Quo Vadis (1951)

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy
(more)

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay) and
S.N. Behrman (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 December 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Three Years in the Making! Thousands in the Cast! Filmed in Rome!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

General | Hostage | Christian | Nero | Adopted Daughter

Awards:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

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
Nicholas Hannen	...	Seneca
D.A. Clarke-Smith	...	Phaon (as D.A. Clarke - Smith)
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Acte
John Ruddock	...	Chilo
Arthur Walge	...	Croton
Elspeth March	...	Miriam
Strelsa Brown	...	Rufia
Alfredo Varelli	...	Lucan
Roberto Ottaviano	...	Flavius
William Tubbs	...	Anaxander
Pietro Tordi	...	Galba
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marika Aba	...	Dancer - Assyrian Dance at Nero's Banquet (uncredited)
Adriano Ambrogi	...	Wine Bibber (uncredited)
Anna Arena	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Alfred Baillou	...	Christian Prisoner in Arena (uncredited)
Giacomo Barnas	...	Senator (uncredited)
Scott R. Beal	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
John Binns	...	Officer (uncredited)
Francesca Biondi	...	Slave Girl (uncredited)
Alice Bishop	...	Serving Woman (uncredited)
Carlo Borelli	...	Noble (uncredited)
Leslie Bradley	...	Hasta - 2nd Praetorian (uncredited)
Alfred Brown	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Phyllis Brown	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Valentino Bruchi	...	Mirmillon (uncredited)
Rosemary Burt	...	Banquet Lady (uncredited)
Dante Ciriaci	...	Wine Bibber (uncredited)
Frank Colson	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Adrienne Corri	...	Young Christian Girl (uncredited)
Luca Cortese	...	Old Man (uncredited)
David Craig	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Maurice De Bosardi	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Daniel De Jonghe	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Michael De Krasny	...	Banquet Man (uncredited)
Liana Del Balzo	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Jack del Rio	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Lia Di Leo	...	Pedicurist (uncredited)
Eduardo Di Persis	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Mildred Dudzik	...	Girl (uncredited)
Gabriella Fabrizio	...	Child (uncredited)
Franco Fantasia	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Cesare Fasulo	...	Noble (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Enzo Fiermonte	...	Mounted Captain (uncredited)
Enrico Formichi	...	Man with Wine Cup (uncredited)
John Fostini	...	Young Unbaptized Man (uncredited)
Lydia Fostini	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Dino Galvani	...	Senator (uncredited)
Richard Garrick	...	Slave (uncredited)
Gianni Gazzoti	...	Lydia Guard (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Carlo Ghisini	...	Guard (uncredited)
Trudy Glassford	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Joan Griffiths	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Evelyn Guignard	...	Girl (uncredited)
Robin Hughes	...	Christ (voice) (uncredited)
Adam Jennette	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Philip Kieffer	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Gipsy Kiss	...	Slave Girl (uncredited)
Lee Kresel	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Richard Larke	...	Guard (uncredited)
Sophia Loren	...	Lygia's Slave (uncredited)
Giovanni Lovatelli	...	Banquet Man (uncredited)
Helena Makowska	...	Older Woman (uncredited)
Anna Mancini	...	Nubian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Clelia Matania	...	Parmenida (uncredited)
Richard McNamara	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Harriet Medin	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Dario Michaelis	...	Lydia Guard (uncredited)
Ernesto Morelli	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
John Myhers	...	Guard (uncredited)
Vincent Neptune	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Attillio Olivo	...	Servant (uncredited)
Riette Osborne	...	Banquet Lady (uncredited)
Anna Maria Padoan	...	Young Unbaptized Woman (uncredited)
Riccardo Pantellini	...	Guard (uncredited)
Louis Payne	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Walter Pidgeon	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Aldo Pini	...	Headkeeper (uncredited)
Alberto Plebani	...	Steward (uncredited)
Michael Proben	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Dino Raffaelli	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
George Restive	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Kenneth Richards	...	Guard (uncredited)
Alfredo Rizzo	...	Hairdresser (uncredited)
Giuseppe Rodi	...	Schipio (uncredited)
Leonardo Scavino	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Joseph Sebaroli	...	Marcus Guard (uncredited)
Alessandro Serbaroli	...	Officer (uncredited)
Jurek Shabelewski	...	Faun (uncredited)
John Sleeter	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Lujo Sostarich	...	Charon (uncredited)
Armando Spaccarelli	...	Guard (uncredited)
Bud Spencer	...	Imperial Guard (uncredited)
Jane Sprague	...	Banquet Lady (uncredited)
Raffaele Tana	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Christian Prisoner in Arena (uncredited)
William Taylor	...	Guard Captain / Marcus Guard (uncredited)
Michael Tor	...	Centurian (uncredited)
Giuseppe Tosi	...	Wrestler (uncredited)
Carlo Tricoli	...	Apostle (uncredited)
Renato Valente	...	Guard (uncredited)
Scilla Vannucci	...	White Slave Girl (uncredited)
Giuseppe Varni	...	Hairdresser (uncredited)
Dianora Veiga	...	Slave Girl (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Benjamin Wilkes	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Maria Zanoli	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Mervyn LeRoy
Anthony Mann		(uncredited)

