Home / Quo Vadis

Quo Vadis

Year:

1951

Duration:

171 min | UK:166 min

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Awards:

Nominated for 8 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1951-12-25

Filming Locations: Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Earnings

Budget: $7,623,000

Gross: $24,291,740 (USA)$45,860,660 (worldwide)

Cast

Actor

Character

Bud Spencer

Robert Taylor

Marcus Vinicius

Deborah Kerr

Lygia

Leo Genn

Petronius

Peter Ustinov

Nero

Patricia Laffan

Poppaea

Finlay Currie

Peter

Abraham Sofaer

Paul

Marina Berti

Eunice

Buddy Baer

Ursus

Felix Aylmer

Plautius

Nora Swinburne

Pomponia

Ralph Truman

Tigellinus

Norman Wooland

Nerva

Peter Miles

Nazarius

Geoffrey Dunn

Terpnos

Nicholas Hannen

Seneca

D.A. Clarke-Smith

Phaon (as D.A. Clarke - Smith)

Rosalie Crutchley

Acte

John Ruddock

Chilo

Arthur Walge

Croton

Elspeth March

Miriam

Strelsa Brown

Rufia

Alfredo Varelli

Lucan

Roberto Ottaviano

Flavius

William Tubbs

Anaxander

Pietro Tordi

Galba

Marika Aba

Dancer - Assyrian Dance at Nero's Banquet (uncredited)

Adriano Ambrogi

Wine Bibber (uncredited)

Anna Arena

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Alfred Baillou

Christian Prisoner in Arena (uncredited)

Giacomo Barnas

Senator (uncredited)

Scott R. Beal

Fisherman (uncredited)

John Binns

Officer (uncredited)

Francesca Biondi

Slave Girl (uncredited)

Alice Bishop

Serving Woman (uncredited)

Carlo Borelli

Noble (uncredited)

Leslie Bradley

Hasta - 2nd Praetorian (uncredited)

Alfred Brown

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Phyllis Brown

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Valentino Bruchi

Mirmillon (uncredited)

Rosemary Burt

Banquet Lady (uncredited)

Dante Ciriaci

Wine Bibber (uncredited)

Frank Colson

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Adrienne Corri

Young Christian Girl (uncredited)

Luca Cortese

Old Man (uncredited)

David Craig

Little Boy (uncredited)

Maurice De Bosardi

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Daniel De Jonghe

Apostle (uncredited)

Michael De Krasny

Banquet Man (uncredited)

Liana Del Balzo

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Jack del Rio

Apostle (uncredited)

Lia Di Leo

Pedicurist (uncredited)

Eduardo Di Persis

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Mildred Dudzik

Girl (uncredited)

Gabriella Fabrizio

Child (uncredited)

Franco Fantasia

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Cesare Fasulo

Noble (uncredited)

Al Ferguson

Apostle (uncredited)

Enzo Fiermonte

Mounted Captain (uncredited)

Enrico Formichi

Man with Wine Cup (uncredited)

John Fostini

Young Unbaptized Man (uncredited)

Lydia Fostini

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Dino Galvani

Senator (uncredited)

Richard Garrick

Slave (uncredited)

Gianni Gazzoti

Lydia Guard (uncredited)

Jack George

Fisherman (uncredited)

Carlo Ghisini

Guard (uncredited)

Trudy Glassford

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Joan Griffiths

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Evelyn Guignard

Girl (uncredited)

Robin Hughes

Christ

Adam Jennette

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Philip Kieffer

Apostle (uncredited)

Gipsy Kiss

Slave Girl (uncredited)

Lee Kresel

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Richard Larke

Guard (uncredited)

Sophia Loren

Lygia's Slave (uncredited)

Giovanni Lovatelli

Banquet Man (uncredited)

Helena Makowska

Older Woman (uncredited)

Anna Mancini

Nubian Slave Girl (uncredited)

Michael Mark

Fisherman (uncredited)

