Khartoum (1966)

Directors:

Basil Dearden
Eliot Elisofon

Writer:

Robert Ardrey (written by)

Release Date:

15 June 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

They say the Nile still runs red from the Battle of Khartoum!

Plot:

After an Egyptian army, commanded by British officers, is destroyed in a battle in the Sudan in the 1880's...

Plot Keywords:

Sudan | Battle | 1880s | Crusade | Defense

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon
Laurence Olivier	...	The Mahdi
Richard Johnson	...	Col. J.D.H. Stewart
Ralph Richardson	...	William Gladstone
Alexander Knox	...	Sir Evelyn Baring
Johnny Sekka	...	Khaleel
Michael Hordern	...	Lord Granville
Zia Mohyeddin	...	Zobeir Pasha
Marne Maitland	...	Sheikh Osman
Nigel Green	...	Gen. Wolseley
Hugh Williams	...	Lord Hartington
Ralph Michael	...	Sir Charles Dilke
Douglas Wilmer	...	Khalifa Abdullah
Edward Underdown	...	Col. William Hicks
Peter Arne	...	Maj. Kitchener
Alan Tilvern	...	Awaan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Anthony	...	Herbin (uncredited)
Roger Delgado	...	(uncredited)
Leo Genn	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Lisa Guiraut	...	The dancer (uncredited)
David Lawton	...	Man (uncredited)
Ronald Leigh-Hunt	...	Lord Northbrook (uncredited)
Alec Mango	...	Bordeini Bey (uncredited)
George Pastell	...	Giriagis Bey (uncredited)
Jerome Willis	...	Frank Power (uncredited)

Directed by
Basil Dearden
Eliot Elisofon		(introductory scenes)

Writing credits
Robert Ardrey		(written by)

Produced by
Julian Blaustein	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Cordell

Cinematography by
Edward Scaife		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Fergus McDonell

Casting by
Weston Drury Jr.		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
John Howell

Set Decoration by
John Bodimeade		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Hilda Fox	....	hair stylist
Bill Lodge	....	makeup artist
Tom Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Basil Appleby	....	unit manager
Frank Ernst	....	unit manager
Charles Orme	....	production supervisor
Nigel Wooll	....	assistant unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
Bluey Hill	....	assistant director
John Peverall	....	assistant director
Terence A. Clegg	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Terry Marcel	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Pamela Cornell	....	set dresser
Scott MacGregor	....	associate art director
Ted Tester	....	associate art director
Peggy Gick	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Brian Herbert	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Peter Wood	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Laurie Clarkson	....	sound recordist
John Dennis	....	sound recordist (as John S. Dennis)
Dino Di Campo	....	sound editor
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound recordist
Bert Ross	....	sound recordist
Michael Hickey	....	sound (uncredited)
Archie Ludski	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Don Sharpe	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard Parker	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Cliff Culley	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Ken Buckle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Atcheler	....	camera operator
Ray Parslow	....	camera operator
Kelvin Pike	....	camera operator
Jeff Seaholme	....	camera operator
H.A.R. Thomson	....	camera operator
Harry Waxman	....	photographer: second unit
Ronald Anscombe	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Steve Claydon	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry Gillard	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Norman Gryspeerdt	....	photographer: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John McCorry	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Frank Cordell	....	conductor

Other crew
Julian Blaustein	....	presenter
Mary Bruce	....	researcher
Eileen Head	....	continuity
Kay Rawlings	....	continuity
Robert Easton	....	accent coach (uncredited)
Ala Gabry	....	location wrangler (uncredited)
S.E. Sabbour	....	special location consultant (uncredited)
Jilda Smith	....	production secretary (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Julian Blaustein Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• United Artists Corporation (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• Zetafilm (1966) (Yugoslavia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)

Runtime:

134 min | USA:128 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #21216) | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:U (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Al Minyal, Egypt

Company:

Julian Blaustein Productions Ltd.

Trivia:

This film was shot in Ultra Panavision and it was originally exhibited in Cinerama venues. The image was later reduced and cropped for exhibition in 70mm and 35mm release prints.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although Gordon and The Mahdi communicated by courier throughout the siege, they never actually met face-to-face.

Quotes:

Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon: Every man has a final weapon: his own life. If he's afraid to lose it he throws the weapon away.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.96)" (2006)

Confrontation between Western Imperialism and Islamic fundamentalism more topical than ever.

