaton himself, people have always had a great interest in the area around the Nile,
possibly because Egypt is one of the great cradles of civilizations.
By making "The Egyptian," I saw an opportunity of bringing to life a colorful era from civilization's infancy which had never
before been filmed. But it would transcend being merely a "costume," "period" or "historical" picture to transmit Waltari's excellent human understanding of an Egyptian, as a man and the embodiment of the central idea of man's search for
truth.
So the basic ingredient of this invigorating story, both in the book and on the screen, is the life history of one man,
Sinuhe the Egyptian, whose search for truth enmeshed him in war, love affairs, world travel, murder, and, eventually,
spiritual peace.
Zanuck's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In relating this one career, however, The Egyptian is, in reality, five different stories. It is the story
of Sinuhe, the physician, who has the blood
of the pharaohs. It is the story of Sinuhe the orphan and his search for an answer to the troubles of man, an answer he finds
in the teachings of Akhnaton. It's the story of Sinuhe and his boyhood friend Horemheb, who follow different paths—one ending
with wisdom and the other with all earthly power. It's the story of the devotion of Sinuhe's thieving slave, Kaptah, to his
master. It is the story of the three loves of the man Sinuhe: his sharp and bitter love with the Princess Baketamon, his
violent infatuation with Nefer, the temptress and his full, requited love with Merit.
To assure the integrity of background that only authenticity can bring, twenty-odd museums the world over collaborated by
sending books, photos, and sketches showing exact dimensions of everything from the Temple of Aton to a physician's scalpel.
Tying together all of these factors into a vivid whole dramatized by an outstanding acting corps led by Jean Simmons, Victor
Mature, Gene Tierney, Michael Wilding, Bella Darvi, Peter Ustinov and Edmund Purdom in the title role, was the direction of
Michael Curtiz."
Darryl Zanuck
Ancient Civilization, The Life And Times Of Lost World were recreated.
All the glory of ancient Egypt, the mystery of the forbidden land of the Hittites, the decadence of Babylonia and the beauty
of Syria have been recreated by Twentieth Century-Fox. No greater challenge had ever confronted a filmmaker, for it invited the
monumental task of re-building an empire for which there is no precedent in motion picture annals at the time.
What was life like 33 centuries ago, when pagan Egypt flowered as the center of civilization? Why did Sinuhe, the Egyptian
physician whose story this is, believe that he would live eternally in mankind? Why was Akhnaton the first Pharaoh to discard
the tenet of his personal divinity, even renounce worship of numerous animal-headed god idols in favor of monotheism in its
first recorded appearance in the world? What did the Queen of Cities—Thebes of the Hundred Gates—look like? Who were the
women with the power to strike deep into the heart of this man of his time, The Egyptian?
It is on this epic scale that the great Finnish writer, Waltari, conceived this now legendary international success. One of
the most important works of our century, its filming demanded twofold purpose. It had to encompass the spectacle and
pageantry of a fabulous lost world, reaching back authentically across 33 centuries to record man's first fumbling conception
of a single living God, and at the same time tell the poignantly human and moving story of the everyday life, loves,
conflicts, greed, jealousies and hopes of the people of its time. To unify this view at once sweeping and intimate asked
vision, courage and inspiration.
German one-sheet poster
Danish one-sheet poster
Two years of research Authenticated Egypt Sets, Costumes
Front-page news and speculation on recent discoveries in Egypt had fostered an upsurge of unprecedented interest in the land
of the Nile which achieves its apex in The Egyptian. While archaeologists were bringing to light tantalizing new clues, new
discoveries and new mysteries at Giza and Saqqara surrounding the Pharaohs Cheops and Sankhet, relentless "diggings" were being carried out by hundreds of people thousands of miles away to breathe life into another moment in that ancient
civilization.
Hundreds of volumes on Egyptology, the Old Testament and the histories of Babylonia, Assyria and Crete were minutely
scrutinized to authenticate the era in Egyptian history which dominates the screen story of Mika Waltari's bestseller. Of
special significance were the contents and writings found in the tombs of the Pharaoh Akhnaton and that of his mother, Queen
Taia, who are both represented in key roles in the film drama. Such discoveries reveal the period to be one of the best documented eras of ancient times, making authentic reproduction
possible. Art directors Lyle Wheeler and George W. Davis collaborated with set designers Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox to
put dimension into the findings on the great Temples of Aton and Karnak, the "School of Life," the elaborate throne room and
palace quarters of the Pharaoh as well as the rutted streets of the once teeming city of Thebes, its waterfront huts and
taverns of the common people.
5,000,000 separate items, objects and costumes , most of which were built from scratch, filled the framework of the elaborate sets. The tombs
yielded the source from which could be copied every household and palace knickknack from Queen Nefertiti's strange crown to a
servant's sandal. Craftsmen fashioned the physician's tools, made musical instruments, sculptured statues of
the gods, built royal cosmetic chests and turned out hundreds of copper rings, the currency of the day. The Dowager Queen Taia
loved her beer, so beer mugs were made. Since her knowledge of tying fowler's knots has story importance, the elaborate slip
knot was worked out by Egyptologists advising the staff.
In a few instances a choice had to be made in favor of illusion over authenticity to avoid the ridiculous. Egyptians of 3300
years ago were rarely more than five feet tall; consequently, chariots, weapons and furniture were up-scaled in proportion to
the actors. Likewise, many of the modes, manners, and customs were softened to suit the sensibilities and the censors.
Zanuck wanted all props authentic
Egyptian chair detailed and recreated for the film
Charles Le Maire, wardrobe director, devised costumes of a transparency that approximated the sheerness of garments depicted
in the ancient friezes, but carried the intricate pleating shoulder-high even though research revealed that bare bosoms were
the accepted style and that the ladies accentuated the positive by outlining the veins in their chests with blue paint. If
they were of high station, they shaved their heads and wore wigs of red, blue or black. Men did the same because bald heads
were considered beautiful by the Egyptians of Akhnaton's era. In "The Egyptian" this practice of shaved heads was confined to
the high priests.
These evidences of staggering detail in production involving one of the largest payrolls ever
assigned to a single film at the time point up the perfectionism which has resulted not only in authenticity but in making The Egyptian
a film of unparalleled dramatic impact and epic beauty.
