55 days of Beijing

the 55 days of Beijing ( 55 Days At Peking ) is a film carried out by Nicholas Ray in 1964, and whose main actors are Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner and David Niven.

Synopsis

Beijing, 1900. The Révolte of the Boxers becomes extensive and the Chinese authorities are divided: the general Jung-Lu presses the empress Tzu-Hsi to stop the fanatics, while prince Tuan advises to him to help them to drive out the foreigners. Vis-a-vis the threat of conflict, the foreign delegations organize their defense. Major Matt Lewis arrives at Beijing at the head of a detachment charged to protect the American embassy. He meets there the baroness Nathalie Ivanoff and the British ambassador, Sir Arthur Robertson. June 20th, the district of the embassies is besieged…

Data sheet

Title: 55 days of Beijing
original Title: 55 Days At Peking
Realizer: Nicholas Ray
Producing: Samuel Bronston
Production company: Samuel Bronston Productions
Scenario writers: Philippe Yodan, Bernard Gordon
Decoration: Venerio Colsanti, John Moore
Director of the photography: Jack Hildyard
Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
Country of origin: the United States
Format: Color (Technicolor)
Kind: Drama of War
Lasted: 154 minutes
Coming out date: May 29th 1964

Distribution

Charlton Heston (VF: Raymond Rent) : Major Matt Lewis
Ava Gardner (VF: Claire Guibert) : The baroness Nathalie Ivanoff
David Niven (VF: Bernard Dhéran) : The British ambassador, Sir Arthur Robertson
Flora Robson (VF: German Kerjean) : The empress dowager Tzu-Hsi
John Ireland (VF: Claude Bertrand) : The sergeant Harry
Harry Andrews (VF: Louis Arbessier) : The father of Béarn
Kurt Kasznar: The baron Serguei Ivanoff
Paul Lukas: Doctor Steinfeldt
Elisabeth Sellars: Lady Sarah Robertson
Jerome Thor (VF: Jacques Thébault) : The captain Andy Marshall
Philippe Leroy: Julliard
Jacques Sernas: The major Bobrinski
Leo Genn: The general Jung-Lu
Robert Helpmann: The prince Tuan
Lynne Sweats Moon: Teresa
Felix Dafauce (VF: Richard Francoeur) : The Dutch Minister

Around film

Criticisms

“the realization is constantly imposing, skilfully mixing the violent actions with an enormous figuration, carried out to the calmer perfection, and scenes…”
: French cinematography, June 1st, 1963
“On a historical groundwork by which one is astonished besides that it had not inspired the cinema yet, Ray a history of love and heroism likely to like Nicholas all the spectators embroidered”
: The evening of Brussels, June 4th, 1963
“the largest (and the first) Chinese western. One often thinks of Alamo, but in a very different decoration… The extent of the means implemented is seizing. A film where one has full the sight of it. ”
: Ingenuous, June 6th, 1963
“a spectacular which collapses under the luxury and the beauty… During two hours thirty, one plunges with delights and shivers in the middle of the Prohibited City. ”
: Pascal Mathieu, VSD, June 2nd, 1963

External bond

55 days of Beijing on Internet Movie Database

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