The Egyptian (1954)

In ancient Egypt, a poor orphan becomes a genial physician and is eventually appointed at the Pharaoh's court where he witnesses palace intrigues and learns dangerous royal secrets.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Philip Dunne (screen play), Casey Robinson (screen play)

Stars:

Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean Simmons	...	Merit
Victor Mature	...	Horemheb
Gene Tierney	...	Baketamon
Michael Wilding	...	Akhnaton
Bella Darvi	...	Nefer
Peter Ustinov	...	Kaptah
Edmund Purdom	...	Sinuhe
Judith Evelyn	...	Taia
Henry Daniell	...	Mekere
John Carradine	...	Grave Robber
Carl Benton Reid	...	Senmut
Tommy Rettig	...	Thoth
Anitra Stevens	...	Queen Nefertiti

Storyline

In eighteenth-dynasty Egypt, Sinuhe, a poor orphan, becomes a brilliant physician and with his friend Horemheb is appointed to the service of the new Pharoah. Sinuhe's personal triumphs and tragedies are played against the larger canvas of the turbulent events of the 18th dynasty. As Sinuhe is drawn into court intrigues, and bizarre secrets are revealed to him, he learns the answers to the questions he has sought since his birth. Short on historical accuracy but strong on plot and characterization.

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Plot Keywords:

egypt | princess | afterlife | pyramid | pharaoh | 

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Taglines:

To Nefer, shameless temptress of Babylon, he surrendered his parents' hope of immortality!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Greek

Release Date:

17 December 1954 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

L'égyptien

Filming Locations:

Death Valley National Park, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the few Hollywood "spectacles" in which top billing goes to a woman: Jean Simmons.

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Goofs

On the first aerial overview of the Sun Temple, every building has the same top/roof upon the building - however later in the temple massacre, the building holding the image of the sun has no top upon the building. The camera was surely meant to be kept below this line.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sinuhe: [Older Sinuhe voiceover] I, Sinuhe the Egyptian, write this. In my place of exile on the shores of the Red Sea. There is no more desolate spot on earth. Soon the jackals and the vultures will make a poor meal of what is left of me. No monument will mark my resting place. I will leave only this, the story of my life. I have lived fully and deeply. I have tasted passion, crime and even murder. It is for you to judge me. You must weigh the good against the evil, the passion against the...

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Connections

Featured in 20th Century-Fox: The First 50 Years (1997)

User Reviews

Several Strengths Make Up For A Slow Pace

"The Egyptian" has several pluses that make up for a rather slow pace. There is plenty to the story, which involves a lot of action as well as some interesting themes, and there is a lot of good scenery and cinematography. Most of the cast is pretty good, and there is an assortment of interesting characters.

The setting in ancient Egypt works well and is used to good effect. It makes for many interesting sights, which are filmed nicely and used well in the story. The plot does a good job of weaving the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who tried to bring monotheism to Egypt, into the lives of the main characters. As the central character, Edmund Purdom is all right, but some of the other characters often command more attention. Victor Mature is particularly convincing as the no-nonsense Horemheb, and Peter Ustinov steals more than one scene as Purdom's assistant.

The only real flaw is the length. While there is plenty to the story, there are times when it moves quite slowly, and it doesn't seem as if it would have been all that hard to shorten some of the scenes. In particular, some of the speeches that summarize the conflict of ideas among the characters would have been more effective if they had not been quite so wordy.

But overall, this is a good movie, and it works pretty well both as a period piece and as a story.