Valley of the Kings (1954)

In 1900, in Egypt, archaeologist Mark Brandon is asked by Ann Mercedes to find the tomb of Ra-Hotep but their quest is marred by intrigue, betrayal, murder and danger.

Director:

Robert Pirosh

Writers:

Robert Pirosh, Karl Tunberg

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Carlos Thompson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Taylor	...	Mark Brandon
Eleanor Parker	...	Ann Mercedes
Carlos Thompson	...	Philip Mercedes
Kurt Kasznar	...	Hamed Backhour
Victor Jory	...	Tuareg Chief
Leon Askin	...	Valentine Arko
Aldo Silvani	...	Father Anthimos
Samia Gamal	...	Dancer

Storyline

Hard-boiled archeologist Mark Brandon is searching for ancient tombs in Egypt when he is approached by beautiful Ann Mercedes, who convinces him to help her fulfill her deceased father's life's ambition - to provide solid proof of the biblical Joseph's travels in ancient Egypt. As an ex-pupil of Ann's father Mark accepts and the two embark on a search for the tomb of the Pharoah Ra Hotep, said to have had some connection with Joseph. The trail to the tomb is fraught with intrigue, betrayal, murder and the possibility that the tomb itself has been emptied of all its artifacts by ancient looters.

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Plot Keywords:

riding sidesaddle | tomb | egypt | murder | archaeologist | 

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Taglines:

M-G-M's Spectacular Romance Filmed in Egypt!

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Genres:

Adventure

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

23 July 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Tal der Könige

Filming Locations:

Mount Sinai, Egypt

Box Office

Budget:

$2,065,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,591,000, 31 December 1954

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,305,000, 31 December 1954

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming in Egypt included views of the exterior and interior of Abu Simbel. The view also includes the Nile river in the background of one shot. The filming location is no longer accessible having been buried under Lake Nasser with the building of the Aswan dam. The massive complex was cut into large blocks and moved uphill between 1964-1968 to save it from being flooded.

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Goofs

Eleanor Parker runs from a tree after Robert Taylor puts a cape on her, but after a cut a person with the same cape is again seen running from the tree.

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Quotes

Mark Brandon: You know what they say: Egypt is like a man without a woman.
Ann Barclay Mercedes: Why do they say that?
Mark Brandon: Hot by day, cold by night.

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Crazy Credits

[Prologue] The earth holds few treasures which have stimulated man's imagination -- and his greed -- as much as the tombs of the rulers of ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs.

This is the story of the search for the most fabulous tomb of them all. It begins near Cairo in 1900 . . .

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Soundtracks

Dance of Gamal
(uncredited)
Music by Atia Sharara

User Reviews

A Visual Treasure Trove

I watched the newly-released DVD version of this film from Amazon, and I was thrilled with the quality. After all, this is a 60+ year-old film, and the color is still outstanding. It isn't a great film; the plot is a run-of-the-mill adventure story, and I always found Robert Taylor to be a wooden actor. But Eleanor Parker's lovely face more than compensates, and the real star of the show is Egypt itself. Long before Egypt fell into political turmoil, this film showcased many of the country's legendary attractions. Filmed on location, the movie incorporates beautiful views of the Sphinx, the pyramids of Gizeh, the legendary Mena House Hotel, St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, the temples of Luxor, the Sahara Desert, and the Abu-Simbel temples. If you are a sucker for romantic locales, a good fistfight, and enjoyable escapist fare, then this one is worth your money and your Saturday afternoon.