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| Kirk Douglas | ... | Spartacus | |
| Laurence Olivier | ... | Marcus Licinius Crassus | |
| Jean Simmons | ... | Varinia | |
| Charles Laughton | ... | Sempronius Gracchus | |
| Peter Ustinov | ... | Lentulus Batiatus | |
| John Gavin | ... | Julius Caesar | |
| Nina Foch | ... | Helena Glabrus | |
| John Ireland | ... | Crixus | |
| Herbert Lom | ... | Tigranes Levantus | |
| John Dall | ... | Marcus Publius Glabrus | |
| Charles McGraw | ... | Marcellus | |
| Joanna Barnes | ... | Claudia Marius | |
| Harold J. Stone | ... | David | |
| Woody Strode | ... | Draba | |
| Peter Brocco | ... | Ramon | |
| Paul Lambert | ... | Gannicus | |
| Robert J. Wilke | ... | Guard captain | |
| Nick Dennis | ... | Dionysius (as Nicholas Dennis) | |
| John Hoyt | ... | Caius | |
| Frederick Worlock | ... | Laelius (as Frederic Worlock) | |
| Tony Curtis | ... | Antoninus | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Arthur Batanides | ... | Legionnaire (uncredited) | |
| Bill Blackburn | ... | Prisoner (uncredited) | |
| Buff Brady | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Rudy Bukich | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Bob Burns | ... | Pirate (uncredited) | |
| Paul E. Burns | ... | Fimbria (uncredited) | |
| Joe Canutt | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Tap Canutt | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Al Carmichael | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Courtney | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Dick Crockett | ... | Guard (uncredited) | |
| Carol Daniels | ... | Christian girl (uncredited) | |
| Ted de Corsia | ... | Legionnaire (uncredited) | |
| Terence de Marney | ... | Majordomo (uncredited) | |
| Johnny Duncan | ... | Beheaded man (uncredited) | |
| Roy Engel | ... | (uncredited) | |
| Richard Farnsworth | ... | (uncredited) | |
| Charlotte Fletcher | ... | Mother with Child (uncredited) | |
| Robert Fuller | ... | Extra (uncredited) | |
| Seamon Glass | ... | Pirate (uncredited) | |
| Joe Gold | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Harold Goodwin | ... | Slave (uncredited) | |
| Sol Gorss | ... | Slave leader (uncredited) | |
| James Griffith | ... | Otho (uncredited) | |
| Brad Harris | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Harry Harvey Jr. | ... | Slave (uncredited) | |
| Joe Haworth | ... | Marius (uncredited) | |
| Vinton Haworth | ... | Metallius (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Hayward | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Hallene Hill | ... | Beggar woman (uncredited) | |
| Charles Horvath | ... | Slave leader (uncredited) | |
| Robert F. Hoy | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Jil Jarmyn | ... | Julia (uncredited) | |
| Valley Keene | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| George Kennedy | ... | Rebel soldier (uncredited) | |
| Aron Kincaid | ... | Crassus' standard-bearer (uncredited) | |
| Irvin 'Zabo' Koszewski | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Stubby Kruger | ... | Pirate (uncredited) | |
| Carey Loftin | ... | Guard (uncredited) | |
| Dayton Lummis | ... | Symmachus (uncredited) | |
| Cliff Lyons | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Gordon Mitchell | ... | (uncredited) | |
| Bob Morgan | ... | Galeno (uncredited) | |
| Boyd 'Red' Morgan | ... | Bit part (uncredited) | |
| Eddie Parker | ... | Slave (uncredited) | |
| Harvey Parry | ... | Guard (uncredited) | |
| Regis Parton | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Leonard Penn | ... | Garrison officer (uncredited) | |
| Gil Perkins | ... | Slave leader (uncredited) | |
| Vic Perrin | ... | Narrator (uncredited) | |
| Bill Raisch | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Roberson | ... | Slave (uncredited) | |
| George Robotham | ... | Pirate (uncredited) | |
| Autumn Russell | ... | Slave girl (uncredited) | |
| Russell Saunders | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Charles Schaeffer | ... | Soldier (uncredited) | |
| Jim Sears | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Tom Steele | ... | Gladiator (uncredited) | |
| Robert Stevenson | ... | Legionnaire (uncredited) | |
| Jo Summers | ... | Slave girl (uncredited) | |
| Ken Terrell | ... | Bit part (uncredited) | |
| Dale Van Sickel | ... | Trainer (uncredited) | |
| Louise Vincent | ... | Slave at Gracchus' home (uncredited) | |
| Carleton Young | ... | Herald (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Stanley Kubrick | |||
| Anthony Mann | (uncredited) | ||
Writing credits | ||
| Howard Fast | (novel) | |
| Dalton Trumbo | (writer) | |
| Calder Willingham | (battle scenes) uncredited | |
| Peter Ustinov | uncredited | |
Produced by | |||
| Kirk Douglas | .... | executive producer | |
| James C. Katz | .... | producer (1991 restoration) | |
| Edward Lewis | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Alex North | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Russell Metty | (director of photography) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Robert Lawrence | |||
