Queen of the Nile (1961) User Reviews

Based on historical deeds about Pharaoh Amenophis IV and his wife Nefertiti

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 14 June 2004]

A Sword and Sandal epic movie centers about Amenhotep IV (Amadeo Nazzari) son of Amenophis III who reigned Egypt . Amenhotep IV was crowned in Thebes and there he started a building program and a new religion , taking on the traditional priests (Vincent Price in one of his most unknown movies) . He married Nefertiti (Jeanne Crain) who loved Tutmes (Edmund Purdom) , sculptor who made the famous bust from her . Amenhotep IV-Akhenaten tried to bring about a departure from traditional religion, yet in the end it would not be accepted . After his death, traditional religious practice was gradually restored .

It's a slice of ancient history set in 1300 B.C. : Amenophis IV is known as Akhenaten or Akhenaton , he was proclaimed maximum priest imposing a sole and , only one , great God : ¨Aton¨ or God Sun , pitting the priests (Vincent Price) followers to ¨Amon Ra¨ . Marriage between Amenophis and Nefertiti would born Tutankhamon . Amenophis created a new city called Ajetaton or Amarna . This is a Peplum style movie with impressive images but including factual errors , as Amenhopis IV changed his name to Akhenaten after converting to the worship of the Aton , and his capital was Akhet-Aton , not Thebes . Jeanne Crain is beautiful , Vincent Price , as always , plays very well a villain person . There are several secondaries and good Italian actors seen in Peplum or Sword and Sandals genre , Musclemen movies and Spaghetti Westerns : Alberto Farnese , Liana Orfei , Umberto Raho, Ralph Baldasarre , among others . Spellbound color cinematography by Massimo Dallamano ensure the glowing spectacle . Set design is breathtaking and Carlo Rustichelli's musical score is excellent . The picture was professionally directed by Fernando Cerchio . The movie gets likeness to 'Sinuhe the Egyptian' but lack luster and budget . Rating: 6 points/10

Though its colors have faded, it's still memorable in a way

[marcin_kukuczka · 6/10 · 20 November 2005]

Fernando Cerchio is not a director as famous as top Hollywood names of his time. Very few people know his films, partly because he has not become worldly famous. But it is important to state that he also made quite a considerable number of ancient epics, including this one, NEFERTITI, QUEEN OF THE NILE. What is striking at this point is that the movie is similar, almost identical in style, convention, colors to other Italian productions of that time, including GIUSEPPE VENDUTO DAI FRATELLI ("Joseph Sold by his Brothers") (1959), HANNIBAL (1959) and IL SEPOLCRO DEI RE ("Cleopatra's Daughter") (1961). However, it is also similar to one American hit of its time...

If you consider the content of the movie, you may be misled by its striking similarity to a Hollywood production made almost 10 years earlier by Michael Curtiz, "The Egyptian" (1954). Although this view turns out to be a bit exaggerated, it is partly true. There are two major aspects both of the movies have in common: the historical period the actions are set in (the time of a monotheistic religion in Egypt during the reign of Amenophis) and the main star, actor Edmund Purdom who played Sinuhe in Curtiz's movie. This time, however, he is not a physician who searches for the answer on psychological questions, but a lover... moreover... a lover of the queen. As a result, the film cannot be treated as the remake of Curtiz's film whatsoever since, except for the two aforementioned aspects, it is an ENTIRELY different film.

The first major difference is the story itself. Tutmosis (Edmund Purdom), a sculptor, is in love with Tenet (later queen Nefertiti). At the same time, he is a dear friend of Amenophis (Amedeo Nazzari) and works as a sculptor. All changes at one night when the worshiper of a new God, one God Aaton, a prophet and priest Seper (Carlo D'Angelo) foresees the death of the Pharaoh and the coming reign of Amenophis. The prophecy comes true. The father of Tenet, Amon Ra priest Benakon (Vincent Price) plans a marriage of his daughter with the new Pharaoh. She is no longer Tenet, but Nefertiti, the Queen of the Nile. However, Tutmosis, an obstacle in the whole plan, is arrested and said to be dead but he soon escapes from prison and finds himself as a sculptor on the court. He is to sculpt the famous bust of Nefertiti which survives for centuries to prove the queen's magnificent beauty and great feeling to the man who really loved her. The end of the film concentrates on religious war in Egypt and shows the slaughter of Aaton worshipers (here, similarly like in the aforementioned movie, "The Egyptian"). The end, however, is quite optimistic. Nevertheless, the film lacks the grandeur, lavish sets, psychological ambiguity that the American productions of the time can boast.

