Alexander the Great (1956)

An epic film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the macedonian king that united all ancient greek tribes and led them against the vast Persian Empire. Alexander conquered most of... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writer:

Robert Rossen

Stars:

Richard Burton, Fredric March, Claire Bloom

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Burton	...	Alexander
Fredric March	...	Philip of Macedonia
Claire Bloom	...	Barsine
Danielle Darrieux	...	Olympias
Barry Jones	...	Aristotle
Harry Andrews	...	Darius
Stanley Baker	...	Attalus
Niall MacGinnis	...	Parmenio (as Niall Macginnis)
Peter Cushing	...	General Memnon
Michael Hordern	...	Demosthenes
Marisa de Leza	...	Eurydice (as Marisa De Leza)
Gustavo Rojo	...	Cleitus
Rubén Rojo	...	Philotas (as Ruben Rojo)
Peter Wyngarde	...	Pausanias
Helmut Dantine	...	Nectenabus

Storyline

An epic film that follows the life of Alexander the Great, the macedonian king that united all ancient greek tribes and led them against the vast Persian Empire. Alexander conquered most of the then known world and created a greek empire that spanned all the way from the Balkans to India.

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Plot Keywords:

empire | persian | macedonian | king | epic | 

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Taglines:

The colossus who conquered the world!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1956 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Alexander den store

Filming Locations:

CEA Studios, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

C.B. Films S.A., Rossen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min 136 min (TCM print) 135 min (Turner Library Print)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helmut Dantine's role is dubbed by Christopher Lee (uncredited).

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Goofs

When the soldiers find Darius' chariot, there are dual cutting blades attached to the wheels. Seconds later, when the chariot is driven away, the blades are gone. Not enough time elapsed for the blades to be removed.

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Quotes

Nectenabus: There were signs of greatness at his birth! Quakes and storms shook the earth - and in the skies, a star fell... and two eagles perched upon the roof of the Queen's chamber. And in far-off Asia... the Temple of Ephesus was struck by lightning and burnt to the ground.
Philip of Macedonia: And how did you read these signs, soothsayer?
Nectenabus: The two eagles - that he was born to rule two worlds. The burning of the Temple - that a torch was kindled that day that would one day consume all the world. And this torch... your son.
Philip of Macedonia:
Olympias:

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Connections

Edited into Film socialisme (2010)

User Reviews

Too ambitious for a movie but fun for the Alexander fanatic!

As long as you don't mind the historical inaccuracies, this movie may prove helpful for the Alexander fanatic (like myself). After 1st seeing this film, I was horrified by the botch job that was done on the real Alexander story, but after forcing myself to sit through it a 2nd time I was able to lighten up a bit on the factual content, and just look for any great scenes that this film had to offer. Particularly, is the scene where Alexander goes to Athen's and the background shows a beautifully recreated shiny white Erectheon. Later, Alexander walks through the Parthenon...a dream scene of ancient history buffs everywhere. Another good scene was right before the Battle at the River Granicus. Here Alexander eyes his opponents on the opposite river bank, and comments on who will be the 1st to fall...Richard Burton did a great job in some scenes, but overall seemed to lack the charisma that exemplified Alexander. He has the look, but the British accent doesn't suit Alexander very well. I could go on, but really, see it yourself, or better yet, read "The Campaigns of Alexander" by Arrian, it is much more than any movie could ever be on this enigmatic historical figure.