Ulisse (1954)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Mario Camerini
(more)

Writers:

Franco Brusati (writer)
Mario Camerini (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

One of the greatest adventures of world literature! Packed with fury...excitement...cunning and tempestuous love!

Plot:

A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that talks about Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war. |

Plot Keywords:

Odyssey | Greek Mythology | Temptation | Revenge | Rivalry

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Ulysses
Silvana Mangano	...	Circe / Penelope
Anthony Quinn	...	Antinoos
Rossana Podestà	...	Nausicaa
Jacques Dumesnil	...	Alicinous
Daniel Ivernel	...	Euriloco
Sylvie	...	Euriclea
Franco Interlenghi	...	Telemachus
Elena Zareschi	...	Cassandra
Evi Maltagliati	...	Anticlea
Ludmilla Dudarova	...	Arete
Tania Weber	...	Eucalicanto
Piero Lulli	...	Achille
Ferruccio Stagni	...	Mentor
Alessandro Fersen	...	Diomede (as Alessandro Ferzen)
Oscar Andriani	...	Calops
Umberto Silvestri	...	Polifemo / Krakos
Gualtiero Tumiati	...	Laerte
Teresa Pellati	...	Melanto
Mario Feliciani	...	Eurimaco
Michele Riccardini	...	Leodes
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Aureli	...	(uncredited)
Andrea Bosic	...	Agamemnon (uncredited)
Walter Brandi	...	(uncredited)
Lucia Brusco	...	(uncredited)
Daniele Dentice	...	(uncredited)
Giovanni Di Benedetto	...	(uncredited)
Mirella Di Lauri	...	(uncredited)
Jenny Folchi	...	(uncredited)
Piero Ghione	...	(uncredited)
Sergio Giovannucci	...	(uncredited)
Ettore Jannetti	...	(uncredited)
Victor Ledda	...	(uncredited)
Alberto Lupo	...	(uncredited)
Enzo Maggio	...	(uncredited)
Renato Malavasi	...	(uncredited)
Piero Mastrocinque	...	(uncredited)
Carlo Mazzoni	...	(uncredited)
Vera Molnar	...	Girl (uncredited)
Claudio Morgan	...	(uncredited)
Corrado Nardi	...	(uncredited)
Piero Pastore	...	Leocrito (uncredited)
Massimo Pietrobon	...	(uncredited)
Aldo Pini	...	Polites (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	(uncredited)
Roberto Rai	...	(uncredited)
Amerigo Santarelli	...	(uncredited)
Goliarda Sapienza	...	(uncredited)
Gino Scotti	...	(uncredited)
Benito Stefanelli	...	(uncredited)
Edoardo Toniolo	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Camerini
Mario Bava		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Franco Brusati		writer
Mario Camerini		writer
Ennio De Concini		writer
Hugh Gray		writer
Ben Hecht		writer
Homer		poem
Ivo Perilli		writer
Irwin Shaw		writer

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Carlo Ponti	....	producer

Original Music by
Alessandro Cicognini

Cinematography by
Harold Rosson

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo

Production Design by
Flavio Mogherini

Set Decoration by
Andrea A. Tomassi

Costume Design by
Giulio Coltellacci
Mme. Gres

Makeup Department
Goffredo Rocchetti	....	makeup artist
Eugen Schüfftan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fernando Cinquini	....	production supervisor
Ralph Serpe	....	production supervisor
Bruno Todini	....	general manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ottorino Franco Bertolini	....	assistant director (as Ottorino Bertolini)
Guidarino Guidi	....	assistant director
Serge Vallin	....	assistant director

Art Department
Italo Tomassi	....	manager of art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mario Amari	....	sound mixer
Mario Morigi	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Eugen Schüfftan	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Parapetti	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
John Bridge	....	color consultant
Tatiana Casini Morigi	....	assistant editor (as Tatiana Casini)

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	musical director

Other crew
Lidia Simoneschi	....	voice dubbing: Silvana Mangano
Giovannella Zannoni	....	script supervisor
Georg Wilhelm Pabst	....	preparatory phases (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Lux Film

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Europa-Filmverleih AG (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Aquarius TV (2000) (Greece) (TV)
• Cinemax (Brazil) (video)
• UFA Video (1993) (Germany) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Loves and Adventures of Ulysses (UK) (poster title)
Ulysses (USA)

Runtime:

Germany:100 min | USA:94 min | Argentina:116 min | Italy:117 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Lux Film

Goofs:

Continuity: Ulysses, in beggar's disguise, is granted permission to draw the bow. As he takes it and moves to another spot to string it, a metal wristband suddenly materializes on his left arm where a few seconds before there was none.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Colgate Comedy Hour: (#5.37)" (1955)

OK As Entertainment But Not for Mythology Purists

As far as entertainment goes, this movie would rate an OK if there's nothing else better to watch on TV on a week night. But for mythology buffs like me, it would rate as so-so if not below average. It runs too short a time to portray Ulysses as the clever & resourceful man that he is supposed to be, and the role of the gods in his journeys, especially Athena his patron goddess is virtually non-existent. Also, Penelope (Silvana Mangano)should have been portrayed as a woman of strong character, steadfast in her belief that Ulysses might yet return & resolute in her refusal to give in to pressure by the suitors to choose a husband among them, not as a drama queen complete w/hysterics & crying. Telemachus is merely a babbling wimp in this movie & Nausicaa unfortunately depicted as a silly air-headed brat given to childish whims & fantasies. It's pretty obvious that whoever wrote the script based the dialogue on a comics or cartoon adaptation of Homer's Odyssey without actually having read the original text.