The cast of the film are not that famous actors and actresses like in most American movies of the 1950s and 1960s, but they perform quite well. Jeanne Crain is particularly great as Nefertiti, she is very beautiful and her face really fits to the role. Edmund Purdom does a good job as her lover, Tutmosis. Except for Amedeo Nazzari and Carlo D'Angelo who do not particularly shine in their roles, there is one more star worth attention - Vincent Price as Nefertiti's father, Benakon. There is something ancient in his face, something that we find in the mummies...

Although the film is not a hit and does not have an outstanding cinematography, there are some memorable scenes that have remained in my memory for long. The first of such scenes is when Nefertiti listens in secret to the meeting of Amon Ra priests plotting against Amenophis and the new religion. She looks at them through the eye of the great statue of Sphynx and a mysterious Egyptian melody is being played as the background. Another scene is the dance of a harlot in the headquarters of the Egyptian army. I don't know if there are many films of that time which so sexually show the dance of a woman. And indeed very well played! Yet, the final shot is great, the camera moves from Nefertiti and Tutmosis kissing to the close-up of her sculpted bust. Intentionally, this is a symbolic reference to modern times when the bust can be still admired at the Egyptian museum in Berlin.

Of course, NEFERTITI, THE QUEEN OF THE NILE (1961) is no masterpiece. If you expect much from this film after seeing the one about Sinuhe, you may be disappointed. Nevertheless, if you regard any historical epic worth a look, this film is really for you.

Italian Historical Epic

[ragosaal · 5/10 · 14 March 2007]

This is an unpretentious Italian Historical Epic film based on the figure of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The story is acceptable -don't look for historical accuracy- and deals with the romance of the queen to be with a poor sculptor and the dilemma she has to face when forced to choose between her love or duty. Locations, settings, colour and gowns are acceptable too.

Italians were fully dedicated to this kind of "B" epic productions in the early 60's and they often hired well known American or British performers -usually after their best years- in order to raise the level of these films and make them more suitable for international markets (Orson Welles, Broderick Crawford, Victor Mature and Basil Rathbone were among them).

Jeanne Crain was always a just correct actress, but she looks beautiful here as Nefertiti and you prefer to feast your eyes on her than to analyze her performance. Vincent Price -just before his deservedly successful association with Roger Corman in Poe's based horror stories- plays without effort a villainous high priest. The love interest of the queen is Edmund Purdom in his usual dull and wooden acting; I can't recall another actor that was given so many chances to reach stardom with -if not great- rather expensive products and failed ("The Egyptian", "The Prodigal", "The King's Thief" or later "The Yellow Rolls Royce"). He ended up in "B" European films and no more than that.

All in all, this is a movie to see if you like historical Epics but it surely won't make history in the genre.

Some kind of "the Egyptian" remake.

[dbdumonteil · 27 October 2004]

Mickael Curtiz did in 1954 an overlooked underrated adaptation of Mika Waltari's mammoth novel "the Egyptian".It already dealt with a monotheism close to Christianity which we find again here.The star was also Edmund Purdom but with a more celebrated supporting cast (Victor Mature,Jean Simmons,Gene Tierney).The slaughter of the new faith followers was much more impressive in "the Egyptian"and its screenplay more complex with a lot of subplots .Here it treads a rather tenuous line:Nefertiti -before she was called so- was in love with a sculptor (the one who made the famous bust ?)but alas her ambitious father,a priest, is busy making other plans for her.So she will go down in history ,but what price glory?

It's fairly entertaining,but I would rather recommend Curtiz's work which was ,before "ten commandments" and " land of the pharaohs" the renaissance of the Egyptian sword and sandal.

Fairly entertaining, but nothing all that memorable at the end of the day

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 30 September 2012]

Nefertiti Queen of the Nile is not without its redeeming qualities. The sets are richly coloured and reasonably lavish, there are a few gems in the script, my favourite being "the Nile itself cannot wash away my sins", and there are three good performances; Jeanne Crain, who is the epitome of radiance; Edmund Perdum while not a great performance still has a likability to it; and Vincent Price who is diabolical personified. On the other hand, the costumes did have a weird and somewhat cheap feel, I never did get the sense that I was being transported to ancient Egypt, and the music has some nice moments but forgettable within minutes after the film ending. Apart from a couple of gems, the dialogue is embarrassingly banal, the story lacks any kind of lustre and bite and was sort of ridiculous too and of the characters only the three main ones were defined well, everyone else was stock and just there for the sake of it. In conclusion, neither good or bad, fairly entertaining if you are in a good mood but at the end of the day little more than that, for me that is. 5/10 Bethany Cox

A necessarily fictitious biography of the Queen famous for her beauty, and the sculptor who loved her.

