Hannibal | |
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Directed by | Edgar G. Ulmer |
Starring | Victor Mature |
Distributed by | Warner Bros |
Release date(s) | 1959 |
Country | ‹See Tfd› Italy |
Budget | $4 million |
Hannibal (known as Annibale in its native Italy) is a 1959 historical film based on the life of Hannibal the Conqueror, starring Victor Mature in the title role.
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The film begins with the Roman Senate hearing about Hannibal (Victor Mature) crossing the Alps with his men and many elephants. The crossing is difficult, with many men dying en route, but they manage to pass through, in part because Hannibal forms an allegiance with a local chieftain.
Hannibal's troops capture Sylvia, daughter of Roman senator Fabius Maximus, and they fall in love. Some of Hannibal's troops oppose the match and an unsuccessful attempt is made on Sylvia's life. Hannibal also loses an eye during battle.
Despite the warnings of Fabius, who suggests fighting a piecemeal campaign against Hannibal and the Carthaginians until they are weakened, the Romans determined to fight them in the open. Hannibal leads his troops to victory in the Battle of Cannae.
Fabius is recalled to lead Roman troops and the momentum of Hannibal's campaign is lost. Hannibal's wife and child come from Carthage, and Sylvia returns to the Roman lines, and commits suicide. A post script informs us that Hannibal fought on for many more years in many more lands.
Despite being an Italian production the film was mainly financed by American studio Warner Brothers. The films budget was estimated at around $4–5 million.
The only speaking actors in the film were Victor Mature and Rita Gam, all the other actors were Italian and had their lines dubbed into English. The film featured approximately 20,000 extras.
The film was originally intended to be a more personal account of Hannibal's life, but the studio instead pressured the film makers into developing a more standard historical film. The film was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, although IMDB lists Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia as a co-director. The film was released theratrically in the USA on 18 June 1960.
The film existed in two versions, a 95 minute version released in non-English speaking European countries, and a 103 minute version released in the USA and other English speaking territories. The films tagline was "Jump on! Hang on! Here comes the avenging Hannibal and his crazed elephant army!"[1] The film's music was composed by Carlo Rustichelli.
The film was released on DVD in the USA on October 19, 2004. The DVD includes 16:9 format, a 33 minute interview with Edgar G. Ulmer, a photo and poster gallery, the theratrical trailer, and cast and crew biographies. The DVD contains no subtitles.
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Hannibal is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Ridley Scott, adapted from the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. It is the sequel to the 1991 Academy Award-winning film The Silence of the Lambs in which Anthony Hopkins returns to his role as the iconic serial killer, Hannibal Lecter. Julianne Moore co-stars, in the role first held by Jodie Foster, as the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent Clarice Starling.
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The musical opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical. It is the longest running show in Broadway history by a wide margin, and celebrated its 10,000th Broadway performance on 11 February 2012, the first production ever to do so. It is the second longest-running West End musical, after Les Misérables, and the third longest-running West End show overall, after The Mousetrap.