Miloslaw Park is located in Miłosław , a town in Września County , Greater Poland Voivodeship , Poland .
103-453: In the park there are numerous ponds, there are 3 islands, 4 channels over which smuggled bridges and a network of walking paths. In the beginning was decorated in the French style, then was transformed into one half. Nineteenth-century English style parks. The pride of the park are avenues: hornbeam-lime leading to a wooden cross, hornbeam leading towards monument Slovak, 4-row alley larch running on
206-506: A Christian in the Circus prisons. Although most of the cast was British and a few Italian (Marina Berti, Alfredo Varelli, Roberto Ottaviano), Robert Taylor was certainly not the only American. Others included Buddy Baer (Ursus), Peter Miles (Nazarius), Arthur Walge (Croton), and William Tubbs (Anaxander). Also, several were among the uncredited cast; perhaps the most notable of these was 70-year-old Irish-American character actor Richard Garrick as
309-641: A Journey), which were published in The Polish Gazette in 1876–78 and republished as a book in 1880. Other articles by him also appeared in Przegląd Tygodniowy (The Weekly Review) and Przewodnik Naukowy i Literacki (The Learned and Literary Guide), discussing the situation of American Polonia . He briefly lived in the town of Anaheim , later in Anaheim Landing (now Seal Beach, California ). He hunted, visited Native American camps, traveled in
412-565: A Polish translation, published in 1874, of Victor Hugo 's last novel, Ninety-Three . In June that year he became co-owner of Niwa (in 1878, he would sell his share in the magazine). Meanwhile, in 1872, he had debuted as a fiction writer with his short novel Na marne (In Vain), published in the magazine Wieniec (Garland). This was followed by Humoreski z teki Woroszyłły (Humorous Sketches from Woroszyłła's Files, 1872), Stary Sługa (The Old Servant, 1875), Hania (Sienkiewicz) (1876) and Selim Mirza (1877). The last three are known as
515-491: A diploma because he did not pass the examination in Greek language . Sienkiewicz also wrote for Gazeta Polska (The Polish Gazette) and Niwa (magazine), under the pen name "Litwos". In 1873 he began writing a column, "Bez tytułu " ("Without a title"), in The Polish Gazette ; in 1874 a column, " Sprawy bieżące " ("Current matters") for Niwa ; and in 1875 the column, " Chwila obecna " ("The present moment"). He also collaborated on
618-490: A fictitious diary. His works of the period are critical of decadent and naturalistic philosophies. He had expressed his opinions on naturalism and writing, generally, early on in " O naturaliźmie w powieści " ("Naturalism in the Novel", 1881). A dozen years later, in 1893, he wrote that novels should strengthen and ennoble life, rather than undermining and debasing it. Later, in the early 1900s, he fell into mutual hostility with
721-463: A gift from the Polish people: an estate at Oblęgorek , near Kielce , where he later opened a school for children. In 1905 he won a Nobel Prize for his lifetime achievements as an epic writer. In his acceptance speech, he said this honor was of particular value to a son of Poland: "She was pronounced dead – yet here is proof that she lives on.... She was pronounced defeated – and here is proof that she
824-480: A guy plays with himself nights.... At the time I thought it a preposterous assessment, but a little later I was not so sure. It was a profundity at its most workaday level, and it led me to the eventual conviction that no nation can make Roman pictures as well as the Americans ... The inevitable vulgarities of the script contributed as much to its authenticity as its rare felicities. I felt then as I feel today, in spite of
927-586: A huge box office success that it was credited with single-handedly rescuing MGM from the brink of bankruptcy. Peter Ustinov won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture , and Robert Surtees and William V. Skall won the award for Best Cinematography. Marcus Vinicius is a Roman military commander and the legate of the XIV Gemina . Returning from wars in Britain and Gaul, he stays in
1030-475: A letter to Nero expressing his derision for the emperor (which he previously had concealed to avoid being murdered by him) and commits suicide by severing an artery in his wrist. His slavegirl Eunice (who has fallen in love with him) elects to die with him, despite being freed. The Christian apostle Peter has also been arrested after returning to Rome in response to a sign from the Lord, and he marries Marcus and Lygia in
1133-665: A mostly polemical and politicized response. His 1910 novel for young people, W pustyni i w puszczy (In Desert and Wilderness) , serialized in Kurier Warszawski (The Warsaw Courier), finishing in 1911, was much better received and became widely popular among children and young adults. After the outbreak of World War I , Sienkiewicz was visited at Oblęgorek by a Polish Legions cavalry unit under Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski . Soon after, he left for Switzerland. Together with Ignacy Paderewski and Erazm Piltz, he established an organization for Polish war relief. He also supported