[ccmiller1492 · 7/10 · 3 April 2003]

Altough much liberty is taken with history (in all fairness, there is still a great deal that is not known about this period) an interesting story has been concocted about the mysterious queen. It seems the sculptor who made the famous bust was enamored of her before she became the royal wife and was a mere High Priest's daughter who was cruelly forced to marry Amenophis IV unconvincingly played by Amadeo Nazzari, who is not in the least like Ahkenaton. But the costumes and sets are gorgeous, and Miss Crain is lovely. Vincent Price is credible as the nasty priest of Amon-Ra.

Call her camp, but never call her Queen of De-Nile!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 2 August 2014]

After "Samson and Delilah" in 1949, Hollywood began a love affair with biblical epics which ultimately lead into other stories of ancient times. Whether "sword and sandal" or tales of real-life Greeks or Egyptians, this genre has never gone away, and it never fails to amaze me how unintentionally camp many of these films turn out to be some fifty years later.

With Elizabeth Taylor's "Cleopatra" on the way out from 20th Century Fox (and covering pretty much every day of film-making it had in the press), movie makers turned to rip-offs to get into the mix. Jeanne Crain, the darling of 20th Century Fox in the 1940's and 50's, was still attractive by the time this was made, but probably still a bit long in the tooth to be believable as an innocent young Egyptian maiden who ends up becoming Pharaoh's wife and ultimately one of Egypt's most powerful women outside the late B.C. queen who really found a pain in the asp.

Where there's sand, togas and barges, there's bound to be camp, and in "Queen of the Nile", that comes with the presence of Vincent Price as the High Priest who forces his daughter Nefretiti into the court of the pharaoh at the threat of the life of her real love. Price over-chews his dialog and wears so much make-up and beads that I can only compare him with Judith Anderson's Herodias from "Salome". Both characters had desire for power they couldn't have on their own so they utilized others to have it, much to the chagrin of the unfortunate people around them. In retrospect, Price actually seems to be in drag, making me wonder who the real Queen of the Nile was.

While the English speaking actors are obviously speaking their native tongue, the Italian actors mouths seem to be speaking English too but the voices are obviously not their own. Amedeo Nazzari is Pharaoh Amenophis IV, an absolute weakling totally dominated by Price's Benakon who would have been home committing evil along side Sian Phillips' Livia from "I Claudius". Livia was much more subtle in her evil, but Price chews every line as if he was still quoting Edgar Allan Poe in those fun-filled horror films he was doing over at American International. Edmund Purdom, not yet recovered from playing "The Egyptian" years ago, does his best with the part of Nefretiti's lover, while Crain doesn't really get much of a chance to chew the scenery up. Yet, she still looks great in period costumes, and for that, this is worth giving a chance. There will be no doubt in the viewer's minds after seeing this that the violet-eyed Taylor was much more in command as Queen than the aging Crain was here.

QUEEN OF THE NILE (NEFERTITE) (Fernando Cerchio, 1961) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 6/10 · 5 May 2011]

This one, I guess, constitutes what passes for a star-studded peplum, what with 3 Hollywood names (Jeanne Crain, Vincent Price and Edmund Purdom – though, by this point, the latter was already well into his European phase) and a local one (Amedeo Nazzari, whom I recently-viewed in L'ATLANTIDE from the same year); incidentally, I opted to start my tribute to Price's centennial with his two epic Italian efforts (the other being RAGE OF THE BUCCANEERS, also from 1961) so as to segue from April's month-long marathon of such fare.

To be honest, I was not expecting much from it, being more or less a low-brow mix of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956), in which the titular royal had also featured (as did Price himself in a smallish role!), and Purdom's own earlier vehicle THE Egyptian (1954); however, the result is not only eminently watchable but surprisingly decent (so that Price's reputation is none the worse for its being on his resume'!). Crain, of course, is the protagonist – with Price as the High Priest (and, it is later revealed, Nefertite's father!), Purdom a sculptor in love with her when she had not yet ascended the throne and even boasted a different name (later, he is forced to make a statue of the new Queen and chastises her for what he believes to be her opportunism!), while Nazzari is the heir to the realm who intends helping his pal Purdom when Price tries to keep the latter and Crain apart but then, unbeknownst of her true identity, is persuaded by the High Priest to take Nefertite for a wife!

