The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966)

Extravagant production of the first part of the book of Genesis. Covers Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood and Abraham and Isaac.

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Christopher Fry (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Parks	...	Adam
Ulla Bergryd	...	Eve
Richard Harris	...	Cain
John Huston	...	Noah
Stephen Boyd	...	Nimrod
George C. Scott	...	Abraham
Ava Gardner	...	Sarah
Peter O'Toole	...	The Three Angels
Zoe Sallis	...	Hagar
Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Lot
Eleonora Rossi Drago	...	Lot's Wife
Franco Nero	...	Abel
Pupella Maggio	...	Noah's Wife
Robert Rietty	...	Abraham's Steward
Peter Heinze	...	Shem

Storyline

An elaborate Hollywood retelling of the Bible stories narrated by the film's director John Huston. We open with the Creation of the World and arrive at the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and continue on to Cain and the murder of Abel. Next, we visit Noah and his ark with its spectacular flood sequence. Then we come to the story of Nimrod, King of Babel, the emergence of man's vanity and the heights to which it could aspire if unchecked. Finally we cover Abraham, a mystic who spoke personally with God, a leader of men, a builder of nations, a pioneer and a warrior and Sarah. At the time she conceived her first child, the event being forecast by an Angel of the Lord. Three such Heavenly Messengers appeared in the course of events which befell Abraham and Sarah.

---

Plot Keywords:

lucifer morningstar character | implied male nudity | abraham character | adam character | eve character | 

---

Taglines:

The Greatest Story of All Time...

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

Italy USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bible

Filming Locations:

Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Seven Arts Productions, Thalia AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

174 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (RCA Sound Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Animals that are featured in the Garden of Eden and Noah's Ark scenes, were delivered from a German zoological park.

---

Goofs

Before they get into the Ark, one of Noah's daughters-in-law has on a modern bra under her tunic.

---

Quotes

[last lines]
God: [to Abraham] Behold, I have tried thee like metal in a furnace. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Now will I multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.

---

Connections

Referenced in Rewind This! (2013)

User Reviews

That unmistakable smell of money

John Huston directed it and played Noah, yep. John Huston you know, the director of The Treasure Of Sierra Madre and The Maltese Falcon and his atheism shouldn't be an excuse for the embarrassment of The Bible...In the Beginning. Pier Paolo Pasolini was a Marxist, atheist, homosexual who made one of the greatest religious films of all time with The Gospel According To St Matthew. No, here, I suspect, the mastermind behind this super production is Dino De Laurentiis, the producer, the first name in the opening titles. Huge. Famous for very expensive movies with dubious results and intentions. Fortunately this - Highlights from Genesis and beyond - have a narration trying to explain the inexplicable. De Laurentiis believed in a cast of big names - like Harvey Weinstein - yes that's the laziest way to put together a production. Michael Parks is a beautiful 1960's Adam and so is Ulla Bergryd, his Eve. Richard Harris is Cain and Franco Nero Abel, George C Scott is Abraham, Ava Gardner, Sarah. and the film is now nearly forgotten. Pasolini used an unknown in the lead of his Gospel According to St Matthew, Enrique Irazoqui as Jesus and it became a classic. Commercial operations are one thing, great movies quite another.