Arabesque (1966)

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writers:

Gordon Cotler (novel)
Julian Mitchell (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 May 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Ultra mod, ultra mad, ultra mystery

Plot:

Story of international intrigue involving a university professor, an Arab prime minister, a ruthless businessman, a beautiful spy, and hieroglyphics.

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Code | Arab | Spy | Double

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Prof. David Pollock
Sophia Loren	...	Yasmin Azir
Alan Badel	...	Beshraavi
Kieron Moore	...	Yussef Kasim
Carl Duering	...	Hassan Jena
John Merivale	...	Maj. Sylvester Pennington Sloane
Duncan Lamont	...	Webster
George Coulouris	...	Ragheeb
Ernest Clark	...	Beauchamp
Harold Kasket	...	Mohammed Lufti

Also Known As:

Stanley Donen's Arabesque (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (1966) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Ascot, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Stanley Donen Films

Trivia:

The part of David Pollock was originally written for Cary Grant. When Gregory Peck had trouble getting the humor right in a line, he'd smile and tell director Stanley Donen "Remember, I'm no Cary Grant."

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: There is no reference to the movie's title, "Arabesque". The references are all to the original book's title, which was "The Cipher".

Quotes:

David Pollock: If I could find my head, I'd go get it examined.

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999)

A Little Hitchcock Style, A Little James Bond Style, A Lot of Fun!

ARABESQUE is another fab Universal romantic thriller in the grand CHARADE tradition, including some of the same personnel! If director Stanley Donen's classic 1963 comedy-thriller CHARADE is Hitchcock Lite, then ARABESQUE is Hitchcock Lite after taking a few classes in James Bond 101 (including an opening title sequence by Maurice Binder, who also did the honors for CHARADE as well as for most of the Bond movies). As the hieroglyphics expert embroiled in Middle Eastern intrigue while decoding the cipher everyone's after, the usual slightly wooden note in Gregory Peck's delivery is oddly effective as he tries to loosen up and deliver Cary Grant-like witticisms (from co-scripter "Pierre Marton," a.k.a. CHARADE alumnus Peter Stone). Peck may not be Mr. Glib, but he's so inherently likable and seems so delighted to get an opportunity to deliver bon mots after all his serious roles that he's downright endearing, like a child trying out new words for the first time. And co-star Sophia Loren, at her most alluring as an Arab femme fatale, can make any guy look suave and sexy! Alan Badel, looking like a polished Peter Sellers in cool shades, virtually steals his scenes as the suave-bordering-on-unctuous villain with a foot fetish. Shoe lovers will swoon over the scene with Badel fitting the lovely Loren with a roomful of fancy footwear. Speaking of things of beauty, Christopher Challis's dazzling, inventive cinematography won the BAFTA (the British equivalent of the Oscars), and Christian Dior got a BAFTA nomination for Loren's elegant costumes. Suspenseful and sparkling as this twist-filled adventure is, ARABESQUE's biggest mystery is why it's still only available in VHS format. If this gem ever gets deluxe treatment as a DVD (including letterboxing, please!), I sure hope they get Donen and Loren together to do the kind of entertaining, informative commentary that Donen did with the late, great Stone for Criterion's CHARADE DVD. In the meantime, ARABESQUE turns up on American Movie Classics and Turner Classic Movies periodically, so check your TV listings -- this fun thriller is worth seeking out!