Also involved in the proceedings are lovely Liana Orfei (who would have a similar, albeit even more central, role in RAGE OF THE BUCCANEERS itself) as Purdom's devoted assistant/lover (at one point, her sultry dancing in the desert distracts the guards at the hero's prison-tent so as to enable him to escape) and Umberto Raho (complementing Price's position in the temple as well as the film's villainous stakes). Incidentally, Nazzari's character is interestingly developed: he not only befriends a holy man and supports his reverence for one god over Egypt's several (which does not sit well with the tradition-bound Price) but he eventually goes mad and, finding himself besieged by his own soldiers (under the High Priest's command), commits suicide just instances before Purdom (sent by Crain to mobilize the loyal desert troops to their defence) arrives on the scene! In the end, the film's rich look manages to transcend budgetary limitations…even if the audio levels fluctuated intermittently throughout the copy I acquired, at one time even lapsing (very briefly) into Spanish!

"He's beyond our range but he's not beyond the range of the crocodiles!"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 14 September 2023]

The course of true love doesn't run smooth for Tumos the sculptor and Nefertiti the wife of the pharoah Amenhophis IV. After many ups and downs including imprisonment and a palace revolt in Thebes the two lovers are eventually re-united. The movie is based on historical facts rather loosely but I enjoyed the film. The costumes and the sets look excellent, filmed beautifully in 'Eastman Color' and 'Supercinescope' no less, a visual feast. Carlo Rusticelli provides a stirring musical score, exciting or tender as required. Among the actors I particularly liked the great Vincent Price as the perfidious high priest Benakon and Liana Orfei as Merith the delightful dancer from the desert who carries a torch for Tumos. If I had been Tumos I would have chosen her rather than Nefertiti, the latter being a bit duller. Of course Jeanne Crain does OK as Nefertiti but I only had eyes for Merith.

A speculation in how the famous portrait of Queen Nefertite came into being.

[clanciai · 8/10 · 8 August 2018]

This is all speculation but an interesting story, showing how the famous and timeless statue of Queen Nefertiti still after so many thousands of years stir imaginations and inspire to invention and creation. The cinematography is outstanding, the music of Carlo Rustichelli couldn't be better, Jeanne Crain is perfect as the Queen, Vincent Price is horribly absurd as the mad and wicked father, Edmund Purdom makes a good job of the sculptor with all his tribulations for his love, but the most interesting actor is Amedeo Nazzori as Amenophis. Mind you, he is never called Ekhnaton, although that was the king of this issue of the conflict between old believers and the new monotheistic religion of the sun, which caused a revolution in its day in ancient Egypt about 3500 years ago. The King was more realistically played by Michael Wilding in "Sinuhe the Egyptian" seven years earlier, and this film has clearly taken one or two hints from that movie, Jeanne Crain being very much like Jean Simmons. Amedeo Nazzori makes a very interesting character as a very convincing king inspiring confidence with his sympathetic character but with the great weakness of oversensitivity, leading to mental breakdowns, transcending into a religion of peace abhorring all bloodshed.

It's not a great movie, but it is interesting enough with some memorable scenes, especially the ones in the workshop, culminating in the famous scene when the Queen is first introduced to her sculptor, the Pharaoh having no idea that they have been lovers, and the lover knowing nothing of her difficult way to the throne. This is great theatre.

Appealing peplum outing with a villainous Vince

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 21 October 2016]

This fast-paced Italian costumer was made at the height of the Italian peplum era, when they were spewing out fifty or so films a year to the foreign market (it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc.). While this may not be one of the best of them (I'm fonder of the more mythological ones myself), it certainly has a more complex plot than most, and real characters who display a range of emotions - as opposed to the usual caricature figures. What I liked most about this film was the surprisingly deep role of Amenophis, who becomes Pharoah after his father dies. At first we see Amenophis as a brave warrior in the desert, leading his troops. He then becomes obsessed with a priest from another tribe who believes in a single sun god. Amenophis' obsession leads to a change of religion and eventual madness for him, which of course leads to an uprising in Egypt. He eventually commits suicide on his own sword, haunted by mocking nightmares and a wife who will not support him.

This, though, is only a sub plot, with the gist of the story being taken up with the romance between Purdom and Crain. While it may descend into soap opera level at times, at least no scene is dwelt upon for too long and a lot happens throughout the course of the film. It also looks brilliant, very colourful and with authentic costumes, sets and location work. The music is of a sufficient epic feel, and the acting and dubbing aren't that bad either. While the majority of this film deals with courtroom drama, there are a number of different incidents along the way for variety, including a few hand-to-hand combat scenes, a battle between Purdom and a lion, and a huge battle at the end of the film which becomes a massacre with seemingly hundreds of people being slain in various violent yet non-bloody ways.