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) and
S.N. Behrman		(screenplay) &
Sonya Levien		(screenplay)
Henryk Sienkiewicz		(novel)
Hugh Gray		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Sam Zimbalist	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
William V. Skall		(director of photography)
Robert Surtees		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters		(film editor)

Casting by
Mel Ballerino		(uncredited)
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
Cedric Gibbons
William A. Horning

Set Decoration by
Hugh Hunt
Elso Valentini		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy		(costumes: recreated by)

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles recreator
Joan Johnstone	....	hair styles recreator
Charles E. Parker	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Mack D'Agostino	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Henry Henigson	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bolton	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Sergio Leone	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Anthony Mann	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mentor Huebner	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Italo Tomassi	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor
Piero Cavazzuti	....	assistant soundman (uncredited)
Robert B. Lee	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (as A.Arnold Gillespie)
Tom Howard	....	special effects (as Thomas Howard)
Donald Jahraus	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Peter Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Fenton Hamilton	....	head electrician (uncredited)
Arthur Lemming	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Leo Monlon	....	grip (uncredited)
George Pink	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John Schmitz	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rino Guidi	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Herschel McCoy	....	costumes recreated by
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Hugh Gray	....	lyric compositions
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Eddie Frewin	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Hugh Gray	....	historical adviser
Henri Jaffa	....	Technicolor color consultant
Auriel Millos	....	choreography
Marta Obolensky	....	choreography
Howard Dietz	....	director of publicity (uncredited)
Ben Goetz	....	liaison: M-G-M British (uncredited)
Morgan Hudgins	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1976) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• ClassicLine (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (two disc special edition)
• Warner Bros. (2009) (UK) (all media)
• MGM Home Entertainment (????) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• MGM/UA Home Video  VHS package design
• The Philharmonia Orchestra of London  music performed by (uncredited)
• Turner Entertainment  DVD package design
• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design
• Turner Entertainment  current copyright proprietor
• Warner Bros. Entertainment  DVD package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

171 min | UK:166 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) (2009) | USA:Approved (PCA #15165) | UK:PG (tv rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Brazil:12 | South Korea:All | Ireland:PG | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The film does not cover the death of Paul although it is acknowledged to have been martyred in 67 A.D. It is unclear if he died the same day as Peter and there is disagreement whether he was beheaded or crucified. Unlike Peter, Paul was a Roman citizen and by law no citizen could be crucified.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie Petronius commits suicide in AD 64 in the wake of the burning of Rome. In fact Petronius did not fall from favor until 2 years later, was actually arrested by Tigellinus, and killed himself before being sentenced.

Quotes:

Vinicius:[contemptuously] These people know how to die, Nero. In death you will squeal like a pig!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Robert Taylor" (1962)

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).