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#17331157120761236-437: A new Warsaw newspaper, Słowo (The Word). This substantially improved his finances. The year 1882 saw him heavily engaged in the running of the newspaper, in which he published a number of columns and short stories. Soon, however, he lost interest in the journalistic aspect and decided to focus more on his literary work. He paid less and less attention to his post of editor-in-chief, resigning it in 1887 but remaining editor of
1339-502: A new novel, Krzyżacy (The Teutonic Knights , or The Knights of the Cross); serialization finished in 1900, and the book edition appeared that year. In 1900, with a three-year delay due to the approaching centenary of Mickiewicz 's birth, Sienkiewicz celebrated his own quarter-century, begun in 1872, as a writer. Special events were held in a number of Polish cities, including Kraków, Lwów and Poznań. A jubilee committee presented him with
1442-445: A notable American one in 1951 . In Poland his works are still widely read; he is seen as a classic author, and his works are often required reading in schools. They have also been adapted for Polish films and television series. The first critical analyses of his works were published in his lifetime. He has been the subject of a number of biographies. His works have received criticism, in his lifetime and since, as being simplistic:
1545-706: A number of Polish cities, including Warsaw's Łazienki Park (the first statue was erected at Zbaraż , now in Ukraine), and in Rome A Sienkiewcz Mound stands at Okrzeja , near his birthplace, Wola Okrzejska . He has been featured on a number of postage stamps. There are three museums dedicated to him in Poland. The first, the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Oblęgorek (his residence), opened in 1958. The second, founded in 1966,
1648-485: A play, Na przebój , soon retitled Na jedną kartę (On a Single Card), later staged at Lviv (1879) and, to better reception, at Warsaw (1881). He also wrote a play for Modjeska, aimed at an American public, Z walki tutejszych partii (Partisan Struggles), but it was never performed or published, and the manuscript appears to be lost. On 24 March 1878 Sienkiewicz left the U.S. for Europe. He first stayed in London, then for
1751-502: A scale model illustrating his plans for the rebuilding of Rome as a new city to be called Neropolis. Studio publicity claimed that this was the model of Ancient Rome housed in the Museum of Roman Civilization and that it had been borrowed from the Italian government. (This was originally constructed by Mussolini's government for a 1937 exhibition of Roman architecture.) However, the museum model
1854-572: A score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The music score by Miklós Rózsa is notable for its historical authenticity. Since no Ancient Roman music had survived, Rózsa incorporated a number of fragments of Ancient Greek and Jewish melodies such as the Seikilos epitaph , the Hymn to Nemesis and Hymn to the Sun by Mesomedes into his own choral-orchestral score. At
1957-466: A slave with Marcus at Triumph, Giuseppe Tosi as a wrestler at Nero's banquet, Adrienne Corri as an imprisoned Christian woman, Bud Spencer as an Imperial Guard, and Robin Hughes as Jesus in a flashback tableau. The narration was provided by an uncredited Walter Pidgeon . In the late 1930s, MGM bought the talking-picture rights to the 1896 novel Quo Vadis from author Henryk Sienkiewicz's heirs. (At
2060-579: A tuberculosis sanatorium at Zakopane . He was as prominent in philanthropy as in literature. In February 1895 he wrote the first chapters of Quo Vadis . The novel was serialized, beginning in March 1895, in Warsaw's Polish Gazette , Kraków's Czas (Time), and Poznań 's Dziennik Poznański (Poznań Daily). The novel was finished by March 1896. The book edition appeared later the same year, and soon gained international renown. In February 1897 he began serializing
2163-569: A variety of products. The popularity of Quo Vadis in France, where it was the best-selling book of 1900, is shown by the fact that horses competing in a Grand Prix de Paris event were named for characters in the book. In the United States, Quo Vadis sold 800,000 copies in eighteen months. To avoid intrusive journalists and fans, Sienkiewicz sometimes traveled incognito. He was inducted into many international organizations and societies, including
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#17331157120762266-427: A view expressed notably by the 20th-century Polish novelist and dramatist Witold Gombrowicz , who described Sienkiewicz as a "first-rate second-rate writer". Vasily Rozanov described Quo Vadis as "not a work of art", but a "crude factory-made oleograph ", while Anton Chekhov called Sienkiewicz's writing "sickeningly cloying and clumsy". Nonetheless, the Polish historian of literature Henryk Markiewicz , writing
2369-480: A wealthy Odesan , entered his life. He and Romanowska became engaged there in 1893 and married in Kraków on 11 November. Just two weeks later, however, his bride left him; Sienkiewicz blamed "in-law intrigues". On 13 December 1895 he obtained papal consent to dissolution of the marriage. In 1904 he married his niece , Maria Babska. Sienkiewicz used his growing international fame to influence world opinion in favor of
