Quo Vadis (1951) Betamax Capture

PLOT:

Quo Vadis (Latin for “Where are you going?”) is an American historical epic drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in Technicolor and theatrically released on November 8, 1951. The film was set in the year 64 A. D. in Ancient Rome, was produced by Sam Zimbalist, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and is based on the novel of the same name by Henryk Sienkiewicz. This film actually saved MGM Studios from bankruptcy. Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor), Commander of the 14th Roman Legion, returns from Britain and Gaul and falls in love with a Lygian hostage (although according to the theatrical trailer, she was called a slave girl, which is wrong!) named Lygia (Deborah Kerr). Marcus must face multiple challenges such as Nero (Peter Ustinov) as Emperor of Rome, the city bursting into flames, and man-eating lions. Before some of the Christian subjects get thrown to the lions, Marcus’ uncle Gaius Petronius (Leo Genn) and Spanish Christian slave girl Eunice (Marina Berti) commit suicide, despite Eunice being freed. After the lions have had their meals, other Christian subjects such as General Aulus Plautius (Felix Aylmer) and Peter (Finlay Currie) get burned/crucified on crosses! Later, Lygia gets tied up in the arena, and Ursus (Buddy Baer) must face a bull in a fight against death, but he kills the bull, Marcus and his tribune, Fabius Nerva (Norman Wooland) free Lygia, and Marcus does a short speech about Nero’s antics and General Galba (Pietro Tordi) taking Nero’s place as Emperor of Rome. Tigellinus (Ralph Truman), Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, gets stabbed to death by a sword. Back at the palace, Nero kills his second wife, the Empress Poppaea (Patricia Laffan) by strangling her. After Poppaea dies, Nero must die by stabbing himself in the chest with a dagger, but he can’t do it without help from Acte (Rosalie Crutchley). With General Galba as new Emperor of Rome,  Marcus, Lygia, Ursus and Nazarius (Peter Miles) head to Sicily. The film ends with the words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”. This is the double tape 1986 Betamax release of Quo Vadis, although the 2 parts were edited together.

CREDITED CAST:

Robert Taylor as Marcus Vinicius

Deborah Kerr as Lygia

Leo Genn as Petronius

Peter Ustinov as Nero

Patricia Laffan as Poppaea

Finlay Currie as Peter

Abraham Sofaer as Paul

Marina Berti as Eunice

Buddy Baer as Ursus

Felix Aylmer as Plautius

Nora Swinburne as Pomponia

Ralph Truman as Tigellinus

Norman Wooland as Nerva

Peter Miles as Nazarius

Geoffrey Dunn as Terpnos

Nicholas Hannen as Seneca

D. A. Clarke-Smith as Phaon

Rosalie Crutchley as Acte 

John Ruddock as Chilo

Arthur Walge as Croton

Elspeth March as Miriam

Strelsa Brown as Rufia

Alfredo Varelli as Lucan

Roberto Ottaviano as Flavius

William Tubbs as Anaxander

Pietro Tordi as Galba

UNCREDITED CAST:

Richard Garrick as Public slave with Marcus at triumph

Sophia Loren as Lygia’s slave

Clelia Matania as Parmenida, women’s hairdresser at Nero’s palace

Bud Spencer as Imperial Guard

Elizabeth Taylor as Christian prisoner in arena

Marika Aba as Assyrian Dancer at Nero’s banquet

Giuseppe Tosi as Wrestler at Nero’s banquet 

Robin Hughes as Jesus of Nazareth in flashback tableaux

Adrienne Corri as Christian girl in Circus prison and arena

Walter Pidgeon as The Narrator

Tanner the Lion as Leo (MGM’s mascot)

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