| Photos (see all 30 | slideshow) |
| Sophia Loren | ... | Lucilla | |
| Stephen Boyd | ... | Livius | |
| Alec Guinness | ... | Marcus Aurelius | |
| James Mason | ... | Timonides | |
| Christopher Plummer | ... | Commodus | |
| Anthony Quayle | ... | Verulus | |
| John Ireland | ... | Ballomar | |
| Omar Sharif | ... | Sohamus | |
| Mel Ferrer | ... | Cleander | |
| Eric Porter | ... | Julianus | |
| Finlay Currie | ... | Senator | |
| Andrew Keir | ... | Polybius | |
| Douglas Wilmer | ... | Niger | |
| George Murcell | ... | Victorinus | |
| Norman Wooland | ... | Virgilianus | |
| Michael Gwynn | ... | Cornelius | |
| Virgilio Teixeira | ... | Marcellus (as Virgilio Texera) | |
| Peter Damon | ... | Claudius | |
| Rafael Calvo | ... | Lentulus | |
| Lena von Martens | ... | Helva (as Lena Von Martens) | |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Roland Carey | ... | Barbarian (uncredited) | |
| Margaret Fuller | ... | Part of Court (uncredited) | |
| Gabriella Licudi | ... | Tauna (uncredited) | |
| Jeffrey O'Kelly | ... | Brother of Livius (uncredited) | |
| Robert Rietty | ... | Opening narration (uncredited) | |
| Guy Rolfe | ... | Marius (uncredited) | |
| Friedrich von Ledebur | ... | Barbarian (uncredited) | |
Directed by | |||
| Anthony Mann | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Ben Barzman | (written by) & | |
| Basilio Franchina | (written by) & | |
| Philip Yordan | (written by) | |
Produced by | |||
| Samuel Bronston | .... | producer | |
| Jaime Prades | .... | associate producer | |
| Michal Waszynski | .... | executive associate producer (as Michael Waszynski) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Dimitri Tiomkin | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Robert Krasker | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Robert Lawrence | |||
Casting by | |||
| Maude Spector | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Veniero Colasanti | |||
| John Moore | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Veniero Colasanti | |||
| John Moore | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Veniero Colasanti | |||
| John Moore | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Grazia De Rossi | .... | hair stylist | |
| Mario Van Riel | .... | makeup artist | |
| José Luis Pérez | .... | assistant makeup artist (uncredited) | |
Production Management | |||
| C.O. Erickson | .... | executive production manager | |
| Tadeo Villalba | .... | unit manager (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Yakima Canutt | .... | second unit director | |
| José López Rodero | .... | assistant director: first unit | |
| José María Ochoa | .... | assistant director: second unit | |
| Andrew Marton | .... | second unit director (uncredited) | |
| Julio Sempere | .... | second second assistant director (uncredited in original version) | |
Art Department | |||
| Stanley Detlie | .... | master of properties | |
| José María Alarcón | .... | assistant set decorator (uncredited) | |
| Luciano Arroyo | .... | storyboard artist (uncredited) | |
| Julián Martín | .... | painter (uncredited) | |
| Vicente Sempere Sempere | .... | assistant art director (uncredited) | |
| Italo Tomassi | .... | head scenic painter (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Milton C. Burrow | .... | sound effects editor (as Milton Burrow) | |
| David Hildyard | .... | sound mixer | |
| Gordon K. McCallum | .... | sound re-recordist | |
| Otto Snel | .... | sound recordist (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| Alex Weldon | .... | special effects | |
Stunts | |||
| Jerry Brown | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Tap Canutt | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
| Jack Williams | .... | stunts (uncredited) | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| John Harris | .... | camera operator | |
| Cecilio Paniagua | .... | camera operator: second unit | |
| Bruno Pasqualini | .... | supervising electrician | |
| Vincent Rossell | .... | still photographer (uncredited) | |
Costume and Wardrobe Department | |||
| Gloria Musetta | .... | wardrobe | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Magdalena Paradell | .... | assistant to editor | |
Music Department | |||
| George Korngold | .... | music editor | |
| Dimitri Tiomkin | .... | conductor | |
| Cecil Bolton | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Frank Comstock | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Robert Docker | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| George Parrish | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| David Tamkin | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
| Herbert Taylor | .... | orchestrator (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Samuel Bronston | .... | presenter | |
| Will Durant | .... | consultant | |
| Carl Gibson | .... | supervising technician | |
| Maciek Piotrowski | .... | title backgrounds and murals | |
| Elaine Schreyeck | .... | continuity | |
| George Tyne | .... | dialogue coach | |
| Enzo Musumeci Greco | .... | master of arms (uncredited) | |
| Friedrich von Ledebur | .... | horse master (uncredited) | |
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I saw another reviewer remark that he regretted the fact that films like this are not made today. In today's dollars the salaries of all the name actors who appeared in The Fall of the Roman Empire might retire the debt of some third world country. Then again, I think that was part of the message this film was trying to convey.
All roads lead to Rome was certainly a popular saying way back in the day. The legions by 180 have conquered a big chunk of Europe and a lot of Asia Minor, but it's becoming too big to police. Emperor Marcus Aurelius has it in mind that there must be a better way of securing peace than having a big Roman military industrial complex on the empire payroll. Answer, make the outlying provinces all Roman citizens and equalize the distribution of economic goods. Back then all those Roman roads gradually became one way streets.
Unfortunately some folks who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, do in Marcus. He's succeeded by his son Commodus and the film is the story of Commodus who has a more traditional political view and those who want to bring about the ideal world that Marcus Aurelius envisioned.
In a role that cried out for either Kirk Douglas or Charlton Heston, we got Stephen Boyd instead. Boyd in a blonde dye job, just doesn't come across well as the hero Livius. He's so much better as villains in films like The Bravados, Ben-Hur, and Shalako.
But Commodus may very well have been Christopher Plummer's finest performance on screen. The film is not the real story of Commodus's reign, but Plummer does capture the heart and soul of the emperor who ran things from 180 to 192.
Holding up the view of a free and equal world are a couple of classic performances by Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius and James Mason as the Greek slave Timonides who counsels Marcus in his changing world view.
And any film is worth watching with Sophia Loren's pulchritude on prominent display.
I'm no expert in ancient history, but this may have been the first time that someone like Marcus Aurelius took a global view of things other than what I can plunder out of my conquests. What's not told in this story is that Christianity is invisible here. Marcus didn't like them at all, thought they were way too exclusive in THEIR view of things.
Nevertheless The Fall of the Roman Empire and the issues it raises from the ancient world are still being thrashed out today. Hoperfully it will all be resolved in the future.