Age Of The Pharaohs Inspired New Styles
Spurred by the recent discoveries in Egypt, designers in Hollywood and Paris joined forces in promoting an elegant new
fashion trend inspired by the Pharaohs of Egypt. Foremost exponents of the Egyptian look were famed Paris couturier
Jean Desses and Charles Le-Maire, Oscar-winning stylist
and chief of wardrobe for Twentieth Century-Fox, who masterminded operations behind the authentic costumes seen in the film.
American buyers who went to Paris for the July openings, were the first to view the Egyptian look, dramatized in the
cascading pleats and clinging drapery of M. Desses' fall collection.
"Fashion is definitely turning toward Egypt," M. Desses stated. "The appeal of the new trend is that instead of concealment,
it tends to bring out the eternal feminine in every woman."
Speaking in Hollywood, Charles LeMaire announced that movie stars have had their Egyptian
costumes adapted into evening gowns.
"That does not mean that a woman has to look like a movie star to wear the Egyptian fashions," he added. "On the contrary, by
adhering to the basic lines of the body, they tend to flatter every woman."
Bella Darvi make-up test
Gene Tierney make-up test
Egyptian fashions aimed at easy wear and beauty. Models
worn by the Queen and Royal Princesses were often copied by Egyptian housewives.
For the production, Stylist LeMaire visited the Egyptian Wings at the Brooklyn, New York Metropolitan
and the Chicago Oriental Museums for data to insure authenticity in the costumes, jewelry, armor and headpieces worn by the
men and women in the days of Pharaoh Akhnaton in Egypt.
Materials were imported or specially woven and specially pleated in the fashion of that era. The transparency of some of the
fashions effected 33 centuries ago caused a momentary problem for the skilled designer, who promptly created an "invisible
foundation garment." The seamless underwear, made of net and molded to the body is the only answer, LeMaire declared, which
won't show bulges and seams under today's form fitting evening gowns or the transparent dresses worn by ancient Egyptian
women.
LeMaire thought his invisible underwear will halt the current trend to no underwear and, perhaps, save the lingerie business.
Costume Sketches by designer Adele Balkin
Costume Sketch for Merit (Jean Simmons)
The Egyptian set new fashion trends in clothes, jewelry and nail polish,
remarked Gene Tierney. Gene herself was having several evening gowns made by the studio's wardrobe designer, Mr. Charles LeMaire, who fashioned modernized versions of her costumes for her wardrobe.
"The jewelry LeMaire designed is out of this world, too," Gene went on, "but I think what women may copy most is the nail
polish idea to match or contrast with costumes."
Gene was wearing a finely pleated Egyptian gown of white and gold, with a sky blue sheer robe flowing from her shoulders. For
accent, she wore greenish-blue nail polish, which seemed a blend of the blue in her robe and the gold in her gown.
"Judith Evelyn as the Queen Mother Taia wears bright green
polish on her nails, and Bella Darvi, as 'Nefer' the exotic Babylonian charmer, wears gold and silver and cerise nail polish
with her costumes. They're amazingly effective, though of course they're too theatrical for any but dressy occasions."
Only Jean Simmons, of the feminine stars in The Egyptian remained undecorated with colorful make-up and polish. In Miss
Simmons' case, she plays a very poor barmaid, Gene explains, adding, "In those days class distinctions were so great no
servant or poor person dared to even approximate the fashion affectations of the rich. But nowadays, working girls are so
well dressed, you can't tell them from an heiress,certainly not by their nail polish!"
Costume Sketch for one of the litter-bearers
Costume Sketch for Akhnaton (Michael Wilding)
Actors had to be on set by 7 AM for make-up
What's Daring In Fashion '54 Would Be Dull To Old Egypt.
The modes and manners of 1954 including such items as the Bikini swim suit paled to Victorianism in contrast to what was
considered chic and hep in the days of the ancient Pharaohs.
With current interest turning once again to the Nile and its ancient civilization with news of recent discoveries and the
heralding of The Egyptian, fashion designers the world over were turning to the wall
paintings of the Pharaohs tombs for inspiration.
Charles Lemaire, celebrated designer who created the "authentic" wardrobes was the most concerned with 1950's modesty.
"Our problem here at the studio was to make the girls in the film look Egyptian, that is bared from the waist up and still
have clothes on," he said, "because, ironically, 1954 eyes aren't ready to look at 1500 B.C. styles."
And if the girls had money, they shaved their heads and wore elaborate wigs.
All of which were considered by LeMaire to be much too daring for today's moviegoers to adjust to seriously.
Consequently, an unblushing
dummy labeled "Little Egypt" was introduced into the designer's studio outfitted with an authentic Egyptian costume from
which LeMaire created more modest costumes for the cast. It is from
these costumes that some of the trends originated.
Writers and scorers worked in pairs on "The Egyptian"
So big a production was The Egyptian that it took many craftsmen working in pairs to bring it to the screen.
Working in two's were the screenwriters and musical scorers, a unique feat for all involved. Both Philip Dunne and Casey
Robinson, two of Hollywood's most distinguished scenarists, contributed to the screen play — their first such dual effort—and
Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann collaborated on the music, a new move for both.
Dunne said this procedure illustrated his theory that making a movie is rarely a solo trick, and that screen credits often
don't reflect who made what contribution to an overall project. "That brilliant line of dialog in a given film may have
been inserted by the director on the set, and that exquisite directorial touch typed into the script long before a director
was even assigned," he wrote recently on that subject in an article for the Screen Producers Guild Journal. "All we have to
do is learn to say 'we' instead of 'I.'"
Seven stars and a dozen important featured players adorn.
Bernard Herrmann, Composer
Alfred Newman, composer
Pharaohs'Tombs were raided To Verify Dance Steps
The very dance steps the Pharaohs of Egypt enjoyed were lifted from the walls of their tombs and put into motion. Stephen Papich who devised the choreography for several sequences in the CinemaScope production went to check with Miss
Richardson, the head of the studio's research division. It was
a day she would never forget.
