The Egyptian * (1954, Edmund Purdom, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Peter Ustinov, Gene Tierney) – Classic Movie Review 2252

For this 1954 movie set in a before-Christ era 18th-dynasty Egypt, a wan-seeming Edmund Purdom replaced Marlon Brando as Sinuhe, a poor orphan boy who becomes a brilliant physician. And, accompanied by his friend Horemheb (Victor Mature), he is appointed to the service of the new Pharoah, Akhnaton (Michael Wilding).

The doctor Sinuhe is summoned to treat the epilepsy-suffering Pharaoh and romances Babylonian courtesan temptress Nefer (Bella Darvi), before returning to his old flame, the serving wench Merit (Jean Simmons). Priests then conspire to kill Akhnaton for his religious views, and Merit is targeted too.

Even a director as special as Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) can’t find his way through this tacky, sickly morass that’s boring without having any special camp appeal like Land of the Pharaohs (1955). Even the more distinguished members of the cast like Peter Ustinov (as the doctor’s servant Kaptah), Gene Tierney, Judith Evelyn, Henry Daniell, John Carradine, Carl Benton Reid and Tommy Rettig are in trouble in this historical soap opera epic that is basically a shocking waste of everybody’s time and money.

There’s plenty of professional talent available to go round both in front of and behind the cameras. Leon Shamroy’s cinematography was Oscar-nominated and the movie certainly does look good and it sounds good too in Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Newman’s score. But sometimes that’s just not nearly enough.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2252

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