Legend of the Lost (1957)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Ben Hecht (writer)
Robert Presnell Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

17 December 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

Wayne Tangles with Loren...In the Adventure that's Hotter than 1000 Suns !

Plot:

American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take Paul Bonnard on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Treasure | Lost City | Sahara | Prostitute

Cast

John Wayne	...	Joe January
Sophia Loren	...	Dita
Rossano Brazzi	...	Paul Bonnard
Kurt Kasznar	...	Prefect Dukas
Sonia Moser	...	Girl
Angela Portaluri	...	Girl
Ibrahim El Hadish	...	Galli Galli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marsha Hunt	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ben Hecht		writer
Robert Presnell Jr.		writer (as Robert Presnell)

Produced by
Henry Hathaway	....	producer

Original Music by
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino		(as A.F. Lavagnino)

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Bert Bates

Art Direction by
Alfred Ybarra

Set Decoration by
Alfred Ybarra		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Gaia Romanini

Makeup Department
Web Overlander	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Nate H. Edwards	....	production manager
Gordon B. Forbes	....	unit production manager
Franco Magli	....	production manager: Italy

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Lenzi	....	assistant director
Edward Morey Jr.	....	assistant director

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

Sound Department
John K. Kean	....	sound (as John Kean)
Wally Milner	....	sound (as W.H. Milner)

Stunts
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack N. Young	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino	....	conductor (as A.F. Lavagnino)

Other crew
Gina Guglielmotti	....	script supervisor (as Nenetta Guglielmotti)
Enrico Moscatelli	....	technical consultant

Production Companies

• Batjac Productions
• Dear Film Produzione (in association with)

Distributors

• United Artists (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• United Artists (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Unidear  music published by

Also Known As:

Timbuctù (Italy)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #18842) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Batjac Productions

Trivia:

John Wayne broke his leg during filming.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wayne and Loren are wandering across the wasteland of sand, there are clearly footprints where there shouldn't be.

Quotes:

Dita: You never kissed me like thatt before.
Joe January: I always meant to.

One of My Favorite All Time Films

I first saw this film on television as a kid in the 1960s and loved it. I have seen it many times since, and am now blessed to watch it on DVD in wide screen on an LCD display, and I continue to enjoy it. Okay, it has some corny lines, and Sophia is just too beautiful... but more than that, this film tells a wonderful story of broken promises, hidden agendas, and betrayal from others we believed were above reproach... and there is some terrific character development in the dialog, I feel I know these people. For me, it is one of the most atmospheric films I have come to know. I feel the hot Sahara sun in that Lybian desert, the wind blowing sand in my face, the coolness of the water in the oasis, and the quiet beauty of a desert twilight. This film is haunting to me... and it is one of my very favorites.