Clelia Matania

Parmenida (uncredited)

Richard McNamara

Legionnaire (uncredited)

Harriet Medin

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Dario Michaelis

Lydia Guard (uncredited)

Ernesto Molinari

Fisherman (uncredited)

John Myhers

Guard (uncredited)

Vincent Neptune

Apostle (uncredited)

Attillio Olivo

Servant (uncredited)

Riette Osborne

Banquet Lady (uncredited)

Anna Maria Padoan

Young Unbaptized Woman (uncredited)

Riccardo Pantellini

Guard (uncredited)

Louis Payne

Apostle (uncredited)

Walter Pidgeon

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Aldo Pini

Headkeeper (uncredited)

Alberto Plebani

Steward (uncredited)

Michael Proben

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Dino Raffaelli

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

George Restive

Apostle (uncredited)

Kenneth Richards

Guard (uncredited)

Alfredo Rizzo

Hairdresser (uncredited)

Giuseppe Rodi

Schipio (uncredited)

Leonardo Scavino

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Joseph Sebaroli

Marcus Guard (uncredited)

Alessandro Serbaroli

Officer (uncredited)

Jurek Shabelewski

Faun (uncredited)

John Sleeter

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Lujo Sostarich

Charon (uncredited)

Armando Spaccarelli

Guard (uncredited)

Jane Sprague

Banquet Lady (uncredited)

Raffaele Tana

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Elizabeth Taylor

Christian Prisoner in Arena (uncredited)

William Taylor

Guard Captain / Marcus Guard (uncredited)

Michael Tor

Centurian (uncredited)

Giuseppe Tosi

Wrestler (uncredited)

Carlo Tricoli

Apostle (uncredited)

Renato Valente

Guard (uncredited)

Scilla Vannucci

White Slave Girl (uncredited)

Giuseppe Varni

Hairdresser (uncredited)

Dianora Veiga

Slave Girl (uncredited)

Harry J. Vejar

Fisherman (uncredited)

Romilda Villani

Slave Girl (uncredited)

Benjamin Wilkes

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Maria Zanoli

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

True to his reputation as a voluptuary, the real Petronius took a week to kill himself by allowing his wounds to bleed and binding them up again. Reportedly he entertained friends, ate, drank and slept during the week-long ordeal.

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Among the stars considered for roles in this film were Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich as Poppaea and Charles Laughton as Nero.

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Miklós Rózsa's march at the conclusion of the movie is used again in Ben-Hur (1959) as the music for the procession of the charioteers.

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Goofs

In the scene of Vinicius' triumph, the parade route is going in the wrong direction, marching along the Northwest end of the Forum, rather than through it from the east end. Also, Nero's palace is in the wrong place, on the Capitoline rather than the Palatine Hill.

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When Ursus and the bull are facing each other, the bull's shadow alternates from one side to the other.

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While the arena where the Christian executions takes place has an elaborate ornament at its center, no such center would ever actually have such an ornament, as it would block the view for patrons on the other side.

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Quotes

Poppaea: [as Marcus enters] As usual your entrance is proud and aloof.

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Emperor Nero: [On learning that Petronius is dead] I shall never forgive him for this!

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Petronius: [in his dying letter to Nero] To Nero, Emperor of Rome, Master of the World, Divine Pontiff. I know that my death will be a disappointment to you, since you wished to render me this service yourself. To be born in your reign is a miscalculation; but to die in it is a joy. I can forgive you for murdering your wife and your mother, for burning our beloved Rome, for befouling our fair country with the stench of your crimes. But one thing I cannot forgive - the boredom of having to listen to your verses, your second-rate songs, your mediocre performances. Adhere to your special gifts, Nero - murder and arson, betrayal and terror. Mutilate your subjects if you must; but with my last breath I beg you - do not mutilate the arts. Fare well, but compose no more music. Brutalize the people, but do not bore them, as you have bored to death your friend, the late Gaius Petronius.

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