"Stephen came into our sanctum and wanted to know if we had any books on the Egyptian dance during the period of our film,"
she related. "He explained that he had to create a dance to be done by a Nubian slave to entertain guests in the home of
Nefer, the Babylonian courtesan. Since the Egyptians depicted even their dance movements on the walls of their tombs and
temples, I had only to bring forth the books with illustrations reproducing these murals.
"Papich looked at the dance illustrations, promptly began to do each movement depicted, then right before my eyes, created
the basis for the dance he had to routine for Carmen De Lavallade in the film."
Jean Simmons
Talented and beautiful Jean Simmons preferred to leave the colorful antics of the Hollywood colony to the town's charming
extroverts and enjoy the benefits of a so-called lackluster life between her motion picture assignments. "I like to read of
the doings
of other players in the papers and sometimes I toy with the idea of emulating them, but then I get scared off," she
confesses.
This desire to seem exciting to herself undoubtedly explains her fondness for glamorous film roles, she thinks. Jean stars in the daring and exciting
role of a tavern maid who yearns after the physician hero in the shadow of more dazzling competition, and who finally accepts
and dies for the new religious concept of the Pharaoh Akhnaton who introduced for the first time into the history of mankind
the theory of one living God.
Jean Simmons at the 1955 Academy Awards
Jean Simmons publicity still
In contrast to Jean's appraisal of herself, other stars in the cast, among them Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Michael Wilding, Bella Darvi and Edmund Purdom, told of some colorful incidents in which Jean starred off-stage, like racing her Jaguar 135 miles per hour over the desert location area
just to see how fast it would go; doing a barefoot "Monroe walk" onto "The Egyptian" stage wearing a sheer dress of the 1350
B.C. era of the film's action, to name a few examples.
The British actress who was voted Britain's most popular star in 1950 and who was the winner of four international film
awards, winds up her third year in Hollywood with her role in The Egyptian. It was her appearance in a
successive string of the film capital's biggest pictures including The Robe and "Desiree," which formally
began a new contract with Twentieth Century-Fox.
In spite of Jean's unglamorous opinion of herself, her life seems anything but dull to her friends and film fans.
Publicity Still Edmund Purdom and Jean Simmons
Victor Mature
Victor Mature, through his successes as Demetrius in The Robe and its sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators, has
reached a new peak in his twelve-year career in motion pictures of the period, reversing the theory he expounded in both of these great
CinemaScope productions. The role was given to him after Marlon Brando turned it down, and Dirk Bogarde turned it down, stating he did not feel the part was right for him.
The reference is to his current role, as Horemheb, a famed general in the days of the great Pharaohs. As Horemheb, Mature is a warrior who puts
country above God. In his role as the Greek slave in Rome during the time of Christ, Mature was a man who put God above his
country and ruler.
Mature's assignment to the great cast was also the beginning point of a new seven year contract which Darryl F. Zanuck,
studio production chief, presented to him with the script adaptation of The Egyptian.
Victor Mature on the set
For all his physical prowess and seeming temperamental attributes, Vic was one of the few long-time stars who had never taken a
suspension or turned down a role. When quizzed about this he would just grin and say, "I like the money." For the majority of
his scenes, he wears a costume that zoomed his customary 195 pound weight to 275 pounds. The elegant trappings feature a
gold-studded leather royal doublet which weighed 65 pounds by itself. Added to this were head necklaces, bracelets and rings
as well as a crown and royal kilt of gold metal, all of which proved literally as well as figuratively Mature's summing up of
the part that he carried some very heavy weight in the film.
Michael Wilding
Michael Wilding won one of the most coveted screen roles of the year without even testing for it, although two score actors
had full CinemaScope dialogue tests for the part. The highly desired role was
that of the Pharaoh. Wilding, who enjoyed perhaps the juiciest characterization in the film, confessed his own surprise at the fateful
preliminaries. "I only made a test in the costume and make-up so they could see if I could look about the age of Purdom,
which I'm supposed to be in the picture. It seems incredible to me still that I was given the role," he frankly adds,
"because, of course, I'm 15 years older than Purdom."
What was most incredible to Wilding's beautiful wife, Elizabeth Taylor and to his agent, was his eagerness to do it.
Jean Simmons (left) and Michael Wilding welcome Wilding's wife Elizabeth Taylor to the set
"Elizabeth was in London making the 'Beau Brummell' film. I was in Paris where Darryl Zanuck sent me the script, and my
agent, of course, was in Hollywood. He was the most astonished man, he told me later, when I cabled him 'I'd like to do it.' He was so astounded, it put him back a week.
"They knew it was a wonderfully interesting part, but what floored them was my eagerness, because I'm forever trying to get
out of everything offered me. I'm the laziest man alive."
The role was enough of a challenge and puzzle to carry him along. It is based on an historic personage who lived some 33
centuries ago and who is probably one of history's most complex personalities. He was a sort of Christ, who despite his
illness of epilepsy and his belief in one God which was believed by his contemporaries to be a symptom of madness, had a
curious dignity at all times. The startling thing was that the Weaker he grew physically, the stronger he seemed because of
his belief, with the tragedy of it all being that his pacific preachings plunged Egypt into war.
Michael Wilding Studio Shot
Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney has the sexiest face in Hollywood."
So asserted famed Yugoslav-American artist Yucca Salamunich viewing the lovely star as she performed before the CinemaScope
cameras for the first time. Salamunich, who had sculpted such film faces as those of Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, and the late John Barrymore, not to
mention notables in other fields such as the late Franklin Roosevelt, composer Jan Sibelius and H. L. Mencken, had not
sculpted the head of the star, but admits she's the girl he would like most to model.
Gene Tierney Publicity Still
Gene Tierney on the set
"She has international appeal," he explains. "Miss Tieney's high cheekbones, her wide but slanting green eyes, her
beautifully molded lips, the curve of her chin and the nobility of her brow are so ensembled they combine serenity with passion, and the effect on the beholder is very basic."
The artist was quite unaware at the moment that Gene has proved her "internationally" ten times over on the screen. Aside
from her many American girl portrayals, she has played a Polynesian, a Eurasian, an Arabian, a Chinese, an Englishwoman, an
Italian, a French girl, an Argentine girl, a Russian and now, an Egyptian princess in the days of the great Pharaohs.
