Arabesque

Stanley Donen (1966)

101min

12 Certificate

Review

Our Score

by Tony Sloman

In the wake of box-office smash Charade, here's a glamorous trawl through international espionage from the same director, Stanley Donen. This film stars the eternally puzzled Gregory Peck (Cary Grant would have been better) and the lovely Sophia Loren, lit by ace cinematographer Chris Challis in Technicolor. The plot is some nonsense about Arab spies (hence the punning title), which doesn't really matter, but Alan Badel and brawny Irish actor Kieron Moore provide fine support. This is lush, mindless and expertly crafted matinée fare.

Summary

An American professor working at Oxford University is hired by a mysterious Arabic businessman to decipher some ancient hieroglyphics. When he learns they contain a message linked to a planned political assassination, he is drawn into a series of escapades with his employer's henchmen in hot pursuit. Spy thriller, starring Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel and Kieron Moore.

Cast & Crew

David Pollock Gregory Peck

Yasmin Azir Sophia Loren

Beshraavi Alan Badel

Yussef Kassim Kieron Moore

Hassan Jena Carl Duering

Sloane John Merivale

Webster Duncan Lamont

Ragheeb George Coulouris

Beauchamp Ernest Clark

Mohammed Lufti Harold Kasket

Fanshaw Gordon Griffin

Director Stanley Donen

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourTheatrical distributor: Rank Film Dists LtdGuidance: Edited for violence.Available on: video and DVD

Drama

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Stanley Donen (1966)

Review

Summary

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