Spartacus (1960)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
Howard Fast (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

7 October 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

They trained him to kill for their pleasure. . .but they trained him a little too well. . .

Plot:

The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire.

Plot Keywords:

Slave | Spartacus | Freedom | Italy | Senator

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Spartacus
Laurence Olivier	...	Marcus Licinius Crassus
Jean Simmons	...	Varinia
Charles Laughton	...	Sempronius Gracchus
Peter Ustinov	...	Lentulus Batiatus
John Gavin	...	Julius Caesar
Nina Foch	...	Helena Glabrus
John Ireland	...	Crixus
Herbert Lom	...	Tigranes Levantus
John Dall	...	Marcus Publius Glabrus
Charles McGraw	...	Marcellus
Joanna Barnes	...	Claudia Marius
Harold J. Stone	...	David
Woody Strode	...	Draba
Peter Brocco	...	Ramon
Paul Lambert	...	Gannicus
Robert J. Wilke	...	Guard Captain
Nick Dennis	...	Dionysius (as Nicholas Dennis)
John Hoyt	...	Caius
Frederick Worlock	...	Laelius (as Frederic Worlock)
Tony Curtis	...	Antoninus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Batanides	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Bill Blackburn	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Buff Brady	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Rudy Bukich	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Fimbria (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Al Carmichael	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Guard (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	...	Christian Girl (uncredited)
Tony Dante	...	Roman Solider / Christian Solider (uncredited)
Ted de Corsia	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Terence de Marney	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
Johnny Duncan	...	Beheaded Man (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	(uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Salt Mine Slave / Gladiator / Slave General (uncredited)
Charlotte Fletcher	...	Mother with Child (uncredited)
Robert Fuller	...	Extra (uncredited)
Seamon Glass	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Joe Gold	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Slave (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Slave Leader (uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Otho (uncredited)
Brad Harris	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Slave (uncredited)
Joe Haworth	...	Marius (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Metallius (uncredited)
Manuel Herreros	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Hallene Hill	...	Beggar Woman (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Slave Leader (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Loren Janes	...	Salt Mine Slave / Gladiator / Slave General (uncredited)
Jil Jarmyn	...	Julia (uncredited)
Valley Keene	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Roman Senator (uncredited)
George Kennedy	...	Rebel Soldier (uncredited)
Aron Kincaid	...	Crassus' Standard-Bearer (uncredited)
Irvin 'Zabo' Koszewski	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	...	Guard (uncredited)
Dayton Lummis	...	Symmachus (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Gordon Mitchell	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	...	Galeno (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Slave (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Guard (uncredited)
Regis Parton	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Leonard Penn	...	Garrison Officer (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Slave Leader (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Bill Raisch	...	Soldier Whose Arm is Hacked Off (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Slave (uncredited)
George Robotham	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Autumn Russell	...	Slave Girl (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Charles Schaeffer	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Jim Sears	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Jo Summers	...	Slave Girl (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Trainer (uncredited)
Louise Vincent	...	Slave at Gracchus' Home (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Herald (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick

Writing credits
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay)
Howard Fast		(novel)
Calder Willingham		(battle scenes) uncredited
Peter Ustinov		uncredited

Produced by
Kirk Douglas	....	executive producer
James C. Katz	....	reconstruction and restoration produced by (1991 restoration)
Edward Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Lawrence
Irving Lerner		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Alexander Golitzen

Art Direction by
Eric Orbom

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Julia Heron

Costume Design by
Valles
William Ware Theiss		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Kirk Douglas (uncredited)

Production Management
Norman Deming	....	unit production manager
Eduardo García Maroto	....	unit production manager: Spain (uncredited)
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marshall Green	....	assistant director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director
Foster H. Phinney	....	assistant director (as Foster Phinney)
Charles Scott	....	assistant director
James Welch	....	assistant director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Irving Lerner	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	third assistant director (uncredited in original version)
Robert Webb	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	supervising re-recording mixer (1991 restoration)
James Bolt	....	re-recording mixer (1991 restoration)
Joel Fein	....	re-recording mixer (1991 restoration)
Mark Gordon	....	sound effects editor (1991 restoration)
David W. Gray	....	Dolby consultant (1991 restoration) (as David Gray)
Gib Jaffe	....	sound effects editor (1991 restoration) (as Gibb Jaffe)
Joe Lapis	....	sound
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist (1991 restoration)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Karin Roulo	....	foley mixer (1991 restoration)
Murray Spivack	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jack Foley	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Steve Kohler	....	foley recordist (1991 restoration) (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Wah Chang	....	creator: forced perspective figures (uncredited)
Don Sahlin	....	crew: forced perspective figures (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Paul Rutan Jr.	....	manager of optical operations (1991 restoration)
Peter Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Russell Lawson	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt coordinator
Ray Austin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Benson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norman Bishop	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Bruggeman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ron Burke	....	stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Brad Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Michael Masters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Miles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Schaeffer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Don Turner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Red West	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Fortenberry Jr.	....	camera operator (1991 restoration)
Bob Rose	....	additional grip
John Rupkalvis	....	camera operator (1991 restoration)
Clifford Stine	....	cinematographer: additional scenes
William Read Woodfield	....	still photographer
George Dye	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Michael P. Joyce	....	film loader (uncredited)
Harry L. Wolf	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Thomas	....	costumes: Miss Simmons
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Fred A. Chulack	....	assistant film editor (as Fred Chulack)
Robert Lawrence	....	editorial consultant (1991 restoration)
David Orr	....	color timer (1991 restoration)
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter (1991 restoration)
Robert Schulte	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor
Joseph Gershenson	....	score co-conductor
Alex North	....	conductor
Arnold Schwarzwald	....	music editor
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Samuel Matlovsky	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	design consultant
Robert A. Harris	....	reconstructed and restored by (1991 restoration)
Michael Hyatt	....	production assistant (1991 restoration) (as Mike Hyatt)
Stan Margulies	....	production aide
Vittorio Nino Novarese	....	historical and technical advisor
Bob Larson	....	executive in charge of production: Bryna Productions (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bryna Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Bio-Kuva (1962) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Väinän Filmi (1968) (Finland) (theatrical) (70 mm print)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CIC Video (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (restored version)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• CIC Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD) (restored) (uncut)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1964) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1968) (Sweden) (theatrical) (70 mm)
• Universal Film (1962) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (HD DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (50th Anniversary Edition)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Costumi d'Arte  wardrobe
• Crest Digital  restoration work
• Ditta Peruzzi  wardrobe (as Peruzzi)
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording

