Along with Douglas and Ustinov, Laurence Olivia stars as the Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus who tries to seduce his young male slave played by Tony Curtis. The film sports an impressive cast of Hollywood heavyweights of the time. However, the political maneuvering for control in the capitol proves to be almost as fatal to the empire as the slave uprising.
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Spartacus becomes the leader and slowly his fame-or infamy-spreads across the Italian Peninsula.Īs the Roman Senate becomes increasingly concerned with the insurgents, they send out their armies to quell the rebellion. But bit-by-bit they gain more support as they cross the country pillaging Roman estates and freeing slaves. Later, after being forced to become a gladiator under the tutorage of Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov), the young man learns fighting skills that he uses when the gladiators at the school stage an uprising.Īt first he and the fugitives are considered to be a mere annoyance. The story focuses on the central historical character of Spartacus (played by Kirk Douglas), a Thracian gladiator who, along with other escapees, helps sparks the Third Servile War in the Roman Empire.ĭespite living in the salt mines since he was a boy, Spartacus has a sense of morality that seems out of place in his circumstances. The production also received six Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars including one for Peter Ustinov as a best supporting actor.
#SPARTACUS FILM MOVIE#
It became the studio’s highest grossing film until the release of the 1970 movie Airport.
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Douglas optioned the book and Universal eventually agreed to finance the film. The Douglas Dynasty (that grew to include Kirk’s sons Michael, Eric, Joel and Peter) was already well established when Kirk Douglas was given Howard Fast’s novel Spartacus by one of the vice presidents of his film company, Bryna Productions.