Spartacus (1960)

Director:

Stanley Kubrick
(more)

Writers:

Howard Fast (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

7 October 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

They trained him to kill for their pleasure. . .but they trained him a little too well. . .

Plot:

The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman empire.

Plot Keywords:

Controversial | Ancient World | Homosexual Subtext | Rome Italy | Arena

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Spartacus
Laurence Olivier	...	Marcus Licinius Crassus
Jean Simmons	...	Varinia
Charles Laughton	...	Sempronius Gracchus
Peter Ustinov	...	Lentulus Batiatus
John Gavin	...	Julius Caesar
Nina Foch	...	Helena Glabrus
John Ireland	...	Crixus
Herbert Lom	...	Tigranes Levantus
John Dall	...	Marcus Publius Glabrus
Charles McGraw	...	Marcellus
Joanna Barnes	...	Claudia Marius
Harold J. Stone	...	David
Woody Strode	...	Draba
Peter Brocco	...	Ramon
Paul Lambert	...	Gannicus
Robert J. Wilke	...	Guard captain
Nick Dennis	...	Dionysius (as Nicholas Dennis)
John Hoyt	...	Caius
Frederick Worlock	...	Laelius (as Frederic Worlock)
Tony Curtis	...	Antoninus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Batanides	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Bill Blackburn	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Buff Brady	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Rudy Bukich	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Bob Burns	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Fimbria (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Al Carmichael	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Guard (uncredited)
Carol Daniels	...	Christian girl (uncredited)
Ted de Corsia	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Terence de Marney	...	Majordomo (uncredited)
Johnny Duncan	...	Beheaded man (uncredited)
Roy Engel	...	(uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	...	(uncredited)
Charlotte Fletcher	...	Mother with Child (uncredited)
Robert Fuller	...	Extra (uncredited)
Seamon Glass	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Joe Gold	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Slave (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Slave leader (uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Otho (uncredited)
Brad Harris	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Harry Harvey Jr.	...	Slave (uncredited)
Joe Haworth	...	Marius (uncredited)
Vinton Haworth	...	Metallius (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Hallene Hill	...	Beggar woman (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	...	Slave leader (uncredited)
Jil Jarmyn	...	Julia (uncredited)
Valley Keene	...	Soldier (uncredited)
George Kennedy	...	Rebel soldier (uncredited)
Aron Kincaid	...	Crassus' standard-bearer (uncredited)
Irvin 'Zabo' Koszewski	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	...	Guard (uncredited)
Dayton Lummis	...	Symmachus (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Gordon Mitchell	...	(uncredited)
Bob Morgan	...	Galeno (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Slave (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Guard (uncredited)
Regis Parton	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Leonard Penn	...	Garrison officer (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Slave leader (uncredited)
Vic Perrin	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Bill Raisch	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Slave (uncredited)
George Robotham	...	Pirate (uncredited)
Autumn Russell	...	Slave girl (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Charles Schaeffer	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Jim Sears	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	Gladiator (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Legionnaire (uncredited)
Jo Summers	...	Slave girl (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Trainer (uncredited)
Louise Vincent	...	Slave at Gracchus' home (uncredited)
Carleton Young	...	Herald (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kubrick
Anthony Mann		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Howard Fast		(novel)
Dalton Trumbo		(writer)
Calder Willingham		(battle scenes) uncredited
Peter Ustinov		uncredited

Produced by
Kirk Douglas	....	executive producer
James C. Katz	....	producer (1991 restoration)
Edward Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert Lawrence
Irving Lerner		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Alexander Golitzen

Art Direction by
Eric Orbom

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Julia Heron

Costume Design by
Valles
William Ware Theiss		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Kirk Douglas (uncredited)

Production Management
Norman Deming	....	unit production manager
Eduardo García Maroto	....	unit production manager: Spain (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marshall Green	....	assistant director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director
Foster H. Phinney	....	assistant director (as Foster Phinney)
Charles Scott	....	assistant director
James Welch	....	assistant director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Irving Lerner	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	third assistant director (uncredited in original version)
Robert Webb	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (1991 restoration)
James Bolt	....	sound re-recording mixer 1991 restoration
Joel Fein	....	sound re-recording mixer 1991 restoration
Mark Gordon	....	sound effects editor (1991 restoration)
David W. Gray	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (1991 restoration) (as David Gray)
Gib Jaffe	....	sound effects editor (1991 restoration)
Joe Lapis	....	sound
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist (1991 restoration)
Ronald Pierce	....	sound
Karin Roulo	....	foley mixer (1991 restoration)
Murray Spivack	....	sound
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound
Glenn E. Anderson	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Jack Foley	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Steve Kohler	....	foley recordist: 1991 restoration (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Paul Rutan Jr.	....	manager of optical operations 1991 restoration
Peter Ellenshaw	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt coordinator
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Benson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Norman Bishop	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buff Brady	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Bruggeman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ron Burke	....	stunts (uncredited)
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wayne Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Courtney	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Daheim	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louie Elias	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Brad Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stubby Kruger	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Michael Masters	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Miles	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Peter Peterson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Schaeffer	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Don Turner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Red West	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Fortenberry Jr.	....	camera operations 1991 restoration
Bob Rose	....	additional grip
John Rupkalvis	....	camera operations 1991 restoration
Clifford Stine	....	cinematographer: additional scenes
William Read Woodfield	....	still photographer
George Dye	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Harry L. Wolf	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ditta Peruzzi	....	wardrobe (as Peruzzi)
Bill Thomas	....	costumes: Miss Simmons

