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The Vikings (1958)
Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1958
Running Times: 114 mins
Format: Color by Technicolor
35mm
Ratio: 2.35:1 Filmed in Technirama
Sound: mono
CREDITS
 PRODUCTION
Production Company: A Kirk Douglas Production A United Artists
release
Copyright: © 1948 Brynaprod S.A.
Produced by: Jerry Bresler
Production Manager: Julien Derode
SCRIPT
Screen Play by: Calder Willingham
Adaptation by: Dale Wasserman
Based on the novel The Viking by Edison Marshall
DIRECTION
Directed by: Richard Fleischer
Second Unit Director: Elmo Williams
Assistant Director: André Smagghe
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photographed by: Jack Cardiff
Second Unit Director of Photographer: Walter Wottitz
EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editorial Supervisor: Elmo Williams
Editor: Hugo Williams (uncredited)
MUSIC
Music Composed and Arranged by: Mario Nascimbene
Orchestra Conducted by: Franco Ferrara
SOUND
Sound: Jo de Bretagne
Sound Mixer: Gordon K. McCallum (uncredited)
Westrex Recording System
COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: John
O'Gorman, Neville Smallwood
Hairdressing: Vasco and Gabriella Reggiani
VISUAL EFFECTS
Animation Prologue by: UPA Pictures Inc
DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Design: Harper Goff
MISCELLANEOUS
Assistant to Producer: Harper Goff
LOCATIONS
Locations: Brittany, France; Fort La Latte, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany,
France; Norway
CAST
Kirk Douglas (Einar)
Tony Curtis (Eric)
Ernest Borgnine (Ragnar)
Janet Leigh (Morgana)
James Donald (Egbert)
Alexander Knox (Father Godwin)
Frank Thring (Aella)
Maxine Audley (Enid)
Eileen Way (Kitala)
Edric Connor (Sandpiper)
Dandy Nichols (Bridget)
Per Buckhoj (Bjorn)
Almut Berg (Pigtails - uncredited)
Orson Welles (narrator - uncredited)
PLOT SUMMARY
Viking half-brothers Einar and Eric are unaware that they are related
- Einar is a great warrior while Eric is a former slave. Their paths
cross when they battle for the throne of Northumbria in Britain and
when they both fall for the beautiful Princess Morgana.
CAPSULE REVIEW
A fantastic historical epic with fantasy elements (the unseen god Odin
rescues Eric from a nasty fate) and a top notch cast at their top of
their games. Visually the film is a treat, with fabulous sets and locations,
but the score - particularly the rousing main theme - is probably what
most people will remember, a truly classic soundtrack to a classic film.
AVAILABILITY
USA
Theatrical Distributor: United Artists
CENSORSHIP HISTORY
Finland
Rating: K-16
Norway
Rating: 15
Sweden
Rating: 15
UK
Rating: PG
AWARDS
1958
San Sebastián International Film Festival
Zulueta Prize Best Actor (Kirk Douglas) - winner (tied with James Stewart
for Vertigo (1958))
1959
Laurel Awards
Golden Laurel: Top Action Drama - winner
TIMELINE
1958
December
15: Sweden - theatrical release
25: West Germany - theatrical release
1959
January
Day Unknown: Austria - theatrical release
February
6: Finland - theatrical release
March
2: Denmark - theatrical release
1962
May
17: Denmark - theatrical re-release
1998
November
8: France - shown at the Cherbourg-Octeville Festival of Irish and British
Film; UK - television broadcast (on ITV (London Weekend Television))
2001
November
3: UK - television broadcast (on Channel Four)
2007
January
29: UK - television broadcast (on Film4 / Film4 + 1)
POSTER TAGS
Mightiest of Men... Mightiest of Spectacles... Mightiest
of Motion Pictures! ALTERNATIVE TITLES
I vichinghi - Italian title
Viikingit - Finnish title
Vikingarna - Swedish title
Los vikingos - Spanish title
Les vikings - French title
Die Wikinger - Austrian / German title
REFERENCES
MAGAZINES
Ciné Jeunes vol.5 no.19 (1959)
p.18 (France)
review
Daily Cinema no.8026 (9 July 1958) p.7
(UK)
review
Empire no.160 (October 2002) p.95 (UK)
illustrated review
Film Daily vol.113 no.98 (20 May 1958)
p.6 (USA)
review
Films and Filming no.391 (April 1987)
p.10 (UK)
review
Films and Filming no.395 (August 1987)
p.12 (UK)
note
Films in Review vol.43 no.1/2 (January
/ February 1992) p.26 (USA)
illustrated review
Hollywood Reporter vol.150 no.2 (20 May
1958) p.3 (USA)
review
Kine Weekly no.2656 (10 July 1958) p.21
(UK)
review
Monthly Film Bulletin vol.25 no.295 (August
1958) p.100 (UK)
credits, synopsis, review
Motion Picture Herald vol.211 no.8 (24
May 1958) p.840 (USA)
review
Sight and Sound vol.4 no.10 (October
1994) p.63 (UK)
video review
Variety 21 May 1958 p.6 (USA)
credits, review
OTHER SOURCES
screen
credits KEYWORDS book into film, vikings, deities, divine intervention, battles, swordfights,
funeral pyres, royalty, princesses
Last Updated:
1 January, 2009
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