Although Salamunich admitted he had read that the actress might wind up a real-life princess as the wife of Aly Khan, he had
this to say about her many screen guises that "it proves what I have always felt about her—Miss Tierney has sex appeal in any
language."
Publicity Still of Gene Tierney
Bella Darvi
Polish-born, French-reared Bella Darvi possesses a certain enigmatic quality that won her one of the most coveted screen
roles for actresses this year. She portrays the Babylonian courtesan, Nefer, the Egyptian word for "beautiful. One of the most exciting screen personalities to be discovered at the time, according to Fox, Miss Darvi compares with Marlene
Dietrich in the mystery of her exotically beautiful and extremely reserved personality that never discloses what she is
thinking or feeling, or what she might do next. Edmund Purdom, the physician who sacrifices even the
immortal souls of his parents to the whim of this enchantress. Bella makes it believable that men could become so spellbound,
so consumed with passion that nothing else exists for them.
The flat planes of Bella's face are highly photogenic and her features are linear and clear. Her blue-hazel eyes are set in a
faintly Oriental slant; her nose is regular and her mouth, filled with remarkably strong and perfect white teeth, is
generous.
Publicity Still Bella Darvi
Publicity Still 2 Bella Darvi
Of all the glamorous women (Jean Simmons, Gene Tierney) who appear in The Egyptian, Bella had the most revealing, most
exquisite costumes—creations of molten gold, diaphanous blues and whites; blue and red wigs considered the height of
fashion 33 centuries ago; and all the other artifices of the period including rare oil and perfume baths, the use of blue or
ruby nail-lacquer and exquisite jeweled ornaments.
The young actress was thrilled to be "playing a bad girl—because it allows one a wonderful chance to act." She was the heroine
in her other film, Hell and High Water, opposite Richard Widmark, and next did the only feminine role in Kirk
Douglas' The Racers. For months, Marilyn Monroe lobbied for part, but Fox felt her unfit at the time and Ms Darvi was also strongly set in the mind of Zanuck. Soon Marilyn's career would collapse.
Bella Darvi
In ancient Egypt it was no insult to call a woman a cat. In fact the goddess of love was symbolized as a cat.
A tantalizing explanation for this symbolic connection is scored by one of the several beautiful stars who appear in the film. Bella Darvi, who was seldom if ever shown in the film footage without her pet feline, tells her latest love victim: "The
goddess of love takes the form of a cat because a cat's paws are soft, but they hide claws. A cat takes pleasure in
tormenting its victims. Not until the creature is nearly dead will it show pity— and put an end to it."
Miss Darvi, Hollywood's most exotic importation since Mar-lene Dietrich, portrays the Babylonian temptress in the screen
version of Mika Waltari's bestseller for whose favors princes paid a fortune in the pagan city of Thebes during the days of
the great Pharaohs.
Gene Tierney, who shares stellar honors with Bella in the all-star cast, is the scheming "Princess Baketamon," who symbolizes
her devotion to the goddess Bast by always appearing with her two pet leopards.
Both beauties are fiercely sensuous women who do not like the milquetoast quality in their pets any better than they do in
their men.
Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov, who co-stars in
The Egyptian was a successful actor at the time,
playwright, screen writer, producer and director, and has even made a phonograph record in which he alone imitates a male
quartet and full orchestra.
The only conspicuous failure in his life has been his inability to play the flute because of an unusually protuberant upper
lip. And so it was decreed by the powers-that-be at Twentieth Century-Fox that the six-foot 200-pound actor should play an
Egyptian flute in his role as the wily and captivating slave, Kaptah, in The Egyptian.
The technical advisor signed to teach Ustinov to play the reed instrument preferred not to give his name. That kind of pupil,
he explained, would not do his reputation any good.
"Shall we just say, in all kindness, that Mr. Ustinov's protuberant upper lip will continue to make flute-playing the only
conspicuous failure of his life," said the famous but anonymous flute artist. Then he added:
"But his attempt at playing was ideal for his role. He was supposed to be enchanted with his own playing, and to disenchant
others. The actors who fled from the sounds he made didn't have to act."
Peter Ustinov
On the set Peter Ustinov with Tommy Rettig
Edmund Purdom
Edmund Purdom, was a Hollywood unknown a year before The Egyptian was made.
His first lucky break came when MGM signed him to replace the temperamental Mario Lanza in The Student Prince. His
elevation to top star in The Egyptian, also came as a replacement, this time for Marlon Brando, who suddenly walked out of
the key role.
Purdom was of French-Irish-Spanish-English descent. He was born in England in 1927 and educated
in a Benedictine monastery and a Jesuit College. Young Purdom was drawn to the footlights before completing college, but was
interrupted by a stint in
the army during World War II. On his discharge in 1948, he appeared at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, acting with top
stars like John Gielgud.
Purdom attracted Hollywood motion picture offers when he came to New York with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in "Caesar
and Cleopatra" and Antony and Cleopatra. First M-G-M gave him a minor role in Julius Caesar, then Fox parried with a
similar assignment in Titanic. After Titanic came the Mario Lanza blow-up. The actor was so enthusiastic about the
possibilities he sent his agent out in search of other temperamental actors he can replace. He was given the best roles that way. He was given the role after Farley Granger turned it down.
Edmund Purdom publicity still
Edmund Purdom on the set
It's still the same old story for doctors whether they lived 33 centuries ago or practice today when it comes to being paid
for
their services, Edmund Purdom discovered when studying his role. Purdom pointed out that physicians throughout history have accepted whatever patients had in lieu of money for their services.
Everything from bread to sheep to household treasures have been traded for needed medical services throughout time.
In the title role, the actor himself gets one of the most fateful trades in recorded history. In exchange for performing a
skull operation on the
Hittite General, he asks in payment only the officer's iron sword.
Iron, at that time unknown in 1350 B.C. Egypt or the rest of the world, was comparable in impact to the atomic discoveries of
today.
"I, or rather, the character I play, literally started the iron age," said Purdom who, in the film, brings it back to his
native Egypt where he proves its worth to the Egyptian General (Victor Mature) by cleaving the latter's copper sword with his iron
one as cleanly as paper is sheared by steel scissors today.
"Since I've been out here," the English-born actor went on, "I've also heard a great deal about what doctors have done in the
way of 'trading' here. They've done operations for artists in exchange for paintings and sculptures; given professional
services for everything from car and home repairs."
