ANCIENT ROME

Kaikoura Star, Volume LXX, Issue 51, 6 July 1950, Page 4

ANCIENT ROME

LEGIONS STUMPING AND LIONS ROAR AGAIN. Cine City, outside Rome, just the name of a film lot 19 months ago, today stands for the Rome that sprawled along the Tiber 2000 years ago. Any time now, Roman legions can be seen stumping through its streets. Lions roar in sandy arenas and the screams of Christians being mauled by them echo through the 11 city.” For this is the Rome of Nero’s time, of St. (Peter, and the Great Fire, and the sound of a fiddle—the Rome, in iact, of “Quo Vadis?”, all in brilliant technicolor. Mussolini built this cinema city, hoping to make it a world centre rivalling Hollywood. Now, it is being used to film the story of one of Mussolini’s predecessors in dictatorship—the sensuous, half-crazed, cruel, stupid Emperor Nero, who was the prey of every flatterer. / The American film company, MetroGold wyn-Mayer/, has hired Cine City for its colour film of “Quo Vadis?”,, famous end of the nineteenth century novel by the Pole, HAnryk Sienkiewicz, for the next seven months or so. The Hollywood director, Mervyn. Leroy, will be directing this story of the grandeur—and squalor—of ancient Rome, based on the vision of St. Peter on the Appian Way. In reply to St. Peter’s .-“Quo Vadis?” (Whither goest thou?), legend has it the visionary Christ replied: “I go to Rome to be crucified anew.” Therefore, St. Peter, who had been fleeing from the city at the instanc-e of his friends to escape Nero’s persecution of the Christians, turned back, was- arrested, imprisoned, and lafer crucified head downwards. Lions and Chariots. Sixty lions have been brought from various parts of Italy and Germany to feature the film. Great banqueting halls, a replica of the Colisseum, and hundreds of chariots have been built. Famous Italian statues have been reproduced, and many Italian seamstresses have been kept busy for the last year stitching the togas and sleeveless gowns which the actors and extras will wear. Actors include both British and American film stars, with Italian actors and cameramen. Deborah Kerr will play the part of Lydia, the daughter of a king and foster chile! of a Roman general, who becomes a Christian, and is subsequently undecided whether to stick to her faith or the pagan she loves. Cost Over £2,000,000. Peter Ustinov, author, actor, and. playwright of “Private Angelo” fame will take the part of Nero. Marcus, the handsome Roman aristocrat, who finally turns Christian, and is killed in the arena beside -his Lydia, is to be played by the American Robert Taylor. Petronius, uncle, and friend of Marcus, a cultured Roman nobleman, counsellor of Nero, is played by Leon Genn, who took the part of the psychiatrist in “The Snake Pit.” In all, it is estimated that M-G-M will spend seven million dollars (about £2,300,000) on what is undoubtedly the most ambitious picture ever filmed in Italy.