The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Ben Barzman (written by) &
Basilio Franchina (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

The Most Magnificent Re-Creation . . . Of An Ancient Empire . . . Launches A New Epoch In Motion Pictures . . .

Plot:

Action-packed look at the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire. Here is the glory, the greed and grandeur that was Rome...

Plot Keywords:

Emperor | Roman Empire | Xenophobia | Decadence Of The Roman Empire | Patricide

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

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)

Production Companies

• Samuel Bronston Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• ClassicLine (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• PCV (2003) (Greece) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (video)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cerratelli & Peruzzi  costumes made by (as Cerratelli & Peruzzi, Italy)

Runtime:

188 min | Sweden:172 min (1970 re-release) | Sweden:176 min | Argentina:184 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Samuel Bronston Productions

Trivia:

At 1312 by 754 ft., the Roman Forum still holds the record as the largest outdoor set ever built for a film.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the funeral pyre of Marcus Aurelius, which Commodus and Livius are holding the torch, their hands move further away from the flame between shots.

Quotes:

Livius: [standing over body of Timonides] What happened, gentle Greek? Did you try to tell them there were three possibilities? Did you not know there was a fourth? This!
[picks up and throws spear away]
Lucilla: This is the way they answer to reason and now even you must see, this is the only way to answer them.
Livius: He does not seem dead to me, I can still feel his life, hear his words. Tell me what I must do in his name.
[yelling]
Livius: March the army into Rome and drown the city in blood!
Lucilla: [uncovering the Christian cross Timonides wore around his neck] He was my father's friend and a wise man.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gladiators: Bloodsport of the Colisseum (2000) (V)

I loved it

I saw this movie en 1964 when I was 19 years old and enjoyed every minute of it, I have seen it again and still enjoy it. The cast is outstanding, a movie of the league of Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments. Pity that no more movies like that are made nowadays.

I still remember some of the words by Commodus (after becoming Caesar) "let it be heard in the four quarters of the Empire that I Commodus, now Caesar, proclaim Gaius Metelus Livius Pro Consul of the Roman Empire, Commander in Chief of all the Roman armies, second only to Caesar himself"

An epic indeed.