As a matter of fact, Purdom's interest in the character of The Egyptian, who prefers to administer to the poor rather than
the royalty of the Pharaoh's court, is more than a little colored by one present-day Hollywood doctor. He is the kindly
physician who filled Purdom, his wife and newborn baby with
vitamins, tonics and shots to counteract the family's starvation period when the actor was looking for work, justifying his
generosity by saying the medicines were "free samples."
When good fortune put Purdom in the star rank with Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Michael Wilding,
Bella Darvi and Peter Ustinov, one thing is sure: the actor would repay this
doctor not with a Thespian performance but strictly hard cash and plenty of appreciation.
The Egyptian' presented new perfection of CinemaScope
The Egyptian was the first
important motion picture conceived along spectacular lines to reveal the breath-taking results of CinemaScope's advancing
techniques.
In a little more than a year since CinemaScope was introduced with The Robe and revolutionized the standards of the motion
picture industry, added values were brought to the anamorphic wide-screen process. The optical firm of Bausch and Lomb
improved on the original lenses of Professor Henri Chretien, inventor of the anamorphic process, and developed a series of
camera lenses that give CinemaScope greater flexibility, range and depth.
These newly-perfected lenses were used to photograph The Egyptian and they gave to the production a greater clarity of
image and a new sense of intensified audience participation than had heretofore been achieved. They opened up new vistas of
entertainment for the public with better relative definition over the entire surface of the large screen. With the new lenses
the cinematographer has greater maneuverability for his cameras to give finer pictorial qualities and the director wider
latitude in which to achieve added dramatic values. CinemaScope, which achieved instant public acceptance when it was
introduced, allowed for greater entertainment values.
In addition to The Egyptian, many other top attractions came later from Twentieth Century-Fox in the months ahead, all
reflecting the advancing techniques of CinemaScope. Among them are Woman's World, with Clifton
Webb, June Allyson, Cornel Wilde, Fred MacMurray, Lauren Bacall, Van Heflin and Arlene Dahl; Oscar Hammerstein's Broadway
hit, Carmen Jones; Marlon Brando as Napoleon and Jean Simmons in Desiree, also starring Merle Oberon and Michael Rennie.
Also, Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business, Fox's most costly musical at the time, starring Ethel Merman,
Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe. We will cover more on the Cinemascope process in an upcoming column devoted to the first Cinemascope film, The Robe
Production Notes
Production began on the third of March 1954 and took two months. This may seem like a rather quick production time, but the crew worked around the clock, and the cast had 12-14 hour days. This time element does not include post-production. Consulted about the time period and backgrounds, Prince Aly Khan, son of Aga Khan III, the head of the Ismaill Muslims, was very interested in the project and offered his services. He was a socalite, jockey and enjoyed raising horses, but when the offer of consultation came along to help with the film, he jumped at the opportunity. The Prince was the third husband of Rita Hayworth. He later served as Pakistan's representative to the United Nations and became president of the General Assembly. In 1972, he was in a major car accident which took his life and his remains were sent to Damascus, Syria.
Due to the time restraints of post-production, the job of composing the score actually went to two of Hollywood's best, Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann. Newman later stated that he enjoyed working with Herrmann, but really would have preferred the opportunity of composing the entire score. Allowing two top composers to work on one film was extremely rare at the time, and Fox was so thrilled with the results that they actually promoted the fact in music shops around the world. In fact, after the project was completed, Fox Chairman Zannuck admitted to the press how impressed he was with the emotional and epic score, and how well it was brought together by two of the greatest film composers.
The Egyptian was all filmed in California, in Red Rock Canyon State Park and Death Valley as well as at the studio. The cost of the sets was huge and took months to build. After their use, Fox would sell many pieces of the sets to Paramount Pictures for use in The Ten Commandments. For instance, the Hittite Princes sword is seen in The Ten Commandments on one of the Egyptian Royal guards played by Clint Walker. Several thousand other pieces were later used for Cleopatra.
Original Lobby Card set, 1954 (left click to enlarge)
Promotion
The 20th Century Fox promotion and merchandising department was put into full use when it began time to promote The Egyptian. Darryl F. Zanuck would personally oversee all aspects of promoting the film. One of the main aspects of promotion was fashion. Fox worked with many different companies to set some style trends that would be a mixture of ancient Egypt and modern 1950's. Sally Victor, who was famous at the time for millinery designs, featured in her fall showings a series of hats inspired by the film. They were prominently displayed in her New York locations. Another New York fashion couturier-milliner was "Mr. John," who conducted with the help of the Fox costume department displayed hats and fashions in special fashion shows, some of which took place in Minneapolis and San Francisco. On display at these events were also some of the original costumes from the film, which was something that was always, and still is, of interest to the public. His creations included "Red Sea," a sculptured evening helmet of ostrich feathers; "Theban," a cocktail coif fashioned of Ibis Blue paradise feathers and "Jet Lotus," an evening creation fashioned of pure silk jersey and covered in lotus blossoms.
Nettie Rosenstein, a very famous dress establishment, created a collection of twelve dress and coat modes. They were promoted through fashion shows, magazine, newspaper and television advertisements. Some of the names of the color line were "Kingdom Red," "Egyptian Leopard," a fitted coat of stenciled leopard pattern, and "Nubian," an afternoon dress with the characteristic white collar worn by the Nubian drummers and "Double Crown," an afternoon dress with semi-circular cut-outs below the neckline , named for the double crown of the Pharaohs. The line would go on to sell well for the company. The Admark Designs company of Philadelphia designed a collection of scarab jewelry that was first introduced at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on August 8, 1954. One Thousand of their stores would display and sell the jewelry. John Norman, an important New York designer, incorporated into his fall collection of lingerie including gowns, shortie gowns, and lounging pajamas. Jo Copeland, another important designer, created four evening gowns to coincide with the fall release of the film. Noted California designer Marusia created a white evening gown embroidered in coral raffia and rhinestone and called them "Royal Pharaoh," inspired by the ceremonial robes of the Pharaoh Akhnaton. Exotic Egyptian make-up was introduced by Elizabeth Arden including a special hairstyle, eye make-up, Egyptian colors in cosmetics and Egyptian care items for the skin and face.