Also Known As:

"Spartacus: Rebel Against Rome" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

184 min (premiere version) | Sweden:187 min (1968 re-release) | USA:161 min (1967 re-release) | USA:197 min (1991 restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints, restored version) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints, original release)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (1967 version) | Canada:G (Quebec) (restored version) | Spain:13 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-14 (1992) | Finland:K-16 (1962) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:15 (uncut) (1968) | USA:Approved (PCA #19623) | Portugal:M/12 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:AA (Ontario) (restored version) | Canada:G (Manitoba) (1967 version) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (restored version) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original release) | Denmark:15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Norway:16 (1963) | Sweden:15 (cut) (1962) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (restored version) | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Bryna Productions

Trivia:

Charles Laughton threatened to sue Kirk Douglas many times during filming. These threats never came to fruition, and Douglas felt Laughton was simply being a prima donna.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the scene where the slaves are storming a wall, the slaves who die at the wall can be seen rolling under it to jump over again later.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator:In the last century before the birth of the new faith called Christianity, which was destined to overthrow the pagan tyranny of Rome and bring about a new society, the Roman Republic stood at the very center of the civilized world. "Of all things fairest," sang the poet...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ancient World Production Design: 'The Scorpion King' (2002) (V)

Rome Epic Roams Too Much

"Spartacus" has its moments but feels for the most part like what it is: An overblown epic with too many cooks stirring the pot.

It's shortly before the dawn of the Christian era, and somewhere in the vastness of the Roman Empire, a slave named Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) is forced to become a gladiator, providing kill-or-be-killed entertainment for leisured decadents. Alas, he is pushed too far, and leads a revolt that soon threatens great Rome herself. Will Spartacus lead his people to freedom? Or will the vile Crassus (Laurence Olivier) bring him to heel?

Nominally directed by Stanley Kubrick, for which this was his introduction to the big-time, "Spartacus" is in fact a shining example of limitations, both of the Hollywood star vehicle as art form and the ability of a 1960 film to come to grips with the ancient world. How best to condense the social upheaval of the Third Servile War? Why, how about Kirk and Jean Simmons smooching at a pond!

The film starts off well enough, with Douglas in fine fettle glowering at the camera and everyone else, especially trainer/tormentor Marcellus (Charles McGraw). In a sequence that obviously influenced the later Best Picture winner "Gladiator", Spartacus learns the ropes, makes some friends, and begins to want to do something about the injustice he is experiencing. The first hour concludes in the film's only great moment, a duel between Spartacus and the mysterious Draba (Woody Strode) for Crassus's cruel enjoyment.

Once Spartacus rebels, however, the film goes to pot. Douglas loses the fire while Kubrick loses interest in Spartacus's story, becoming engaged only when the scene shifts to Rome, where the aristocratic Crassus battles with the plebian Gracchus (Charles Laughton) for the city's soul, and Spartacus's former owner Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) finds himself in the unhappy role of political pawn.

Ustinov's performance was the only Oscar-winning one in any Kubrick film, and he's great both as a bridge between the two story arcs and as low-key comic relief, playing off the high dungeon of everyone else. The problem with "Spartacus" is you also have some Golden Turkey performances, too, like those of Simmons, John Dahl, John Ireland, and John Gavin.

Olivier may be the best thing in the film, in those moments when he is at the center of it. Playing Crassus as if he were Roy Cohn in a toga, he plumps quite convincingly as he makes sheep eyes at slave boy Tony Curtis and displays a patriotic narcissism in uncovering his lusts: "There is only one way to deal with Rome, Antoninus. You must serve her. You must abase yourself before her."

Nothing else sticks quite like that (and that only because the restored version on the Criterion DVD put back an excised scene of Crassus and Antoninus in a bath, which explains what the old Roman meant by "abase".) Whenever the movie goes back to Spartacus and company, its hard watching as Douglas smiles a lot and moves through adoring crowds like John F. Kennedy at a campaign stop. We are told a lot of Spartacus's skill as a commander, but the battles all occur off-screen, with the one exception being the final one, a clumsy set-piece that compares badly to the spectacle of less-heralded "sword-and-sandals" pictures.

Not uninteresting, especially as the Criterion DVD includes many commentaries and supplements that enrich the experience of the movie. It's just that for a director of such discipline as Kubrick, "Spartacus" is all over the map. It's no mystery why he largely disowned this film after its release; it really was never his picture in the first place.