The Vikings (1958)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Calder Willingham (screenplay)
Dale Wasserman (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

28 June 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

Mightiest Of Men... Mightiest Of Spectacles... Mightiest Of Motion Pictures!

Plot:

Einar and Eric are two Viking half-brothers. The former is a great warrior whilst the other is an ex-slave...

Plot Keywords:

Viking | Warrior | Princess | Main Character Dies | Duel

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Einar
Tony Curtis	...	Eric
Ernest Borgnine	...	Ragnar
Janet Leigh	...	Morgana
James Donald	...	Egbert
Alexander Knox	...	Father Godwin
Maxine Audley	...	Enid
Frank Thring	...	Aella
Eileen Way	...	Kitala
Edric Connor	...	Sandpiper
Dandy Nichols	...	Bridget
Per Buckhøj	...	Bjorn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Almut Berg	...	Pigtails (uncredited)
Kelly Curtis	...	Young Girl (uncredited)
Peter Douglas	...	Young Boy (uncredited)
Georges Guéret	...	Viking Warrior (uncredited)
Paul Préboist	...	Extra (uncredited)
Orson Welles	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Calder Willingham		(screenplay)
Dale Wasserman		(adaptation)
Edison Marshall		(novel "The Viking")

Produced by
Jerry Bresler	....	producer
Lee Katz	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Mario Nascimbene

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff		(photographed by)

Production Design by
Harper Goff

Makeup Department
John O'Gorman	....	makeup artist
Gabriella Reggiani	....	hair stylist
Vasco Reggiani	....	hair stylist
Neville Smallwood	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Julien Derode	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
André Smagghe	....	assistant director (as Andre Smagghe)
Elmo Williams	....	second unit director

Sound Department
Joseph de Bretagne	....	sound (as Jo de Bretagne)
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Ken Buckle	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Powell	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Tony Curtis (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Walter Wottitz	....	photographer: second unit
George Pink	....	technicolor technician (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Elmo Williams	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	conductor: orchestra
Mario Nascimbene	....	music arranger
Gerard Schurmann	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Harper Goff	....	assistant to producer
Christian Ferry	....	location manager (uncredited)
Lucie Lichtig	....	continuity (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bavaria Film
• Brynaprod S.A.
• Curtleigh Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (as A United Artists Release)
• United Artists (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1958) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1959) (Finland) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• UPA Pictures Inc.  animation prologue by (as UPA Pictures Inc)

Also Known As:

"Die Wikinger" - Austria, West Germany
"Los vikingos" - Mexico (imdb display title), Spain
"Vikingarna" - Finland (Swedish title) (imdb display title), Sweden
"I vichinghi" - Italy
"Les Vikings" - France
"Oi Vikings" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Os Vikings" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Viikingit" - Finland
"Vikingek" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Vikingerne" - Denmark
"Vikings" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Vikings, os Conquistadores" - Brazil
"Vikinzi" - Yugoslavia (Serbian title) (informal literal title)
"Wikingowie" - Poland (imdb display title)

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (tv rating) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1993) (1994) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Filmstudios, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

Stuntmen had practiced for weeks for the oar walking scenes. Kirk Douglas told director Richard Fleischer that he could do it and did several times. At one point when he did fall in the icy water he calmly swam over to the camera boat and asked if they had gotten good shots. He then swam back to the Viking longboat. Fleischer noted they were watching and filming an activity that had not been done in a thousand years.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Ragnar and Einar are celebrating the capture of Morgana, Ragnar is heard to say 'What a son'. This line is re-used from the earlier hatchet throwing scene.

Quotes:

Egbert:Lies will not sustain a tyrant.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Totem (1999) (V)

Rousing fun!

I've always thought that this was a fun film to watch. Kirk Douglas with his impressive physique is well cast but I think Ernest Borgnine steals the show playing his father. A great role for him. Maybe Tony Curtis looks a little out of place among the vikings but he's always been a good enough actor to pull it off. Great sets and just beautiful cinematography. The film was shot on real locations in Norway. If you get a chance to see this just sit back and enjoy this fun adventure film.