Valley of the Kings (B or 3/4 stars)
'Valley of the Kings' is a 1954 action/adventure flick directed by Robert Pirosh. Cairo, 1900. Self-made Mark Brandon (dashing Robert Taylor) is a rough, womanizing archeologist on a dig in Egypt, when recruited by the rich & beautiful Ann Barclay Mercedes (lovely Eleanor Parker) to work for her to uncover the tomb of an 18th-Dynasty Pharaoh who is buried in the 'Valley of the Kings'. Mark takes this job because he knew her deceased renowned archeologist father & he was very generous to him when he began his career. Ann told Mark that her father had told her that if they find this tomb, it would be proof of the story of Joseph's bondage in ancient Egypt. Also on this adventure is Ann's unctuous new husband, Philip Mercedes (Carlos Thompson). Intrigue, betrayal & murder ensue.
This film was the 1st large-scale Hollywood epic that was filmed IN Egypt. It contains the search for said tomb, some low-key hijinks, a battle with villainous grave robbers/smugglers, some sandals, some clanging swords, & a dollop of romance for good measure. I liked 'Valley of the Kings' enough. It is lushly photographed by famed cinematographer Robert Surtees. It's fascinating to see the actual Sphinx, Pyramids, Mount Sinai, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the deserts, and the like onscreen. They're all so enormous that they dwarf the humans in scale -- pretty cool to see. A cast of hundreds populate the screen. The sets are magnificent. The period costumes are great. The sound design is crisp; you really hear those swords clamor. The action & special effects impress. And the musical score is appropriately epic.
All that said, the core drama at the center of the story is a tad vacuous. For all the positive aspects of this film, I'd say that the plot & editing could have been sharper and more fluid; creating dead spots along the way. As for the performances, well, they're not amazing, either - but solid. Eleanor Parker presents an elegant, but tough, independent-minded heroine. Robert Taylor is, well, Robert Taylor -- looks good and spouts his lines, but rarely do I find him charismatic. Director Pirosh wasn't enamored by Taylor either; they clashed on set. But you know who DID find him charismatic? Eleanor Parker. The two actors exhibited stellar chemistry in their banter/romance because it is rumored that they had a fling during the filming. 'VOTK' provides decent entertainment ... even if it isn't some high art achievement.
This film was the 1st large-scale Hollywood epic that was filmed IN Egypt. It contains the search for said tomb, some low-key hijinks, a battle with villainous grave robbers/smugglers, some sandals, some clanging swords, & a dollop of romance for good measure. I liked 'Valley of the Kings' enough. It is lushly photographed by famed cinematographer Robert Surtees. It's fascinating to see the actual Sphinx, Pyramids, Mount Sinai, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the deserts, and the like onscreen. They're all so enormous that they dwarf the humans in scale -- pretty cool to see. A cast of hundreds populate the screen. The sets are magnificent. The period costumes are great. The sound design is crisp; you really hear those swords clamor. The action & special effects impress. And the musical score is appropriately epic.
All that said, the core drama at the center of the story is a tad vacuous. For all the positive aspects of this film, I'd say that the plot & editing could have been sharper and more fluid; creating dead spots along the way. As for the performances, well, they're not amazing, either - but solid. Eleanor Parker presents an elegant, but tough, independent-minded heroine. Robert Taylor is, well, Robert Taylor -- looks good and spouts his lines, but rarely do I find him charismatic. Director Pirosh wasn't enamored by Taylor either; they clashed on set. But you know who DID find him charismatic? Eleanor Parker. The two actors exhibited stellar chemistry in their banter/romance because it is rumored that they had a fling during the filming. 'VOTK' provides decent entertainment ... even if it isn't some high art achievement.