Fox sent out United States tour trucks, which contained relics and pieces from the film, the trucks were specially covered with The Egyptian artwork on the Fox lot (see above photo). Travel agencies were working with Fox to promote special tours of Egypt that read, "See Egypt as it was and as it is in The Egyptian. Mika Waltari's book was re-released with new artwork and was promoted as a book-of-the-month club choice. The book publisher sent out promotional displays to 1800 retailers across the country, many of which were featured in store windows. Fox also worked with magazines to promote the film. Seventeen, Look, Good Housekeeping, American Weekly, Vogue and others all not only contained advertisements but feature stories. Fox also had two television spots, one 30 seconds and one 60 seconds running. Radio spots were airing on stations across the nation. These campaigns were available from Fox and were sent as 10-inch 78rpm records and included interviews, sound trailers and sound cuts from the film. In theater lobbies, records were sent containing sound effects that concentrated on music, areal effects from Egypt and sound bites from the film.
Various soundtrack and music recordings
Release
The Egyptian was released on August 24, 1954 by 20th Century Fox in 35mm Cinemascope 2:55:1 in 4-track magnetic stereo in New York and on September 1 in Hollywood.. In the United States the film earned rentals of $4,567,000, but with overseas boxoffice the film turned a profit. Spectacles and epics were popular in other countries at the time, and like The Robe, people around the world had an interest in The Egyptian. The movie did go on to win a Golden Globe for most promising newcomer, Bella Darvi, and was nominated for Best Cinematography.
Final Thoughts
The Egyptian has never been released on DVD, and new label Twilight Time is releasing the film on DVD and Blu-ray with a limited run of 3,000 copies, available from Screen Archives online. Twilight Time is the brain child of Nick Redman and Brian Jamieson. You may learn more about them in the Blu-ray.com exclusive interview located here. It's a great interview by Jeffrey Kauffman. I talked with Mr. Redman, who informed me that this transfer was done at Lowry Digital in 2010. He told me that he feels this transfer is, in his opinion, "In every way comparable to the work done on The Robe. He told me that the film was to be released on DVD in 2005 but those plans fell through at Fox and Twilight Time was offered either the 2005 transfer (which was when the commentary track that will be included was recorded) or the 2010 transfer, and so they decided to release a Blu-ray along with the DVD with such a beautiful transfer (2010 version) available. This new 2010 master was done for a Blu-ray release, and contains a directional stereo 5.1 lossless mix, and the isolated score is in lossless 2.0 stereo. With success of this title, we hope Twilight Time will consider Blu-ray pressings of all of the Fox titles it has licensed. Therefore, I cannot express how important it is for all classic fans to order a copy and support classic movies on Blu-ray.
The graphics contained in this column are the property of Blu-ray.com, the collection of Robert Siegel and the respective film companies. Permission must be granted for their use in any form.
For discussion on this and other Silver Screen columns, see The Silver Screen forum thread Here
absolutely fantastic look at the production of this film!
dang, where do you find all this stuff?
got my copy yesterday, and am so excited to watch it.
god I REALLY hope TT releases as many Fox bds as possible.
that would be beyond amazing.
there are very few cinemascope films in b&w.
The Longest Day is one, but I can't think of any more off the top of my head.
for people wondering what this bd looks like--think "The Ten Commandments" blu-ray.
has a very similar look and feel.
I watched only an hour so far, and it looks absolutely STUNNING!
Despite the high cost it should be noted there appear to be no cations for the hearing impaired or to help the millions to whom English is a second language. This is deeply disappointing as captions are just so easy and cheap to add these days.
totally agree.
TT must not let that happen again.
it's just inexcusable for such a premium blu-ray.
if there is one valid complaint about this release, the total lack of subs is it for sure.
Kudos for another exhaustive, informative, and entertaining report, but I must take strong exception to descriptions of this film as a "classic" (unless "classic" simply refers to anything that is old). It was a potboiler in its day--a spectacular potboiler, to be sure, but a potboiler nevertheless--and it remains a dull and plodding clunker, interminably slow and long and saturated with campy performances and laughable dialogue.
In a perfect world, "classic" would be used sparingly, only for the truly great and memorable films of the past. But in our world where everything is inflated and hyped...well, enough soapbox oratory.
Robert Siegel responded: I ask readers to take into consideration that what you are reading in my column is not a review of the film or it's disc release, in fact very seldom do I make a comment on whether the film was good or bad. The column is designed to express how the film was made, and some of the material is taken in part from studio publicity information that was released at the time. Is it overhype? To those who didn't like the film, possibly, and to those who really liked it, no. I leave that part up to the reader. Personally, after watching it for the first time last night, I very much enjoyed it. Thank you for reading the column.
Yet another OUTSTANDING entry in "The Silver Screen" series!! I would have to agree with 24framesasecond that this Zanuck Biblical epic is not a *true* classic compared with, say, the more famous DeMille Biblical epics. However, it is a Cinemascope epic and as such deserves the complete restoration and BR release that it received.
FYI, the disc is an LE of 3000 and priced @ $39.99, available exclusively at Screen Archives Entertainment ( screenarchives.com ). Unfortunately, that price point will dissuade many from purchasing it, including myself. Perhaps SAE can negotiate with Fox so that the disc can be re-released (by Fox) at a more reasonable price?
@24framespersecond---totally agree; it may be an amazing looking cinemascope epic, but as a film it just isn't nearly as good as I think everyone wishes it were. The fact that it hasn't ever even been released by Fox on dvd in the US should be a pretty strong indicator of how "classic" it really is. Again, it's great it has been released on this amazing bd no doubt, but as much as I love classic films, a lot of it has been even tough for me to wade through. it's so clunky and sophomoric in many ways, but the sets, costumes, and actors are enough to keep me interested. It really is astounding to think they spent 2 years getting ready to even start filming.
it's a shame they couldn't have spent as much time working on the script.
I suppose you have to be a bit in love with 50's ancient world epics (I am), but I think this is a classic. I must have first seen it on our little b/w telly in the late 50's & fell in love with it then. Those amazing visuals, the music, the almost strangeness of it. This, Helen Of Troy & Land Of The Pharaohs are my three favorites. They seem to have lost the art of making these films if the dismal Troy is anything to go by (I didn't think much of Gladiator either).
