Helen of Troy (film)
A 1956 epic retelling the Trojan War with altered myth.
Helen of Troy is a 1956 epic historical drama co-produced by American, Italian, and French studios. Directed by Robert Wise, the screenplay was written by Hugh Gray and John Twist, with additional adaptation by Gray and N. Richard Nash. Max Steiner composed the score, and Harry Stradling Sr. handled cinematography in CinemaScope. The film has been described as "a forgotten Robert Wise epic."
The cast includes Rossana Podestà, Stanley Baker, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Jacques Sernas, alongside Niall MacGinnis, Maxwell Reed, Nora Swinburne, Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, Harry Andrews, Janette Scott, Ronald Lewis, Eduardo Ciannelli, Esmond Knight, and Brigitte Bardot as Andraste, Helen’s handmaiden—this being Bardot’s first film shot outside France. (Note: This was actually her second film shot outside France, following 'Doctor at Sea' in 1955.)
The plot follows the Trojan War in 1100 B.C., with notable deviations from Homer’s *Iliad*. Paris of Troy sails to Sparta to negotiate a peace treaty, but a storm forces his ship back after he is swept overboard onto the Spartan shore. Helen, queen of Sparta, finds him, and they fall in love. At the palace, Paris encounters King Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, and other Greek leaders debating war with Troy. Menelaus, rejected by Helen, sees the romance and feigns friendship while plotting Paris’s death. Warned by Helen, Paris flees; after a narrow escape from the Spartans, he takes Helen to Troy. The Greeks unite under the pretext of restoring Menelaus’s honor, beginning the siege. Much bloodshed follows, with Trojans blaming Paris and Helen until it becomes clear the Greeks seek Troy’s wealth, not Helen. The war ends with the Trojan Horse ruse. As Helen and Paris try to flee, Menelaus corners them. Paris fights him in single combat but is killed when Menelaus hurls a spear into his back just as he gains the upper hand. Helen returns with Menelaus, serene in the belief that she will reunite with Paris in Elysium after death.
Originally planned for 3-D, Warner Bros. later announced it would use WarnerSuperScope with their new All-Media camera, but it was ultimately released in CinemaScope. The film was one of several 1950s Hollywood productions shot in Europe that cast Stanley Baker as a villain. It was made at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios and in Punta Ala, Grosseto.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Robert Wise
- Based On
- Iliad / 8th century B.C. poem · Homer
- Writer
- Hugh Gray / N. Richard Nash / John Twist
- Narrator
- Jack Sernas
- Starring
- Rossana Podestà / Jacques Sernas / Sir Cedric Hardwicke / Stanley Baker / Niall MacGinnis
- Music
- Max Steiner
- Cinematography
- Harry Stradling
- Editing
- Thomas Reilly
- Distributor
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Released
- 26 January 1956 · United States
- Runtime
- 118 minutes (US version)
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film was originally planned for 3-D but was released in CinemaScope. It was shot at Rome's Cinecittà Studios and in Punta Ala, Grosseto. During production, more than 200 persons were injured and 3 reportedly killed. The scene of the Greeks' initial assault on Troy copies shots from D. W. Griffith's Intolerance, and some of those shots were later reused in Jason and the Argonauts (1963).
The plot follows Paris of Troy sailing to Sparta for a peace treaty, falling in love with Helen, and fleeing with her to Troy. The Greeks besiege Troy under pretense of restoring Menelaus's honor, but are actually after Troy's riches. The siege ends with the Trojan Horse ruse; Paris is killed by a spear thrown by Menelaus during their duel, and Helen returns with Menelaus, serene in the knowledge of reunion in Elysium.
Reader's Guide
Helen of Troy (1956) is a notable entry in the cycle of 1950s epic historical dramas, though it has been called 'a forgotten Robert Wise epic.' Its significance lies in its lavish use of CinemaScope and large-scale battle sequences, which received mixed critical reception. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times found the human drama lost in banal script and clichés, while Hy Hollinger of Variety praised the spectacle. Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times called it 'a mighty film impression,' and Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post noted its appeal to the 'popcorn set.' The film's departures from Homer—portraying Paris as a hero and Greek lords as pirates—were noted by critics and partially re-employed in the 2003 miniseries of the same name. Its production challenges, including injuries and deaths, and its borrowing from Griffith's Intolerance, add to its historical interest. The film remains a reference point for mid-century cinematic adaptations of Greek mythology.
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