SYNOPSICS
The Long Ships (1964) is a Arabic,English movie. Jack Cardiff has directed this movie. Richard Widmark,Sidney Poitier,Russ Tamblyn,Rosanna Schiaffino are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1964. The Long Ships (1964) is considered one of the best Adventure,Drama,History movie in India and around the world.
There is a legend about a great bell, called "The Mother of Voices," made of pure gold, three times the size of a man, made by monks many years ago... This is the story told in the marketplace by a Viking called Rolfe. This information finds its way to the Islamic ruler Aly Manush, who is obsessed with finding the bell. But Rolfe claims not to know where the bell is, and escapes, back to his homeland, to convince his father and brother to give him a ship and crew to replace the one he lost - or to help him steal the Death Ship which belongs to the king - because he does know where the bell is...
Same Actors
The Long Ships (1964) Reviews
A rousing action/adventure movie for a treasure lost for centuries, the richest prize in the world
"The Long Ships" is the story of a mighty gold bell "as tall as three tall men," the one people call the Mother of Voices, cast long ago by the monks of Byzantium Prince Aly Mansuh had searched from the mountains to the sea for the bell Now he must know what lies beyond the horizon until Allah's divine guidance leads him to the treasures of Islam Prince Aly's wife Aminah thinks that her husband is chasing a legend, a fairy tale that has already cost them dearly in lives and gold But the prince is no dreamer He is sure that the bell does exist and it rests somewhere in this world, in a Christian land For him it was stolen by the Christian armies when they plundered their way across his cities to the dishonor and humiliation of his ancestors In that morning, the obsessed Moorish prince is informed by his guards that a stranger in the market knows the whereabouts of the golden bell The stranger is arrested and taken to a tower for interrogation The stranger assures to the prince that he knows nothing but stories and legends, and swears that, out in the market he was trying to earn some money for food and shelter He also said that he is a sailor, a dreamer, a Norseman, a Viking who was shipwrecked and was simply trying to get back to his homeland Richard Widmark is the true Norse warrior who swallowed the ocean He tells his father that he has returned because he needs another ship and another crew Rolfe said that he had found the bell He heard it booming away like a god's hammer on a mountain of ice Nothing else would've brought him back after losing his ship That ship cost his father the tribute money he owed the king Sydney Poitier promised Rolfe that he would not be prepared to die so calmly He shall give him an example of real courage that comes from authority, 'his' authority Aly Mansuh asks Lady Aminah to select one of his guards to be the first to feel the kiss of steel before the Viking Rosanna Schiaffino could offer Rolfe and his comrades the chance to live and to sail from these shores as rich men With fire in her cheeks, Lady Aminah looked lovely as the most envied woman with eye-catching legs Orm (Russ Tamblyn) asks the great Odin what did they do that he turns his rage against them ruining his father Gerda (Beba Loncar) is the beautiful snow princess taken as a hostage and whom to be sacrificed as a maiden to lift the curse of the death ship Krok (Oskar Homolka) is the old, ruined man who asks himself how a thane whose entire fortune consists of two gold pieces, find or even equip another ship King Harald (Clifford Evas) practically stole the ship build by Krok's men He cheated the broken man in giving him two gold pieces for his funeral ship, the difference between the ship's price and two years' tribute he owes him Sven (Edward Judd) is the sailing master to King Harald of Norseland who really thinks the ship is cursed for being a funeral ship He commands the sailors, these 'greedy devils' to turn back or they'll be hanged in the king's name With great stars, mutinous sailors, beautiful cinematography, and a look at a Moorish harem, "The Long Ships" remains another fine Viking adventure with a lot of humor and fun
Othelo goes Valhalla
Considering Kirk Douglas, only five years before, has made of his 'The Vikings' the definitive viking epic, not so bad we could be entertained with a lighthearted version of the norwegian warriors. Sort of a 'comic relief' after the bloody, harsh, moody Douglas unsurpassed masterpiece. Not to be taken seriously, this one. Directed by Jack Cardiff ('The Vikings' cinematographer), it offers fun, adventure, and a semi-Monty Python approach at times. The plot is the silliest ever, acting is hammy to the best, but what the hell? The Othelo-tailored moor, cortesy of Sidney Poitier, is straight. The nice Russ Tamblyn makes his best. Rossana Schiaffino is traffic-stopper, jawbreaker, but this is a Richard Widmark's movie from the beginning to the end, because he is the only one who clearly got the point across: he is taken nothing, absolutely nothing, too seriously! He is clearly blinking an eye to all off us viewers all the time, saying: "Relax, folks, it's only a movie! Let's have fun!" Somewhere in this very picture a given viking sighs: 'there's no real vikings anymore, like in the old times!" Man, they stayed all in the Kirk Douglas' movie, you bet! In this one, just tongue-in-cheek slapstick. Where's my popcorn pack?