The run is only 3000 units? WTH! Are they deliberately restricting supply to drive up the price to $40? ultra-pessimistic about sales? not enough cash to fund a decent sized run? What's going on here? 3000 barely counts as niche appeal.
I dropped 40 bones on a film I have never seen in hopes that Screen Archives will be able to get more old films to release on blu that the studios would never bother to.
I want to support old films on Blu (I've prob. bought about 85% of releases pre-1980) but I don't want to encourage these guys to pursue a lame business model. Why not get the volumes up and unit costs down exactly as Blu Underground, Severin, Synapse, Criterion, even Midnight Legacy have successfully done?
It will HURT classic film to keep it a $40-a-title elitist product that only 3000 people can watch. It's a virtue of digital video that it can be CHEAP and accessible when correctly business-managed. (I was able to pick up The Robe for $22.) I think they need to be a bit gutsier so they can reach the "mainstream" classic film buff willing to spend up- to say $30. (Price point of Blue Underground and many other indy niche titles.)
@ Teazle - The point is Twilight ISN'T Kino or Blue Underground. This is their very first Blu-ray, and they have to start somewhere. 3k copies @$40 will net them a whole $120k, so obviously they are a small outfit. After being available to pre-order for a month and now in the first week of release they've only sold around 1600, so I'd say they judged demand about right. I bought a copy to support them and encourage them to bring more lost gems to Blu-ray.
This looks like a superb transfer (same restoration team as The Robe), but as already noted $40 is awfully steep and I suspect it is a region-locked release.
I understand it's NOT region locked. $40 is damn steep, I usually won't pay more than £10 (& most of the time more like £8), but I can make the very odd exeption.
THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS COLUMN . WHERE YOU GET ALL YOUR INFORMATION IS AMAZING. HAVING RESTORED "THE ROBE " AND "THE EGYPTIAN " IWOULD HOPE FOX WILL RESTORE AND PRESENT ON BLU RAY "DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS"
I received my copy of THE EGYPTIAN from Twilight on Monday. It is an excellent blu-ray release as others have noted.
I, too, was not happy to pay 40 bucks for a film that I like but don't love. But I did it (and I'm glad!) to promote the release of more of these classics from an era of major change in motion picture presentations.
Let's hope that the success (and I'm sure it is!) Twilight has with this release will prompt more of the same!
Thanks everyone for reading my column. There's been quite a bit of discussion about the price of the disc here. What you have to keep in mind is that Twilight Time is leasing this film from 20th Century Fox, who, from what I hear, spent good money on the gorgeous transfer. It's much more expensive to resore a 1950's film (with stereo sound) than it is to release a new movie. Fox needs to make some money on this. In their defense, Twilight Time has to pay for pressing (Blu-ray costs much more than DVD), packaging and leasing it, and I would assume Screen Archives takes a small bit as well for distributing it. By the time these costs are taken into account, I really don't believe Twilight Time is making a fortune or "taking" the consumer. Plus, you are not getting a 2nd rate master here like some of the other 2nd-tier labels, you are getting a fully restored (by the studio) version, with a DTS MA track and commentary and even a DTS lossless isolated score track.
One must also take into account that Fox only licensed 3,000 copies to Twilight Time, and were it not for them, we would probably not have this film on Blu-ray at all. For that, I am most grateful to them.
I watched it last night and personally I really enjoyed it. I feel my money was well spent.
When you consider that only 3,000 copies were being made, $40.00 per copy is a realistic price for the low production number (this is elementary economics, y'all!). After all, we're not dealing with mass culture icons Star Wars or Lord of the Rings here. Maybe if these 3,000 copies sell quickly and there's high demand for more, Twilight will hopefully order another production run.
Another brilliant Siegel piece. In all honesty, I won't be picking this one up, but you can't expect to get all of them. I'll keep supporting this series by considering them for purchase after the extensive read.
If someone were to bake just half a dozen cookies and sell them to a niche of cookie addicts for $10 each, you would NOT say "The small batch size excuses it; he has to heat a whole oven for just 6 cookies" or "Give the guy a break; this is entry level baking and he has to start somewhere". You'd probably say: Even entry level baking should be managed better than this; there are more than 6 cookie addicts in the world; it's a mistake to purchase flour and licence the recipe for only 6 cookies -- this is not mere small scale baking, it's bad small scale economics. I may still buy The Egyptian, under protest, in the hope that Twilight Time can sort this out in future (just like the other indies have done) once they stump up the cash to licence a run > 3000. Though there prob. won't be any copies left by the time I get round to placing my order. In the end I want more of these titles just like everyone else. OK I've said my piece.
Seriously no sub-titles? I am sorry but you tend to need them with older titles...I like to see if what I am hearing is correct. I would have bought this title for the crazy price if they had sub-titles...too back for them.
@ Robert Siegel I'm in complete agreement w/ Lino11 that this is yet another truly outstanding column of yours. I stated that previously, but the "second time around" doesn't hurt, right? Thanks for clearing up Twilight's reasoning behind the pricing model. The costs to release a BR title with even a half-baked restoration (the new Animal House disc being a popular example that immediately comes to mind) can be tremendous, so the pricing and quantity are quite understandable.
I had guessed there was some sort of licensing arrangement w/ Fox, however I couldn't (and still don't) understand why Fox didn't release the title itself. Perhaps the sales of their other Biblical epic titles aren't up to par? I've no idea. Regardless, I must give kudos where kudos are due. Twilight, thank you for all the effort you put into releasing this disc.
I don't want to get into an argument, but this is not elementary economics.
Fox has a tradition of providing many independent publishers with stellar masters, and none of them have ever sold them for $40. If a small French company like Carlotta could locally produce less than 3000 copies of the Borzage films (Lucky Star, etc. which were all restored by Fox) at less than $20, then I don't understand how Twilight can justify such a high price -- and without subtitles at that.
Bought it... watched it... loved it. I am very happy with my purchase of "The Egyptian". Thank you Robert for another outstanding look into film history. Your insight and comments are amazing.... thank you.