2472-490: A wire that I might be found to be a little young for the part. I cabled back that if they postponed again, I might be too old, since Nero died at 31. A second cable from them read 'Historical Research Has Proved You Correct Stop The Part Is Yours'. Clark Gable turned down the role of Marcus Vinicius very early in the film's production history because he thought he would look ridiculous in Roman costumes. Sophia Loren appeared in
2575-670: A year in Paris, delaying his return to Poland due to rumors of possible conscription into the Imperial Russian Army on the eve of a predicted new war with Turkey. In April 1879 Sienkiewicz returned to Polish soil. In Lviv (Lwów) he gave a lecture that was not well attended: " Z Nowego Jorku do Kalifornii " ("From New York to California"). Subsequent lectures in Szczawnica and Krynica in July–August that year, and in Warsaw and Poznań
2678-488: Is by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography by Robert Surtees and William V. Skall . The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 2, 1951. The story, set between 64–68 AD, combines both historical and fictional events and characters, and compresses the key events of that period into the space of only a few weeks. Its main theme is the Roman Empire ’s conflict with Christianity and persecution of Christians in
2781-564: Is in his birthplace: the Henryk Sienkiewicz Museum in Wola Okrzejska. The third opened in 1978 at Poznań. In Rome (Italy), in the small church of "Domine Quo Vadis" , there is a bronze bust of Henryk Sienkiewicz. It is said that Sienkiewicz was inspired to write his novel Quo Vadis while sitting in this church. Outside Poland, Sienkiewicz's popularity declined beginning in the interbellum , except for Quo Vadis , which retained relative fame thanks to several film adaptations, including
2884-453: Is known for his "Trilogy" of historical novels – With Fire and Sword , The Deluge , and Sir Michael – set in the 17th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth ; internationally he is known for Quo Vadis , set in Nero 's Rome . The Trilogy and Quo Vadis have been filmed, the latter several times, with Hollywood's 1951 version receiving the most international recognition. Sienkiewicz
2987-472: Is of fourth-century Rome, not of first-century Rome as it would have looked when rebuilt after the Great Fire of AD 64. The screen model looks nothing like the museum model. (It was almost certainly constructed especially for the film – perhaps by its special effects model-maker, Donald Jahraus .) Anthony Mann worked on the film as an uncredited second-unit director. He spent 24 nights (four working weeks) on
3090-468: Is surrounded by the historic fence, reconstructed in 1996–1999. The park is located in a palace expanded in the nineteenth century, once the seat of Mielżyńskich, later Kościelski burned in 1945 and rebuilt in the years 1963–1969. After rebuilding housed various public institutions, and now houses the Gymnasium Julius Slovak . The park was established already at the end of the eighteenth century,
3193-409: Is taken to the emperor's box and forced to watch. This act outrages his loyal officers who are among the spectators. Ursus is able to topple the bull, though, and break its neck. At that moment Marcus manages to break free from his bonds and leaps into the arena to get to Lygia. Massively impressed by Ursus's victory and seeing that Lygia is the beloved of Marcus who is still regarded as a great war hero,
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3296-520: Is victorious." His social and political activities resulted in a diminished literary output. He wrote a new historical novel, Na polu chwały ( On the Field of Glory ), that was meant as the beginning of a new trilogy; it was, however, criticized as being a lesser version of his original Trilogy , and was never continued. Similarly, his contemporary novel Wiry (Whirlpools), 1910, which sought to criticize some of Sienkiewicz's political opponents, received
3399-453: Is worth a premium price of admission." The Monthly Film Bulletin was negative, writing that the film "demonstrates how inordinately boring the convention of size and spectacle can be, when divorced from taste, feeling, and, to a surprising extent, creative talent. The film is unimaginatively directed, at a very slow pace in keeping with the general larger than life proportions, and its technical qualities are not impressive." The film holds
3502-501: The Polski słownik biograficzny (Polish Biographical Dictionary) entry on Sienkiewicz (1997), describes him as a master of Polish prose, as the foremost Polish writer of historical fiction, and as Poland's internationally best-known writer. The Small Trilogy The Trilogy ( Trylogia ) Quo Vadis (1951 film) Quo Vadis ( Latin for "Where are you going?") is a 1951 American religious epic film set in ancient Rome during
