The Bible: In the Beginning

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The Bible: In The Beginning
Directed by	John Huston
Produced by	Dino De Laurentiis
Starring	Michael Parks Ulla Bergryd Richard Harris Ava Gardner Peter O'Toole
Music by	Toshirô Mayuzumi
Cinematography	Giuseppe Rotunno
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s)	September 28, 1966 (U.S. release)
Running time	174 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Bible: In the Beginning is a 1966 Biblical epic film recounting the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis. It was a joint American/Italian production conceived by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston.

The film consists of three main sections: Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and the story of Abraham. There are also a pair of shorter sections, one recounting the building of the Tower of Babel, and the other the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sections vary greatly in tone.

The story of Abraham is somber and reverential, while that of Noah is played almost as a slapstick comedy, with Noah's relationship with the animals being depicted humorously (the flood scenes, however, are completely serious). The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Tower of Babel could be called precursors to special effects spectaculars, although there are no real effects in the Tower of Babel sequence, and the special effects in the Sodom and Gomorrah sequence do not appear until the cities are actually destroyed, while the story of Adam and Eve focuses some on the naked bodies of the pair. It was originally conceived as the first in a series of films retelling the entire Old Testament, but these sequels were never made.

The film is also notable as being the first of only two films (along with Patton) to be shot for Dimension 150, a 70 mm variant format created by Todd AO.

[edit] Cast

Michael Parks as Adam
Ulla Bergryd as Eve
Richard Harris as Cain
Franco Nero as Abel
John Huston as Noah, the narrator, the serpent, and God
Stephen Boyd as Nimrod
Gabriele Ferzetti as Lot
Eleonora Rossi Drago as Lot's wife
George C. Scott as Abraham
Ava Gardner as Sarah
Peter O'Toole as the Three Angels

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

v • d • e Films directed by John Huston

1940s	The Maltese Falcon • In This Our Life • Across the Pacific • Report from the Aleutians • The Battle of San Pietro • Let There Be Light • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre • Key Largo • We Were Strangers

1950s	The Asphalt Jungle • The Red Badge of Courage • The African Queen • Moulin Rouge • Beat the Devil • Moby Dick • Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison • The Barbarian and the Geisha • The Roots of Heaven

1960s	The Unforgiven • The Misfits • Freud the Secret Passion • The List of Adrian Messenger • The Night of the Iguana • The Bible: In the Beginning • Reflections in a Golden Eye • Casino Royale • Sinful Davey • A Walk with Love and Death

1970s	The Kremlin Letter • Fat City • The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean • The Mackintosh Man • The Man Who Would Be King • Wise Blood

1980s	Phobia • Victory • Annie • Under the Volcano • Prizzi's Honor • The Dead