King of Kings (1961)

Country of Origin:
Year of Production:
Running Times: 168 mins
Length:
Format: 35mm (horizontal)/70mm Super Technirama
Colour Format: Technicolor
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 (negative ratio)/2.35:1 (35mm prints)
Sound: 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)/mono (35mm prints)

DIRECTION

Directed by: Nicholas Ray

PRODUCTION
Copyright: © MCMLXI [1961] by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Production Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents Samuel Bronston's production
Produced by: Samuel Bronston
Associate Producers: Alan Brown, Jaime Prades
General Production Manager: Stanley Goldsmith

SCRIPT
Screen Play by: Philip Yordan
Narration Written by: Ray Bradbury [uncredited]

DIRECTION
2nd Unit Directors: Noel Howard, Sumner Williams
Assistant Directors: Carlo Lastricati, José María Ochoa, José López Rodero

PHOTOGRAPHY
Directors of Photography: Franz F. Planer, Milton Krasner, Manuel Berenguer
Supervising Technician: Carl Gibson
Supervising Electrician: Norton Kurland

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editors: Harold F. Kress; Renée Lichtig [uncredited]

MUSIC
Music: Miklos Rozsa
Orchestrator: Eugene Zador [uncredited]

SOUND
Recording Supervisor: Franklin Milton
Sound Recordist: Basil Fenton Smith
Westrex Recording System

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Costumes Designed by: Georges Wakhevitch
Supervisor of Costuming: Eric Seelig
Make-Up Created by: Mario Van Riel, Charles Parker
Hair Styles by: Anna Cristofani

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Alex C. Weldon

VISUAL EFFECTS
Special Photographic Effects: Lee LeBlanc

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Sets Designed by: Georges Wakhevitch
Set Decorations: Enrique Alarcon
Assistant Set Decorator: Vicente Sempere Sempere [uncredited]
Master of Properties: Stanley Detlie
Murals by: Maciek Piotrowski
Storyboard Artist: Benjamín Fernández [uncredited]

OTHER CREW
Choreography for Salome's Dance: Betty Utey
Dialogue Coach: Agnes Moorehead [uncredited]

LOCATIONS
Locations: Chinchón, Madrid, Spain; El Fresno, Ávila, Castilla y León, Spain; Lago Alberche, Alberche del Caudillo, Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; Manzanares, Ciudad Real, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; Navacerrada, Madrid, Spain
Studios: Estudios Sevilla, Madrid, Spain; Estudios Chamartin, Madrid, Spain

CAST

co-starring
Jeffrey Hunter (Jesus Christ)
Siobhan McKenna (Mary)
Hurd Hatfield (Pontius Pilate)
Ron Randell (Lucius)
Viveca Lindfors (Claudia)
Rita Gam (Herodias)
Carmen Sevilla (Mary Magdalene)
Brigid Bazlen (Salome)
Harry Guardino (Barabbas)
Rip Torn (Judas)
Frank Thring (Herod Antipas)
Guy Rolfe (Caiaphas)
Royal Dano (Peter)
Robert Ryan as John the Baptist

with
Edric Connor (Balthazar)
Maurice Marsac (Nicodemus)
Gregoire Aslan (Herod)
George Coulouris (camel driver)
Conrado San Martín (General Pompey)
Gerard Tichy (Joseph)
José Antonio (real name: Antonio Mayans) (young John)
Luis Prendes (good thief)
David Davies (burly man)
José Nieto (Caspar)
Ruben Rojo (Matthew)
Fernando Sancho (madman)
Michael Wager (Thomas)
Felix de Pomes (Joseph of Arimathea)
Adriano Rimoldi (Melchior)
Barry Keegan (bad thief)
Rafael Luis Calvo (Simon of Cyrene)
Tino Barrero (Andrew)
Francisco Moran (blind man)

UNCREDITED CAST

Orson Welles (narrator)
Paul Naschy (extra)
Randy Paar (extra in Palm Sunday scene)

PLOT SUMMARY

An adaptation of those parts of The Bible dealing with the life of Jesus Christ.

One of the better Biblical epics, with a compelling performance from Jeffrey Hunter as Christ and an excellent supporting cast. Purists may argue over the inclusion of characters not mentioned in the Bible and the strange alteration of some of the other characters, but as a piece of cinema spectacle, this is hard to beat.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: MGM
Laserdisc Distributors: MGM Home Video (ML 102037); MGM Home Video (ML 104501); MGM Home Video (ML 100326)
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (65127)

Finland
Rating: S

Sweden
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: G

1960
April
24: USA - filming begins

October
Day Unknown: USA - filming ends

1961
June
Day Unknown: USA – additional filming begins
Day Unknown: USA – additional filming ends

October
11: USA – theatrical premiere
30: USA – theatrical release

December
21: West Germany – theatrical release

1962
March
16: Finland – theatrical release

1963
April
8: Sweden – theatrical release

May
27: Denmark – theatrical release

2003
February
25: USA - DVD release (Warner Home Video (65127))

A Story of The Christ. The Glory of His Spoken Words.

The Power - The Passion - The Greatness - The Glory

Kongernes konge - Danish title
König der Könige - Austrian/West German title
Konungarnas konung - Swedish title
Kuningasten kuningas - Finnish title
Il re dei re - Italian title
Rei de reis - Catalan Spanish title
Rei dos Reis - Portugese title
Rey de reyes - Argentinian/Spanish title
Le roi des rois - French title

SEE ALSO
Elvis Gratton II: Miracle à Memphis (1999)
From the Manger to the Cross (1912)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
History of the World: Part I (1981)
Jesus (1979)
Jesus (1999)
Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
The King of Kings (1927)
Myra Breckinridge (1970)
Il vangelo 2ndo Matteo (1964)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

ancient rome, biblical, jesus christ, miracles, religion, remakes

Last Updated: 1 December, 2009