3605-465: The Imperial University of Warsaw , but he soon transferred to the university's Institute of Philology and History, where he acquired a thorough knowledge of literature and Old Polish Language . Little is known about this period of his life, other than that he moved out of his parents' home, tutored part-time, and lived in poverty. His situation improved somewhat in 1868 when he became a tutor to
3708-565: The United States with Helena Modrzejewska (soon to become famous in the U.S. as actress Helena Modjeska ) and her husband. He traveled via London to New York and then on to San Francisco , staying for some time in California . His travels were financed by Gazeta Polska (The Polish Gazette) in exchange for a series of travel essays: Sienkiewicz wrote Listy z podróży (Letters from a Journey) and Listy Litwosa z Podróży (Litwos' Letters from
3811-606: The Young Poland movement in Polish literature. These views informed his novel Quo Vadis (1896). This story of early Christianity in Rome, with protagonists struggling against the Emperor Nero 's regime, draws parallels between repressed early Christians and contemporary Poles; and, due to its focus on Christianity, it became widely popular in the Christian West . The triumph of spiritual Christianity over materialist Rome
3914-413: The epic and the historical novel, infused with special features of Sienkiewicz's style. The Trilogy's patriotism worried the censors; Warsaw's Russian censor I. Jankul warned Sienkiewicz that he would not allow publication of any further works of his dealing with Polish history. Sienkiewicz's Without dogma ( Bez dogmatu , 1889–90) was a notable artistic experiment, a self-analytical novel written as
4017-407: The "Little Trilogy". These publications made him a prominent figure in Warsaw's journalistic-literary world, and a guest at popular dinner parties hosted by the actress Helena Modrzejewska . In 1874 Henryk Sienkiewicz was briefly engaged to Maria Keller, and traveled abroad to Brussels and Paris. Soon after he returned, his fiancée's parents cancelled the engagement. In 1876 Sienkiewicz went to
4120-589: The 1880s and 1890s was associated with intensive work on several novels. In 1891 his novel Without dogma ( Bez Dogmatu ), previously serialized in 1889–90 in The Word , was published in book form. In 1892 Sienkiewicz signed an agreement for another novel, Rodzina Połanieckich (Children of the Soil), which was serialized in The Polish Gazette from 1893 and came out in book form in 1894. Sienkiewicz had several romances, and in 1892 Maria Romanowska-Wołodkowicz, stepdaughter of
4223-414: The 1890s. After his return to Warsaw in 1887, the third volume of his Trilogy appeared – Pan Wołodyjowski (Sir Michael) – running in The Word from May 1887 to May 1888. The Trilogy established Sienkiewicz as the most popular contemporary Polish writer. Sienkiewicz received 15,000 rubles , in recognition of his achievements, from an unknown admirer who signed himself " Michał Wołodyjowski " after
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4326-498: The 2000-year-old Viale dei Cipressi (Avenue of Cypresses) near the village Bolgheri . This landmark in Livorno Province, Tuscany , is easily recognizable. In the summer of 1950, when Quo Vadis was in production, Rome was in the grip of an intense heatwave, as Peter Ustinov recalled: "Rome was in the throes of Holy Year , and bursting with pilgrims. It was also one of the hottest summers on record." The heat affected not only
4429-498: The Christians, Marcus sets out to rescue Lygia and her family. Nero arrests them, along with all the other Christians, and condemns them to be slaughtered in his Circus; some are killed by lions. Petronius, Nero's most trusted advisor, warns him that the Christians will be celebrated as martyrs, but he cannot change the emperor's mind. Then, tired of Nero's insanity and suspecting that he may be about to turn on him, too, Petronius composes
4532-606: The Cinecitta backlot shooting scenes for the Burning of Rome sequence. However, he was not the co-director of the film, as some of his admirers have claimed. The soundstage scenes for the same sequence were directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The film was a major commercial success. It was number one at the US box office for 6 consecutive weeks and 11 weeks in total. According to MGM's records, during its initial theatrical release, it earned $ 11,143,000 in
4635-455: The Circus prisons. Peter is later crucified upside-down , a form of execution conceived by Nero's Praetorian Guard as an expression of mockery. Poppaea , Nero's wife, who lusts after Marcus, devises a diabolical revenge for his rejection of her. Lygia is tied to a stake in the Circus and a wild bull is released into the arena. Lygia's bodyguard Ursus must attempt to kill the bull with his bare hands to save Lygia from being gored to death. Marcus
4738-447: The Cross "had nothing to match the horrendous and morbid spectacles of human brutality and destruction that Director Mervyn LeRoy has got in this. But within and around these visual triumph and rich imagistic displays is tediously twined a hackneyed romance that threatens to set your teeth on edge." Variety wrote that the film was "right up there with Birth of a Nation and Gone With