Who Gets IT?
Oskar Homolka got it. Richard Widmark got it.Even Gordon Jackson got it.Does anyone remember "the Crimson Pirate"? Folks this is not history! This is fun. One of My childhood favorites. The score that every one seems to love is the tipoff.This is going to be a swashbuckler! Only Poitier seems to think he's playing Shakespeare's Moor. This is a great adventure movie! So well done in fact;that no one, in my Saturday matinee audience,even noticed the interracial romance.Kudos to Cardiff for pulling that off! Quite a feat in 1963! This is the kind of film parents hated,because scrap lumber and yardsticks disappeared to make swords,and every trash can lid became a battered shield [that no longer fit the can]. By Sunday morning there were many bruised and splinter wounded 10 year olds You should rate this type of movie by the number of bandaids passed out to young berserkers!
Fond memories
I recently watched this film again, for the first time in years. OK, so maybe it's not as historically accurate as it could be. But the acting (in the main) is still good, the music is superb, and I defy anyone *not* to be scared when Poitier says "You will ride the Mare of Steel", surely one of the most gruesome punishments in the history of the cinema!
Colorful and big budgeted Viking adventure with marvelous scenarios
The film starts telling the following legend :¨And so, by the storm's fury he lost all he loved most in this world, his ship and his shipmates. But he was ashore alone , the only survivor. Monks found him and took him to their monastery where they tenderly nursed him never asking his name of his country.And gradually he grew stronger, as he slowly recovered, he saw that the holy men collected tiny colored stones. And with great patience and loving skill made pictures from them to decorate their chapel. And the pictures told a story. A story of a mighty bell made of solid gold. For days without number the holy men labored to make this mighty bell, They made ready a great cauldron and under it fire burned day at night. They came of gold. Gold idols, golden rings taken from the harems, from wives, from princesses, from courtesans. Gold money, gold from ships, mines and caravans, from mosques , palaces and sacred cities. Gold stolen by robbers from from the tombs of pharaohs , golden cups, golden plate. Treasure won by conquering armies, And from its hiding place came the fabulous chain of Nimrud of the 10.ooo golden links. A last the huge cauldron was so filled with molten gold that no more could be added. Then I was poured into a gigantic clay mold. For days it stood cooling until the hour struck when the clay was torn away . And so the great golden bell came shinning into the world. They smoothed it, they polished it. Then they called on it to speak, And they ran back in terror and in awe. And covered their ears. For this was the mother of voices¨. Rolf (Richard Widmark) as leader of a band of Norsemen along with his brother Orn (Russ Tamblyn) stealing a ship sets sail for the unknown land in search of a missing solid-gold bell . Meanwhile they kidnap a Viking princess (Beba Loncar) and hold her for security. Widmark heading off a mysterious place, defending his people and battling for his survival against mutinous crew , evil oppressors(Clifford Evans) and especially fighting Moorish prince named El Mansuh(Sidney Poitier) There're also some gorgeous babes ( Rosanna Schiaffino, Beba Loncar) around to offer us certain comfort . This enjoyable picture packs adventures, thrills, good action scenes and is very amusing. Great location footage of booth Yugoslavia and Great Britain. Shimmer and glimmer cinematography by Christopher Challis. Spectacular and evocative musical score by Dugan Radic. The picture is well directed by Jack Cardiff (Dark of the sun, The girl on the motorcycle, My Geisha). This basic costume epic belongs to Viking genre such as : The classic ¨The Vikings(1958)¨ by Richard Fleischer with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, ¨The Norseman(1978) ¨ by Charles B Pierce with Cornel Wilde and Mel Ferrer ; ¨The Viking queen(1967)¨ by Don Chaffey with Don Murray and Andrew Keir; ¨The Viking sagas(1995)¨ by Michael Chapman with Ralph Moeller , among others.