Helen of Troy (1956)

The Iliad's story of the Trojan war, told from the Trojan viewpoint.

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

John Twist (screenplay), Hugh Gray (screenplay)

Stars:

Stanley Baker, Rossana Podestà, Brigitte Bardot

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rossana Podestà	...	Helen (as Rossana Podesta)
Jacques Sernas	...	Paris (as Jack Sernas)
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Priam (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Stanley Baker	...	Achilles
Niall MacGinnis	...	Menelaus
Nora Swinburne	...	Hecuba
Robert Douglas	...	Agamemnon
Torin Thatcher	...	Ulysses
Harry Andrews	...	Hector
Janette Scott	...	Cassandra
Ronald Lewis	...	Aeneas
Brigitte Bardot	...	Andraste
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Andros
Marc Lawrence	...	Diomedes
Maxwell Reed	...	Ajax

Storyline

Prince Paris of Troy, shipwrecked on a mission to the king of Sparta, meets and falls for Queen Helen before he knows who she is. Rudely received by the royal Greeks, he must flee...but fate and their mutual passions lead him to take Helen along. This gives the Greeks just the excuse they need for much-desired war.

---

Plot Keywords:

character name as title | helen of troy character | paris character | menelaus character | achilles character | 

---

Taglines:

Its Tumultous Story Has Lived For Thirty Centuries!

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Niall MacGinnis was only cast as Menelaus after the production team failed to secure a big name British actor.

---

Goofs

When the Greeks are first shown marching to attack Troy, the shot appears to be flopped since all the Greek soldiers appear to be left handed. They carry their spears with their left hands, and their shields in their right.

---

Quotes

Helen: People in love should not be blind. They should look to the future and prepare for separation.

---

Crazy Credits

In the United States, the credits on the film, and the promotional material, list Jacques Sernas as "Jack Sernas."

---

Connections

Edited into The Story of Mankind (1957)

User Reviews

One Story Close enough to Homer's Book

As a fan of Greek Mythogy, Helen of Troy is the closest I've seen reenactment of the Trojan War. Under the Direction of Director Robert Wise, this is a well produced version in telling the story.

As most people know the ending it was still sad, they had it made, but the advice given by Helen "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts", was ignored and thus the downfall of the City of Troy.

All in all I did enjoy this version, I don't think anyone else will disagree

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die schöne Helena

Filming Locations:

Punta Ala, Castiglione della Pescaia, Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min (theatrical) 116 min (with overture and exit music) 116 min (uncut) 114 min (cut) 121 min (with overture)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (magnetic prints) Mono (RCA Sound Recording) (optical prints)

Color:

Color (WarnerColor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1