4841-575: The Culver City studios while the film was being shot in Italy: [The] rushes were being sent back to Hollywood for cutting at the same time as they were being cut back in Rome ... I set to work so that at least something was ready, even if it had to be modified later. I worked with the chief supervising editor, Margaret Booth , whose technical knowledge is incomparable ... Finally, the Rome contingent arrived home with their version. It wasn't so very different from
4944-481: The English-speaking world. The Trilogy went through many translations; With Fire and Sword saw at least 26 in his lifetime. Quo Vadis became extremely popular, in at least 40 different language translations, including English-language editions totaling a million copies. The American translator Jeremiah Curtin has been credited with helping popularize his works abroad. However, as Russia (of which Sienkiewicz
5047-610: The Grand Hotel du Lac in Vevey , Switzerland, where he was buried on 22 November. The cause of death was ischemic heart disease . His funeral was attended by representatives of both the Central Powers and the Entente , and an address by Pope Benedict XV was read. In 1924, after Poland had regained her independence, Sienkiewicz's remains were repatriated to Warsaw , Poland, and placed in
5150-518: The Musician"], 1879); and his voyage to the United States (" Za chlebem ", "For Bread", 1880). His most common motif was the plight of the powerless: impoverished peasants, schoolchildren, emigrants. His " Latarnik " ("The Lighthouse keeper ", 1881) has been described as one of the best Polish short stories. His 1882 stories " Bartek Zwycięzca " ("Bart the Conqueror") and " Sachem " draw parallels between
5253-815: The Polish Academy of Learning , the Russian Academy of Sciences , the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts , the Royal Czech Society of Sciences , and the Italian Academy of Arcadia . He received the French Légion d'honneur (1904), honorary doctorates from the Jagiellonian University (1900) and Lwów University (1911), and honorary citizenship of Lwów (1902). In 1905 he received
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#17331157120765356-653: The Polish Oszyk coat of arms . Wola Okrzejska belonged to the writer's maternal grandmother, Felicjana Cieciszowska. His family moved several times, and young Henryk spent his childhood on family estates in Grabowce Górne , Wężyczyn and Burzec . In September 1858 he began his education in Warsaw , where the family would finally settle in 1861, having bought a tenement house ( kamienica ) in eastern Warsaw's Praga district. He received relatively poor school-grades except in
5459-546: The Polish cause (throughout his life and since the late 18th century, Poland remained partitioned by her neighbors, Russia, Austria and Prussia, later Germany). He often criticized German policies of Germanization of the Polish minority in Germany ; in 1901 he expressed support of Września schoolchildren who were protesting the banning of the Polish language . In 1907, amid German attempts to expropriate Polish land, he appealed to
5562-493: The Polish school curriculum after Poland regained independence in 1918. It is often incorrectly asserted that Sienkiewicz received his Nobel Prize for Quo Vadis . While Quo Vadis is the novel that brought him international fame, the Nobel Prize does not name any particular novel, instead citing "his outstanding merits as an epic writer". Sienkiewicz often carried out substantial historic research for his novels, but he
5665-585: The Polish-Lithuanian union was regarded as a model for a future independent Polish state. These assumptions tied in well with the contemporary political context of ongoing Germanization efforts in German Poland . So, the book quickly became another Sienkiewicz bestseller in Poland, and was received by critics better than his Trilogy had been; it was also applauded by the Polish right-wing, anti-German National Democracy political movement, and became part of
5768-547: The Trilogy character. Sienkiewicz used the money to set up a fund, named for his wife and supervised by the Academy of Learning , to aid artists endangered by tuberculosis. In 1886, he visited Istanbul ; in 1888, Spain. At the end of 1890 he went to Africa, resulting in Listy z Afryki (Letters from Africa, published in The Word in 1891–92, then collected as a book in 1893). The turn of
5871-434: The U.S. and Canada and $ 9,894,000 elsewhere, making it the highest-grossing film of 1951, and resulting in a profit to the studio of $ 5,440,000. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote in a mixed review, "Here is a staggering combination of cinema brilliance and sheer banality, of visual excitement and verbal boredom, of historical pretentiousness and sex." Crowther thought that even Cecil B. DeMille 's The Sign of
5974-672: The Wind for box-office performance. It has size, scope, splash, and dash, giving for the first time in a long while credence to the now-clichéd 'super-colossal' term. This is a super-spectacle in all its meaning." Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times declared it "one of the most tremendous if not the greatest pictures ever made ... Its pictorial lavishness has never been equaled in any other production." Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post called it "a fabulously entertaining movie. Though