| Irving Lerner | (uncredited) | ||
Production Design by | |||
| Alexander Golitzen | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Eric Orbom | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Russell A. Gausman | |||
| Julia Heron | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Valles | |||
| William Ware Theiss | (uncredited) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Larry Germain | .... | hair stylist | |
| Bud Westmore | .... | makeup artist | |
| Jay Sebring | .... | hair designer: Kirk Douglas (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| Norman Deming | .... | unit production manager | |
| Eduardo García Maroto | .... | unit production manager: Spain (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Marshall Green | .... | assistant director | |
| Joseph E. Kenney | .... | assistant director | |
| Foster H. Phinney | .... | assistant director (as Foster Phinney) | |
| Charles Scott | .... | assistant director | |
| James Welch | .... | assistant director | |
| Yakima Canutt | .... | second unit director (uncredited) | |
| Irving Lerner | .... | second unit director (uncredited) | |
| Julio Sempere | .... | third assistant director (uncredited in original version) | |
| Robert Webb | .... | second assistant director (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Rick Alexander | .... | sound re-recording mixer (1991 restoration) | |
| James Bolt | .... | sound re-recording mixer 1991 restoration | |
| Joel Fein | .... | sound re-recording mixer 1991 restoration | |
| Mark Gordon | .... | sound effects editor (1991 restoration) | |
| David W. Gray | .... | stereo sound consultant: Dolby (1991 restoration) (as David Gray) | |
| Gib Jaffe | .... | sound effects editor (1991 restoration) | |
| Joe Lapis | .... | sound | |
| Diane Marshall | .... | foley artist (1991 restoration) | |
| Ronald Pierce | .... | sound | |
| Karin Roulo | .... | foley mixer (1991 restoration) | |
| Murray Spivack | .... | sound | |
| Waldon O. Watson | .... | sound | |
| Glenn E. Anderson | .... | boom operator (uncredited) | |
| Jack Foley | .... | foley artist (uncredited) | |
| Steve Kohler | .... | foley recordist: 1991 restoration (uncredited) | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Paul Rutan Jr. | .... | manager of optical operations 1991 restoration | |
| Peter Ellenshaw | .... | matte artist (uncredited) | |
Stunts | |||
| Yakima Canutt | .... | stunt coordinator | |
| Paul Baxley | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| John Benson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Norman Bishop | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Buff Brady | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jerry Brown | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| George Bruggeman | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Ron Burke | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Polly Burson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Wayne Burson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Joe Canutt | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tap Canutt | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Yakima Canutt | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Bill Catching | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Courtney | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Dick Crockett | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| John Daheim | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Louie Elias | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| John Epper | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Richard Farnsworth | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Harold Goodwin | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Sol Gorss | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Brad Harris | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Hayward | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Bob Herron | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Charles Horvath | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Robert F. Hoy | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Loren Janes | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Hubie Kerns | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Stubby Kruger | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Carey Loftin | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Cliff Lyons | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Michael Masters | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Bob Miles | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Bob Morgan | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Boyd 'Red' Morgan | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Eddie Parker | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Harvey Parry | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Regis Parton | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Gil Perkins | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Peter