The Key West citizen., 1954-10-05
Ancient Egypt Civilization -.
Recreated For ''The Egyptian,

terry of the forbidden land Of the
Hittities, the decadence of Baby
lonia and the beauty of Syria have
been recreated by Twentieth Cen
tury Fox in bringing Mika Wal
tari's world-famous best seller,
''The Egyptian to the screen.
II viii have Its local premiere at
the Strand Theatre Thursday. No
greater challenge has ever con-
fronted q film-maker, for it invit-
ed the monumental task of re-
building an empire for which there
Is no precedent in motion annals.
what was life like SO centruies
ago. when pagan Egypt flowered
as the center of civilization? Why
did Sinuhe, the Egyptian physician
whose story this is, believe that he
would live eternally in mankind?
Why was Akhnaton the first Pha-
roah to discard the tenet OF his
personal divinity, even renounce
worship Of numerous animal-head-
ed god idols in favor Of monothe-
ism in its first recorded appear
ance in the world? What did the
Queen Of Cities - Thebes of the
Hundred Gates - look like? Who
were the women with the power
to strike deep into the heart OF
this man Of his time, The Egyp-
tian?
Il is on this epic scale that the
great Finnish writer, Waltari, con-
ceived this now legendary interna-
tional success. One Of the most i'm
portant works of our century, its
filming demanded twofold purpose.
It has to encompass the spectacle
and pageantry Of a fabulous lost
world, reaching back authentically
across 80 centuries to record mans
first fumbling conception Of a sin
gle living God, and at the same
time tell the poignantly human and
moving story Of the everyday life,
loves, conflicts, greeds, jealousies
and hopes Of the people Of its time.
To unity this view at once sweep,
ing and intimate asked vision, cour-
age and inspiration.
The man who took the dare to
bring "The Egyptian" to life is
Daryl F. Zanuck, three time
Academy Award winner, three
times recipient Of the Irwin Thai
berg Award. To direct ''The Egyp-
tian" Zanuck secured one Of Holly
woods great directors, Michael
Curtiz.
Two years Of preliminary plan
ming went into "The Egyptian"
Since no film had ever before been
made of the era, the studios Re.
search Department - actually AZ
separate departments = under the
direction of Miss Frances Richard
son had to document from scratch
every facet Of the production. Char
les LeMaire, the studios Wardrobe
Director, did his own Egyptian cos
tune research and personally guild
ed the making Of the thousands OF
costumes. Mrs. Elizabeth Riefstahl,
Assistant Curator Of Egyptology at
the Brooklyn Museum, served as
Technical Advisor, authenticating
the 81 sets and many thousands OF
props, ornaments and items Of jew
elry created.
Casting "The Egyptian" became
one of the master strategies for
Zanuck and Curtis to solve. In do
ing so, they assembled a magni-
ficent array of stars - Jean Sim
mons, Victor Mature, Gene Tier
ney, Michael Wilding, Bella Darvi,
Peter Ustinov and, as The Egyp-
tian, a distinguished newcomer in
Edmund Purdom and surround
ed them with two dozen featured
players, including judith Evelyn,
Henry Daniel, John Carradine and
Carl Benton Reid Of the Broadway
stage; young Tommy Rettig; and
beautiful Anitra Stevens.
But before a word was spoken
or a crowd scene shot, a second
camera unit travelled to Egypt film.
ing actual backgrounds no mortal
man could reproduce - the Valley
of the Kings, the Pyramids and the
Sphinx, the Red Sea, the Nile, Sy.
rian landscapes and the valleys oi
Mesopotamia.
Thus did this production of "The
Egyptian" come about. The tireless
efforts of superb craftsmen, fam.
Gus and unknown; 4 sum Of nearly
three years Of unceasing effort;
the expenditure of a staggering S..
10000 - all devoted to the EN-.
ergence Of this triumphant blend Of
exquisit beauty, compelling force
and overwhelming spectacle, "The