6077-413: The book, simply because he wasn't satisfied with it. Sienkiewicz's early works (e.g., the 1872 Humoreski z teki Woroszyłły ) show him a strong supporter of Polish Positivism , endorsing constructive, practical characters such as an engineer. Polish "Positivism" advocated economic and social modernization and deprecated armed irredentist struggle. Unlike most other Polish Positivist writers, Sienkiewicz
6180-482: The carping of critical voices, that Quo Vadis , good or bad according to taste, was an extraordinarily authentic film, and the nonsense Nero was sometimes made to speak was very much like the nonsense Nero probably did speak. Produced for $ 7 million, it was the most expensive film ever made at the time. It became MGM's largest grosser since Gone with the Wind (1939). Filmed at the sprawling Cinecitta Studios that had been opened by Benito Mussolini in 1937 as part of
6283-465: The cast and crew, but also the lions. Mervyn LeRoy recalled that because of the heat, the lions were reluctant to enter the arena. Due to equipment shortages in Italy, MGM had to import a reported two hundred tons of generators, lights and other electrical equipment from Culver City . The film holds the record for the most costumes used in one movie: 32,000. At one point in the film, Nero shows his court
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#17331157120766386-433: The city, intent on replacing Nero, and hails him as new Emperor of Rome . The crowd revolts, now firmly believing that Nero, not the Christians, is responsible for the burning of Rome. Nero flees to his palace, where he strangles Poppaea, blaming her for inciting him to scapegoat the Christians. Then Acte , Nero's discarded mistress who is still in love with him, appears and offers him a dagger to end his own life before
6489-410: The crowd exhorts Nero to spare the couple. He refuses to do so, even after four of his courtiers, Seneca , architect Phaon , poet Lucan , and musician Terpnos add their endorsement of the mob's demands. The decision enrages the crowd and Marcus's loyal troop members rush to the arena to save the three. Marcus accuses Nero of burning Rome and announces that General Galba is at that moment marching on
6592-419: The crypt of St. John's Cathedral . During the coffin's transit, solemn memorial ceremonies were held in a number of cities. Thousands accompanied the coffin to its Warsaw resting place, and Poland's President Stanisław Wojciechowski delivered a eulogy. His first work, called "Victim", has been worked on between 1865 and 1866, and is only known because of a letter, where he told to his friend, that he burned
6695-794: The dictator's master plan to make Rome the pre-eminent world capital. (Mussolini's son Vittorio Mussolini and Hollywood producer Hal Roach negotiated to form the R.A.M. ["Roach and Mussolini"] Corporation later in 1937, which was ultimately aborted. This business alliance with the Fascist state horrified 1930s Hollywood moguls and ultimately led to Roach defecting from his MGM distribution deal to United Artists in 1938.) Filming in postwar Italy offered American studios immense facilities and cheap Italian labor and extras, of which thousands were required. Hollywood returned to Cinecitta often, producing many of its biggest spectacles there, including Helen of Troy (1956), Ben-Hur (1959), and Cleopatra (1963) –
6798-547: The end of the film, a triumphal march heralds the success of the armies of the new emperor, Galba . This theme would be reused by Rózsa in Ben-Hur (1959) as the brief "Bread and Circuses March" preceding "The Parade of the Charioteers", prior to the famous chariot race . In his 1982 autobiography, Miklós Rózsa expressed his regret at the way his score was handled by producer Sam Zimbalist, 'a dear personal friend': "[He] didn't use
6901-475: The expansive, expensive film from the celebrated novel runs over three hours on the Palace screen, you won't believe you've been there nearly that long." Harrison's Reports declared, "For sheer opulence, massiveness of sets, size of cast, and beauty of Technicolor photography, no picture ever produced matches 'Quo Vadis'. It is a super-collosal [sic] spectacle in every sense of the meaning, and on that score alone it
7004-477: The film as an extra. Italian star Bud Spencer (real name: Carlo Pedersoli ) also had an uncredited extra role as a Praetorian guardsman inside Nero's summer palace at Antium. (He answers Nero, but his voice may be dubbed.) Audrey Hepburn , still widely unknown when the film was released, was considered for the part of Lygia. Director Mervyn LeRoy wanted to cast her, but the role went to established MGM contract star Deborah Kerr. Wardrobe stills of her in costume for
7107-461: The film still exist. Patricia Laffan was selected by the producer and director for the major role of Poppaea after they watched a screen test she made for a smaller part in the film. Ustinov relates in his autobiography Dear Me that director Mervyn LeRoy summarized the manner in which he envisioned Ustinov should play the Emperor Nero, very salaciously, as Nero ... The way I see him ... He's