Edward Purdom is okay as the hero, a better actor than most but with a less imposing physique. I've got a feeling he dubbed himself too. Jeanne Crain provides a lot of glamour, but her character is irritatingly non-decisive and her non-actions result in a lot of people getting killed. Personally, I would have preferred to see her die and Purdom go off with the loyal serving girl (who happens to save his life, without a word of gratitude) instead. Ah well.

Horror fans will find this movie chiefly of interest due to the involvement of Vincent Price (who also thankfully dubbed himself) as the chief villain. Vince is in his element here, dressed up in a natty costume with funny eyebrows and doing all manner of wicked deeds - especially at the end. However, Price is less hammy than usual (I guess the nature of the film constrained his acting, as he wasn't at home in Italy), and it's only a minor performance from the actor. He also appeared in an Italian swashbuckler in the same year. QUEEN OF THE NILE doesn't have anything in the way of monsters or gore, yet it's fun to watch and I had a good time with it. I would recommend it to fans of the genre who know something of what they're in for.

nice

[Kirpianuscus · 21 October 2017]

one of many historical theme "B" films from "60. not memorable but correct. a dramatic love story, the beauty of Jeanne Crain, the duty, more important than the love, Vincent Price in a role using his skills for bad guys. and decent atmosphere, funny fight scenes, Edmund Purdom in a role who remains sketch for a Charming Prince. Nefertiti has the virtue to be perfect answer to the nostalgia of films "B" fans. large slices of romanticism, lost historical accuracy, seductive - and unrealistic - end. enough for a nice show.

Super Slight Story but Still Somewhat Entertaining

[daoldiges · 6/10 · 30 November 2023]

Queen of the Nile is the story of the the making of Queen Nefertiti of ancient Egypt. Its a loose story without details or specifics, but the sets and costumes and overall performances come together to make this slight picture actually kind of entertaining. The script is week and like I said it doesn't really feel in the least bit historical, but visually I find these type of films interesting and uniquely fun. Jeanne Crain and Edmund Purdom both give strong performances, and while Vincent Price is an underutilized secondary character, he is also good and together these three elevate this production to one worth checking out if you're curious.

Romance, Intrigue, and Death in the Land of the Pyramids

[zardoz-13 · 9/10 · 15 July 2023]

Writer & director Fernando Cerchio's sprawling Egyptian epic of the antiquity, "Queen of the Nile," toplining Jeanne Crain, Edmund Purdom, Vincent Price, and Amedeo Nazzari, chronicles the rise of the eponymous queen from her impetuous youth to becoming the Pharoah's wife of the during a time of malice in the palace. Mind you, snobbish critics ridiculed these one-dimensional, costume-clad spectacles populated by cardboard heroes and heroines. Undoubtedly, "Queen of the Nile" must have received its share of deleterious criticism since it qualifies as a 'female' peplum. Nevertheless, if you give this sword & sandal saga a chance, you'll be rewarded not only by its brisk pace, but also for its bittersweet romance between a forbidden couple. Moreover, two supporting characters that typically blend into the scenery and generate little sympathy stand out in this movie. Indeed, Hollywood starlet Jeanne Crain takes top billing as Nefertiti, the once and future queen in the land of the pharaohs. During her upbringing, she abhors her life, with its austere regimentation and her conspicuous lack of freedom. She bridles at the restraints imposed on her by a sinister High Priest, Benakon (Vincent Price of "The Abominable Dr. Phibes"), and wants only to abscond with a lowly sculptor so they are live and love anonymous lives together without interference. Tenet (Jeanne Crain of "Gentlemen Marry Brunettes") has fallen in love with a young man outside of her social status named Tumos (Edmund Purdom of 1954's "The Egyptian"), who shares her devotion. Sadly, these two characters are in for a load of grief and heartache throughout this 106-minute larger-than-life period piece. Ironically, the characters who deserve our sympathy the most are Amenophis IV, (Amedeo Nazzari of "Nights of Cabiria") as the future Pharoah. Amenophis suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has killed so many adversaries as a soldier that the bloodshed has driven him over the edge. Imagine that in a peplum movie! Meantime, as Tumos' assistant Merith (Liana Orfei of "Django Kills Softly") who worships the sculptor so passionately that she jeopardizes her life for him. Fernando Cerchio maintains headlong momentum throughout color "Queen of the Nile," and it never wears out its welcome. "Fistful of Dollars" lenser Massimo Dallamano's widescreen cinematography enhances this opus. Some of the dialogue in the screenplay penned by Cerchio, John Byrne, and Ottavio Poggi from a story by Emerico Papp stands out as quotable.