A vagabond Viking adventurer and a Moor both compete to find "The Mother of All Voices", a legendary golden bell near the Pillars of Hercules.
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Title: The Long Ships (1964)
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Nominated for
1
BAFTA Film Award.
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Richard Widmark | ... | Rolfe | |
| Sidney Poitier | ... | Aly Mansuh | |
| Russ Tamblyn | ... | Orm | |
| Rosanna Schiaffino | ... | Aminah | |
| Oskar Homolka | ... | Krok | |
| Edward Judd | ... | Sven | |
| Lionel Jeffries | ... | Aziz | |
| Beba Loncar | ... | Gerda | |
| Clifford Evans | ... | King Harald | |
| Gordon Jackson | ... | Vahlin | |
| Colin Blakely | ... | Rhykka | |
| David Lodge | ... | Olla | |
| Henry Oscar | ... | Auctioneer | |
| Paul Stassino | ... | Raschid | |
 |
Jeanne Moody | ... | Ylva |
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Storyline
There is a legend about a great bell, called "The Mother of Voices," made of pure gold, three times the size of a man, made by monks many years ago... This is the story told in the marketplace by a Viking called Rolfe. This information finds its way to the Islamic ruler Aly Manush, who is obsessed with finding the bell. But Rolfe claims not to know where the bell is, and escapes, back to his homeland, to convince his father and brother to give him a ship and crew to replace the one he lost - or to help him steal the Death Ship which belongs to the king - because he does know where the bell is... Written by Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
Plot Keywords:
bound and gagged | three word title | prologue | scene during opening credits | robe |Taglines:
The Viking Adventurers Who Challenged the Seas...And Conquered the World! See more »Parents Guide:
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Rolfe: And may Thor do the same, my lord.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
When the Mare if Steel is demonstrated by having a Moorish Soldier take a ride down its back, a few seconds later Rolfe is told that it is his turn and he is hustled to the stairs of the Mare. In the background the bed of spikes at the bottom of the slide is clean and free of body or blood. See more »Goofs
The "golden" bell floats far too high in the water after it falls down the cliff and several of the "bodies" it pulls off the cliff are ahead of it in at least one shot. See more »Quotes
Aly Mansuh: We sail tomorrow and may Allah send us a fair wind and a calm sea.Rolfe: And may Thor do the same, my lord.
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Alternate Versions
The UK cinema version was cut for violence and the 1988 video release lost a further 13 secs to edit shots of horse-falls. See more »Connections
Referenced in Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace (2019) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Details
Release Date:
24 June 1964 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Long Ships See more »Filming Locations:
YugoslaviaEdit
Box Office
Budget:
$3,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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"The Long Ships" is the story of a mighty gold bell "as tall as three tall men," the one people call the Mother of Voices, cast long ago by the monks of Byzantium
Prince Aly Mansuh had searched from the mountains to the sea for the bell Now he must know what lies beyond the horizon until Allah's divine guidance leads him to the treasures of Islam
Prince Aly's wife Aminah thinks that her husband is chasing a legend, a fairy tale that has already cost them dearly in lives and gold But the prince is no dreamer He is sure that the bell does exist and it rests somewhere in this world, in a Christian land For him it was stolen by the Christian armies when they plundered their way across his cities to the dishonor and humiliation of his ancestors
In that morning, the obsessed Moorish prince is informed by his guards that a stranger in the market knows the whereabouts of the golden bell The stranger is arrested and taken to a tower for interrogation The stranger assures to the prince that he knows nothing but stories and legends, and swears that, out in the market he was trying to earn some money for food and shelter He also said that he is a sailor, a dreamer, a Norseman, a Viking who was shipwrecked and was simply trying to get back to his homeland
Richard Widmark is the true Norse warrior who swallowed the ocean He tells his father that he has returned because he needs another ship and another crew Rolfe said that he had found the bell He heard it booming away like a god's hammer on a mountain of ice Nothing else would've brought him back after losing his ship That ship cost his father the tribute money he owed the king
Sydney Poitier promised Rolfe that he would not be prepared to die so calmly He shall give him an example of real courage that comes from authority, 'his' authority Aly Mansuh asks Lady Aminah to select one of his guards to be the first to feel the kiss of steel before the Viking
Rosanna Schiaffino could offer Rolfe and his comrades the chance to live and to sail from these shores as rich men With fire in her cheeks, Lady Aminah looked lovely as the most envied woman with eye-catching legs
Orm (Russ Tamblyn) asks the great Odin what did they do that he turns his rage against them ruining his father
Gerda (Beba Loncar) is the beautiful snow princess taken as a hostage and whom to be sacrificed as a maiden to lift the curse of the death ship
Krok (Oskar Homolka) is the old, ruined man who asks himself how a thane whose entire fortune consists of two gold pieces, find or even equip another ship
King Harald (Clifford Evas) practically stole the ship build by Krok's men He cheated the broken man in giving him two gold pieces for his funeral ship, the difference between the ship's price and two years' tribute he owes him
Sven (Edward Judd) is the sailing master to King Harald of Norseland who really thinks the ship is cursed for being a funeral ship He commands the sailors, these 'greedy devils' to turn back or they'll be hanged in the king's name
With great stars, mutinous sailors, beautiful cinematography, and a look at a Moorish harem, "The Long Ships" remains another fine Viking adventure with a lot of humor and fun