Quo Vadis (1951)

A fierce Roman general becomes infatuated with a beautiful Christian hostage and begins questioning the tyrannical leadership of the despot Emporer Nero.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay), S.N. Behrman (screenplay),

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Taylor	...	Marcus Vinicius
Deborah Kerr	...	Lygia
Leo Genn	...	Petronius
Peter Ustinov	...	Nero
Patricia Laffan	...	Poppaea
Finlay Currie	...	Peter
Abraham Sofaer	...	Paul
Marina Berti	...	Eunice
Buddy Baer	...	Ursus
Felix Aylmer	...	Plautius
Nora Swinburne	...	Pomponia
Ralph Truman	...	Tigellinus
Norman Wooland	...	Nerva
Peter Miles	...	Nazarius
Geoffrey Dunn	...	Terpnos

Storyline

Returning to Rome after 3 years in the field, General Marcus Vinicius meets Lygia and falls in love with her. She is a Christian and doesn't want to have anything to do with a warrior. Though she grew up Roman, the adopted daughter of a retired general, Lygia is technically a hostage of Rome. Marcus gets Emperor Nero to give her to him for services rendered

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Plot Keywords:

general | hostage | christian | nero | adopted daughter | 

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Taglines:

Colossal [Quo Vadis]

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quo Vadis?

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$7,623,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

171 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lygia and Ursus are from ancient Poland, which was called Lygia by the Romans.

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Goofs

At the time of Nero, the Vatican was home to a circus, not an apocalyptic cesspit as portrayed in the film. Scholars believe that Peter was most likely martyred as side entertainment during a chariot race, or similar event.

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Quotes

[on being told the Christians are being blamed for the burning of Rome]
Vinicius: The people won't believe such a lie!
Petronius: But they are believing it. People will believe any lie, if it is fantastic enough.

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Connections

Referenced in Please Sir! (1971)

User Reviews

Superb set and costume design. Ustinov outstanding.

I first saw this film as a re-run in 1964--on the big screen. Much is lost, I think, when viewing it on television. Peter Ustinov's portrayal of the emperor Nero raises the bar for anyone else who is ever cast as an unbalanced and corrupt Roman emperor. Certainly, we don't see this style or quality of acting in newer films such as "Gladiator." I focus on the "Nero" character more than others because Ustinov was truly able to get inside the role, and appeared to stay very focused. Robert Taylor was fine in the movie, but his role could have been handled by nearly any leading man of the time. Ditto for Deborah Kerr. The remaining cast was very, very good. The set designs and costumes were sheer artistry and the score was effective and complimentary. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in spectacles and studying fine acting techniques (i.e., Ustinov's).