It has been argued that films dealing with historical subject matter always make for bad history. The pedants complain that the historical element has been simplified, or worse changed and therefore because it is bad history it is a bad film. But is it? By that standard Shakespeare's historical plays are bad plays. No one has ever argued that these kind of films can ever take the place of a well-researched book. That is not the point. Both mediums are subject to their form. Books can provide a wealth of information and detail that can and should demonstrate the complexity of history. Film on the other hand is essentially a visual medium, and subject to the demands of dramatic form and structure. The question should rather be, is it a good film even with the simplification of history? The Chorus from Shakespeare's "Henry V" actually provided the best justification for these historical epics; "Can this cockpit hold the vasty fields of France? Or may we cram into this wooden O the very casques that did affright the air at Agincourt? O, pardon! Since a crooked figure may attest in little place a million; and let us ciphers to this great accompt, on your imaginary forces work, turning the accomplishment of many years into an hour glass..." The best historical films, of which "Khartoum" is one, do just that, they fire the imagination, however condensed and simplified the history, and hopefully inspire the viewer to delve deeper into the subject by purchasing a good book on the matter.

Robert Ardrey's screenplay is wonderfully literate and "Khartoum" is a pleasure to listen to as well as watch. The disaster that befell Col. William Hicks in 1884 and would set in motion the chain of events that would culminate in the confrontation between Mohammad Ahmed, called The Mahdi, (Laurence Olivier) and British General Charles George Gordon, called "Chinese Gordon", (Charlton Heston) are quickly detailed in a brief prologue featuring an uncredited voice-over by Leo Genn, and the first of several stunning battles staged by the great Yakima Canutt. Ardrey maintains the essential aura of mystery that surrounded these two fascinating enigmatic individuals. Gordon was nothing if not a very complex man. A solitary non-conformist who craved and despised public adulation, a devout Christian that never allied himself to any church, a reluctant empire builder more often sympathetic to those he had to oppose. Suggesting complexity of character, however was not one of Charlton Heston's strong points and he cannot begin to suggest Gordon's contradictory traits. He is too solid, too commanding, too physically heroic. But he does bring those qualities to the character, and he is an impressive physical presence, unlikely to get lost in the epic production of the film. One only needs to see Colin Ferrell flounder as Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's "Alexander" to appreciate how important a charismatic presence in an epic film can be.

On the other hand, Laurence Olivier as The Mahdi is marvelously equipped as an actor to suggest the subtleties and nuance of his character. With far less screen time he makes every gesture, every vocal intonation, every flicker of the eye suggest layers of depth. He is holy man and realist, opportunist and idealist. His scenes with Heston are among the best in the film. Heston, a more natural film actor, wisely leaves the pyrotechnics to Olivier, and skillfully underplays, so when his big emotional moment finally arrives, it is all the more effective. The pedants will argue The Mahdi and Gordon never met face to face. That is true, but as one of Mohammad Ahmed's relatives told Producer Julian Baustein, "Ah, but they should have!" The two however did correspond at length. The same can be said of Heston's big scene with Ralph Richardson as Prime Minister William Gladstone, they never met face to face either. Both are examples of history being altered to suit the needs of drama and rightfully so for both provide for some high powered acting and make for a better film. Richardson brings to his part all the shrewd, ruthless, deviousness of a savvy political animal determined to survive. Richard Johnson as Col. J.D.H. Stewart, Gordon's reluctant adjutant and later admirer gives a stiff upper lip performance in the best tradition of John Mills, while Michael Hordern as Lord Granville, Nigel Green as General Wolseley and Alexander Knox as Sir Evelyn Baring all give very effective supporting performances.

Too often compared to its detriment with David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" of a few years earlier, in much the same way "Barry Lyndon" was compared unfavorably with "Tom Jones", Director Basil Dearden, (The League of Gentlemen) wisely resists following Lean's lush romantic style and instead opts for a more subdued realistic approach, clean, simple and direct. This approach is reinforced by Frank Cordell's score which is very reminiscent of the music of Edward Elgar and appropriately so. In fact Elgar himself at one point planned to write a symphony on Gordon. In the light of recent world events, this classic confrontation between Western Imperialism and Eastern Islamic fundamentalism makes "Khartoum" more topical than ever.