7210-718: The final years of Emperor Nero 's reign, based on the 1896 novel of the same title by Polish Nobel Laureate author Henryk Sienkiewicz . Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and filmed in Technicolor , it was directed by Mervyn LeRoy from a screenplay by S. N. Behrman , Sonya Levien , and John Lee Mahin . It is the fourth screen adaptation of Sienkiewicz's novel. The film stars Robert Taylor , Deborah Kerr , Leo Genn , and Peter Ustinov , and features Patricia Laffan , Finlay Currie , Abraham Sofaer , Marina Berti , Buddy Baer , and Felix Aylmer . Future Italian stars Sophia Loren and Bud Spencer appeared as uncredited extras. The score
7313-460: The final years of the Julio-Claudian line. Unlike his illustrious and powerful predecessor, Emperor Claudius , Nero proved corrupt and destructive, and his actions eventually threatened to destroy Rome's previously peaceful social order. The title refers to an incident in the apocryphal Acts of Peter . The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards , including Best Picture , and it was such
7416-478: The first collected edition of Sienkiewicz's works was published, in four volumes; the series would continue until 1917, ending with a total of 17 volumes. He also continued writing journalistic pieces, mainly in The Polish Gazette and Niwa . In 1881 he published a favorable review of the first collected edition of works by Bolesław Prus . In 1880 Sienkiewicz wrote a historical novella, Niewola tatarska (Tartar Captivity). In late 1881 he became editor-in-chief of
7519-480: The following year, were much more successful. In late summer 1879 he went to Venice and Rome, which he toured for the next few weeks, on 7 November 1879 returning to Warsaw. There he met Maria Szetkiewicz, whom he married on 18 August 1881. The marriage was reportedly a happy one. The couple had two children, Henryk Józef (1882–1959) and Jadwiga Maria (1883–1969). It was a short-lived marriage, however, because on 18 August 1885 Maria died of tuberculosis . In 1879
7622-646: The global intellectual community for support. More cautiously, he called on Russia's government to introduce reforms in Russian-controlled Congress Poland . During the Revolution in the Kingdom of Poland , he advocated broader Polish autonomy within the Russian Empire. Sienkiewicz maintained some ties with Polish right-wing National Democracy politicians and was critical of the socialists, but he
7725-625: The house of Aulus Plautius , a retired Roman general, and becomes smitten with Lygia, a Lygian hostage of Rome in the old general's care. Unbeknownst to Marcus, Lygia, Aulus, and his household are devout Christians , who host Paul the Apostle that very night. Petronius , Marcus' uncle, persuades Nero to give the girl to his nephew as a reward for his services. Lygia resents this arrangement, but eventually falls in love with Marcus. Meanwhile, Nero's atrocities become increasingly outrageous and his behavior more irrational. After Nero burns Rome and blames
7828-642: The humanities, notably Polish language and history. Due to hard times, the 19-year-old Sienkiewicz took a job as tutor to the Weyher family in Płońsk . It was probably in this period that he wrote his first novel, Ofiara (Sacrifice); he is thought to have destroyed the manuscript of the never-published novel. He also worked on his first novel to be published, Na marne (In Vain). He completed extramural secondary-school classes, and in 1866 he received his secondary-school diploma. He first tried to study medicine, then law, at
7931-576: The late 1870s he traveled to the United States, sending back travel essays that won him popularity with Polish readers. In the 1880s he began serializing novels that further increased his popularity. He soon became one of the most popular Polish writers of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and numerous translations gained him international renown, culminating in his receipt of the 1905 Nobel Prize in Literature for his "outstanding merits as an epic writer". Many of his novels remain in print. In Poland he
8034-530: The latter two dwarfing Quo Vadis in scale. The studio would later be used by many Italian producers and directors, including Federico Fellini . The first use of the phrase " Hollywood on the Tiber ", which has come to refer to a golden era of American runaway film production in Italy, was as the title of a Time article in the issue dated June 26, 1950, published while Quo Vadis was being shot in Rome. Composer Miklós Rózsa said that he wrote most of his score at
8137-454: The mob storming the palace kills him. Nero cannot do it, so Acte helps him to push the dagger into his chest , and he dies. Marcus, Lygia, and Ursus are now free, and they leave Rome for Marcus' estate in Sicily to begin a new life together. By the roadside, Peter's crook , which he had left behind when he returned to Rome, has sprouted blossoms. A radiant light appears and a chorus intones, "I am