Peterson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Chuck Roberson | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| George Robotham | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Ronnie Rondell Jr. | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Wally Rose | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Russell Saunders | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Charles Schaeffer | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Bill Shannon | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Alex Sharp | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tom Steele | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jerry Summers | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Ken Terrell | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Don Turner | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Buddy Van Horn | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Dale Van Sickel | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Red West | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jack Williams | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Robert Fortenberry Jr. | .... | camera operations 1991 restoration | |
| Bob Rose | .... | additional grip | |
| John Rupkalvis | .... | camera operations 1991 restoration | |
| Clifford Stine | .... | cinematographer: additional scenes | |
| William Read Woodfield | .... | still photographer | |
| George Dye | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
| Harry L. Wolf | .... | camera operator (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Ditta Peruzzi | .... | wardrobe (as Peruzzi) | |
| Bill Thomas | .... | costumes: Miss Simmons | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Fred A. Chulack | .... | assistant film editor (as Fred Chulack) | |
| Robert Lawrence | .... | editorial consultant (1991 restoration) | |
| David Orr | .... | color timer (1991 restoration) | |
| Brian Ralph | .... | negative cutter (1991 restoration) | |
| Robert Schulte | .... | assistant film editor | |
Music Department | |||
| Joseph Gershenson | .... | music supervisor | |
| Joseph Gershenson | .... | score co-conductor | |
| Alex North | .... | conductor | |
| Arnold Schwarzwald | .... | music editor | |
| Milton Schwarzwald | .... | music supervisor (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Saul Bass | .... | design consultant | |
| Robert A. Harris | .... | 1991 reconstruction and restoration | |
| Michael Hyatt | .... | production assistant (1991 restoration) | |
| Stan Margulies | .... | production aide | |
| Vittorio Nino Novarese | .... | historical and technical advisor | |
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From what little I've read of this film it was lucky to have been made at all. Some very big talents had some very big egos and those egos clashed repeatedly. Original director Anthony Mann was replaced by Stanley Kubrick by Producer/Star Kirk Douglas among other clashes.
But the result was all worth it. The stars all give top notch performances, but the mark of a really great film is the memorability of each individual in the ensemble. To give a few examples, Charles McGraw as the sadistic trainer at the gladiatorial school, John Dall as Sir Laurence Olivier's protégé, and John Ireland as Kirk Douglas's fellow gladiator trainee are all memorable in the brief roles they have.
Kirk Douglas wisely opts for a straightforward interpretation of a hero in the title role of Spartacus. He's a BC everyman, born into a world which hadn't heard anything about human rights, he knows and feels he's not just cattle. Catch the alternating scenes of Douglas and Sir Laurence Olivier addressing the slave army and the Roman Army. Olivier with his years of Shakespearean training coming across as the tyrant to be, and Douglas in simple prose talking about the slaves fighting for their hopes and dreams. Very effective.
The plot concerns a revolt at a gladiatorial school which mushrooms into a crisis for the Roman Empire. Political factions led by Olivier as Crassus and Charles Laughton as Gracchus seek to use the slave revolt to further their own ends.
Laughton as always is a wonder. It's a bit of unusual casting for him because his parts are usually those of very tortured souls. His Gracchus is a sly rogue, but a decent man. One of my favorite movie lines of all time is delivered by him addressing the Roman Senate where he says he'll "take a little republican corruption for a little republican freedom."
Another sly rogue in the film is Peter Ustinov who won the first of his two Oscars as Batiatus the owner of the gladiatorial school. Like so many others I'm sure in those days, he's just trying to come out on the winning side when doing so could be a life or death situation.
Jean Simmons as Varinia, beloved of Spartacus, has the only woman's part of any substance. But when was Ms. Simmons bad in anything. One of the most underrated and under-appreciated actresses in the history of film.
The lessons about man's desire for freedom and to control his own destiny are eternal and valid. And this film will be also.