"The Egyptian" is a classic to many of us. It's one of the better epics of the 1950s and features some of the most stunning cinematography, art direction and costumes ever created for a film. The cast is uniformly fine, with some standout performances. Among them is Michael Wilding as Akhnaton who has one of filmdom's most memorable and moving monologues near the end of the film. And then there's that phenomenal film score by Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann...stunning, thrilling, invigorating, lush, alluring and mesmerizing. And totally appropriate.
"The Egyptian" did not make back its money in 1954 (although I think its many video incarnations have probably made up for that). To call it a "potboiler" is, I think, very harsh. It's a vastly entertaining film. The screenplay is literate, especially compared to other epics of the day. There is humor....and there is depth. It's a thinking man's epic which, IMO, was a bit over the heads of audiences (and critics) of its day. This film has survived the decades by picking up new fans every time it gets shown.
It's not "Ben-Hur", but it's very good. And its assets well outweigh its debits.
We don't know the economics of this release. Was the lease price exorbitant but paid because a fan of the movie wanted to see it released? Are 50's epics still selling poorly as many older movies transferred to blu-ray have in the past? Does Twilight Time need the cash to cover the rights for the next film it wants to release and this is its most viable option to cover costs?
It's a boutique title for a boutique publisher. Would it sell 6,000 copies at $20? Probably not. This is probably near the sweet spot for this type of release. If you think the price is too high, don't buy it. 3,000 other people probably will, meaning that your decision not to purchase does not affect anyone but yourself.
I decided to buy this and judge for myself. The "shipping & handling" charge of $ 4.35, I consider exorbitant, especially in the light of the top $$ charged. I must however, compliment Twilight Time on their speed in processing & shipping the order. I placed it on 7/13 and just received it today, 7/16. I will watch it and then post a review.
The description is incorrect regarding it's claim as 'not available since VHS'. The title was released on Laserdisc from Fox at one point in the 90's. The cost was $70.
I just ordered it; I'm an addict that orders movies faster than I can watch'em. I have a stack of 26 new BD's sitting by ready to be watched for the first time. I hope to see more older movies released on blu-ray but I can't afford to keep up if there's always gonna be a steep price.
Glad you folks are excited about this release. The movie itself, while pleasant looking is slow and quite boring in spots with a less than stellar script. I'm not beating it up just to do so, but simply to inform. Those of you on the fence (particularly those complaining about the price) can live without this title.
arisdisc is correct re: laserdisc release of The Egyptian. All the early CBS/Fox widescreen laserdiscs were non-anamorphic, with little or no restoration, yet were expensive--$69.99 SRP, generally. Later, Fox improved the product and dropped the price to the standard laserdisc SRP of $39.99
<<there are very few cinemascope films in b&w.>>
well, that's not true at all. I'm sure if someone were to take the time to do the research, they'd come up with at least 20-30 titles that are. (I can think of 8 off the top of my head). B&W was still used a lot in the early-mid 50's. Cinemascope was just an icing on the cake for those particular titles.
I didn't know that Marlon Brando was originally cast in the film. Edmund Purdom was okay in the role, but Brando-at least a Brando that cared-would have been great. That must have nearly killed it when he walked away from the project.
I'am a fan of the early 20th. Century-Fox CinemaScope pictures. I have been waiting years for , The Egyptian and it has finally arrived and on Blu-Ray. I will support Twilight Time. I would hope to see more classic features from the vaults of Twentieth Century-Fox. I would hope that we will also get a Blu-Ray version of, Demetrius and the Gladiators, especially now that , The Robe is available on Blu-Ray. Also, I would like to see the likes of, Untamed, Desiree, The Rains of Ranchipur, Boy on a Dolphin , King of the Khyber Rifles, Night People, and Womans World. Hopefully , Desiree, Untamed, King of the Khyber Rifles, Boy on a Dolphin, and Rains of Ranchipur in a Blu-Ray version, as they have gorgeous costumes and settings. All were produced in 4 track stereophonic sound. I know , as I saw them when they were in their first run releases. Thumbs up to Twilight Time for their gorgeous, The Egyptian Blu-Ray.
I would be willing to pay $40.00 for any other Blu-Ray release. And to name a few, Desiree, Untamed, King of the Khyber Rifles, The Rains of Ranchipur, Boy On A Dolphin, Prince Valiant, and Demetrius And The Gladiators. I would be willing to pay for any of these titles, as they are worth it. Especially since the quality of, The Egyptian is so good. These days deep catalog titles are far and few between. We need to see more of them. I love my Blu-Ray copy of, The Egyptian!
Reality Check Time for those of you who think $40 is "outrageous". As Robert clearly explained, Fox only licensed 3,000 copies to be pressed and sold. That's it. Twilight Time has invested its own money in making this unique blu-ray available to the general public. I don't know their business model, but it's probably fair to assume that they are not exactly striking gold with this release. I'll get worried about undue gouging when I hear about their new private jet. Come on, people, the folks at Twilight Time obviously have a passion for movies, and are doing their best to bring some of these otherwise-unavailable titles to market. You don't wanna pay, fine; but please stop the whining. I well remember the the days of laserdiscs, when many of us routinely paid $30-$40 (or more) for movies that oftentimes were not even widescreen, let alone anamorphic and hi-def. We should all count our blessings that Fox is willing to make such a program available, and that a relatively small firm like Twilight Time is willing to risk capital to make it happen. Ask yourselves this, "Would you rather NOT have this amazing consumer opportunity?"
I have the UK , Prince Valiant and it looks good, but it isn't from a restored print. I like it, but would like to see arestored Blu-Ray from Twilight Time and Fox like, The Egyptian. I would also like to see , Beneath the 12-Mile Reef come out in an anamorphic Blu-Ray version. Also a Blu-Ray version of, There's No Business Like Show Business. Reef has a great score by Bernard Herrmann and the music costumes and sets in Show Business are fabolus. I hope Fox will eventually release , The King and I, Carousel, and Oklahoma in Blu-Ray versions.
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Top reviewer
Thanks for clearing up Twilight's reasoning behind the pricing model. The costs to release a BR title with even a half-baked restoration (the new Animal House disc being a popular example that immediately comes to mind) can be tremendous, so the pricing and quantity are quite understandable.