Editorial Department
Fred A. Chulack	....	assistant film editor (as Fred Chulack)
Robert Lawrence	....	editorial consultant (1991 restoration)
David Orr	....	color timer (1991 restoration)
Brian Ralph	....	negative cutter (1991 restoration)
Robert Schulte	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor
Joseph Gershenson	....	score co-conductor
Alex North	....	conductor
Arnold Schwarzwald	....	music editor
Milton Schwarzwald	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	design consultant
Robert A. Harris	....	1991 reconstruction and restoration
Michael Hyatt	....	production assistant (1991 restoration)
Stan Margulies	....	production aide
Vittorio Nino Novarese	....	historical and technical advisor

Production Companies

• Bryna Productions

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Bio-Kuva (1962) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Väinän Filmi (1968) (Finland) (theatrical) (70 mm print)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1988) (Finland) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1992) (Finland) (video)
• Criterion Collection, The (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS) (restored version)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS) (widescreen)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• CIC (2000) (Germany) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2000) (Finland) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (HD-DVD) (restored) (uncut)

Other Companies

• Costumi d'Arte Peruzzi  wardrobe
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording

Also Known As:

Spartacus: Rebel Against Rome (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

184 min (premiere version) | Sweden:187 min (1968 re-release) | UK:197 min (1991 re-release) | USA:161 min (1967 re-release) | USA:198 min (1991 restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints, restored version) | Mono (Westrex Recording System) (35 mm prints, original release)

Certification:

Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (1967 version) | Finland:K-14 (1992) | Iceland:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) (restored version) | Finland:K-16 (1962) | Brazil:12 | Spain:13 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:AA (Ontario) (restored version) | Canada:G (Manitoba) (1967 version) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) (restored version) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original release) | Denmark:15 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Norway:16 (1963) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (restored version) | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Bryna Productions

Trivia:

Draba, played by Woody Strode, is killed in the ring after attacking one of the senators. His body is hung upside down in the gladiators' quarters as a warning. Originally this was going to be a replica of Strode, but when the effect wasn't satisfactory, he himself hung upside-down, ropes tied around his ankles. As the gladiators slowly file past his dangling body, Strode doesn't flinch or twitch. According to his son Kalai Strode, the unused replica hung inside the entrance to Universal Studios' prop room for several years.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When climbing the balcony during the revolt, Draba reacts to being hit with the spear before it actually reaches him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: In the last century before the birth of the new faith called Christianity, which was destined to overthrow the pagan tyranny of Rome and bring about a new society, the Roman Republic stood at the very center of the civilized world. "Of all things fairest," sang the poet...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story (2005)

Controlling Stanley: The Spartacus Experience

As most are undoubtedly aware, this is the film that the director virtually expunged from his repertoire. But why did Stanley Kubrick really disown SPARTACUS(1960)? The answer can be summed up in two words: absolute control. Kubrick wanted total administrative as well as artistic authority over the making of the film about a revolt of gladiators and slaves in ancient Rome.

But you will notice that Bryna Productions not only financed SPARTACUS but also an earlier film directed by Kubrick, PATHS OF GLORY(1958). Bryna was Kirk Douglas' film company, and, as most filmgoers know, he was the star of both films. Besides having all the money to make the films, Douglas had artistic vision as well. Only three weeks into what would prove to be an incredibly complex and arduous production, Douglas fired venerable director Anthony Mann (RAW DEAL, RAILROADED, THE NAKED SPUR, MAN OF THE WEST, etc.) from SPARTACUS. With only two days notice, Kubrick was hired to replace him.

Shooting PATHS OF GLORY, Douglas had confined his criticisms and objections to Kubrick's failed rewriting of the script (they went with the original screenplay). Douglas' complaints and artistic influence were far greater on SPARTACUS, much to Kubrick's chagrin. Though the director craved autonomy over every aspect of the film, Douglas would not budge. A tense compromise was reached, yet ultimately Douglas had the last word. Kubrick saw himself as just a hired gun. And he would never allow himself to be placed in this position again.

Later, both men would complain about the film's outcome and each other. They never made another movie together.

But SPARTACUS is no uneven patchwork of divergent ideas. The film is cohesive and arresting. At the restored version of three hours and eighteen minutes, there is practically no dead footage in the film. Dalton Trumbo's screenplay is surprisingly economical, with sharply drawn characters placed against the sweeping historical majesty and violent sociological tumult of ancient Rome. Quite plainly, the gloriously inventive music by Alex North is among the greatest scores ever written for a motion picture. And despite Kubrick's bad experience, he managed to guide the actors towards creating outstanding work ( a best supporting Oscar for Peter Ustinov). He even transformed the very real enmity between Laughton and Olivier into an on-screen asset. His other contributions were considerable also (the large scale and power of the battle sequence, for example). In the end, for the film at least, the clash of giant egos proved fortuitous. Recommendations: for greater insight and detail on this and Kubrick's other films I urge you to seek out Jan Harlan's excellent documentary, STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES, and Vincent LoBrutto's exhaustive, highly informative biography, STANLEY KUBRICK. For the producer's views on SPARTACUS and its director, take a gander at Kirk Douglas' very candid autobiography, THE RAGMAN'S SON.