8240-663: The most prestigious award in the world of literature, the Nobel Prize, after having been nominated in that year by Hans Hildebrand , member of the Swedish Academy . Named for Sienkiewicz, in Poland, are numerous streets and squares (the first street to bear his name was in Lwów, in 1907). Named for him is Białystok 's Osiedle Sienkiewicza ; city parks in Wrocław , Łódź , and Włocławek ; and over 70 schools in Poland. He has statues in
8343-563: The music in any way as effectively as he might have done. After all the trouble I went to, much of my work was swamped by sound effects, or played at such a low level as to be indistinguishable ... It was a great disappointment to me." However, he was mistaken when he wrote: " Quo Vadis , because it was produced abroad, was completely boycotted by Hollywood and received no Academy nominations." Although it did not win any Academy Awards, it did, in fact, receive eight nominations – including one for Rózsa's score. Rózsa's love theme for Lygia ("Lygia")
8446-799: The nearby mountains (the Santa Ana , Sierra Madre , San Jacinto , and San Bernardino Mountains ), and visited the Mojave Desert , Yosemite Valley , and the silver mines at Virginia City, Nevada . On 20 August 1877 he witnessed Modjeska's U.S. theatrical debut at San Francisco's California Theatre , which he reviewed for The Polish Gazette ; and on 8 September he published in the Daily Evening Post an article, translated into English for him by Modjeska, on "Poland and Russia". In America, he also continued writing fiction, in 1877 publishing Szkice węglem (Charcoal Sketches) in The Polish Gazette . He wrote
8549-453: The one that Margaret had put together, and there were no insuperable problems. Sam Zimbalist was amazed and delighted that I had all the music ready in three weeks, thanks to the work Margaret and I had already done. Ten Italian locations were used in the film. With the exception of the Via Appia , most of these have not been identified, but the final stage of the chariot chase was filmed along
8652-620: The outdoor sets began at once: the huge Circus of Nero and exterior of Nero's palace, a whole section of Ancient Rome, a great bridge, and the Plautius villa. The manufacture of thousands of costumes for extras began, along with drapes and carpets, metal and glass goblets, and 10 chariots. Official permission was granted to refurbish a section of the Appian Way . One of Hollywood's foremost animal experts began to procure lions, horses, bulls, and other animals from around Europe. Well in advance of filming,
8755-445: The paper's literary section until 1892. From 1883 he increasingly shifted his focus from short pieces to historical novels. He began work on the historical novel, Ogniem i Mieczem ( With Fire and Sword ). Initially titled Wilcze gniazdo (The Wolf's Lair), it appeared in serial installments in The Word from May 1883 to March 1884. It also ran concurrently in the Kraków newspaper, Czas (Time). Sienkiewicz soon began writing
8858-1085: The park is the oldest monument in Poland Julius Słowckiego. On behalf of Joseph Kościelski made it known sculptor Wielkopolska Władysław Marcinkowski . The unveiling of the monument took place on September 16, 1899. Came then: Henryk Sienkiewicz , Leon Wyczółkowski , Lucjan Rydel, Julian Fałat , as well as other prominent scientists, artists and writers . Stand of the park create both native species ( hornbeams ( grab ), ashs , lime trees , alders , Robinia and oak ), as well as exotic ( ginkgo biloba , Wiązowiec West, Japanese pagoda , glediczja locust and Taxodium ). The ponds nest and stop during air numerous species of aquatic birds ( grebes , swans , goose , duck , coots ). Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( US : / ʃ ɛ n ˈ k j eɪ v ɪ tʃ , - j ɛ v -/ shen- KYAY -vitch, - KYEV -itch , Polish: [ˈxɛnrɨk ˈadam alɛkˈsandɛr ˈpjus ɕɛnˈkʲɛvit͡ʂ] ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by
8961-527: The princely Woroniecki family. In 1867 he wrote a rhymed piece, " Sielanka Młodości " ("Idyll of Youth"), which was rejected by Tygodnik Illustrowany (The Illustrated Weekly). In 1869 he debuted as a journalist; Przegląd Tygodniowy (1866–1904) (The Weekly Review) ran his review of a play on 18 April 1869, and shortly afterward The Illustrated Weekly printed an essay of his about the late-Renaissance Polish poet Mikołaj Sęp Szarzyński . He completed his university studies in 1871, though he failed to receive
9064-412: The producer, director, chief cinematographer, and casting director arrived in Rome. The film finally went into production on Monday, May 22, 1950. The film was originally cast in 1949 with Elizabeth Taylor as Lygia and Gregory Peck as Marcus Vinicius. When the production changed hands the following year, the roles went to Deborah Kerr and Robert Taylor. Elizabeth Taylor had an uncredited cameo role as
9167-485: The pseudonym Litwos ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈlitfɔs] ), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as the Trilogy series and especially for his internationally known best-seller Quo Vadis (1896). Born into an impoverished Polish noble family in Russian-ruled Congress Poland , in the late 1860s he began publishing journalistic and literary pieces. In
9270-402: The public slave who stands behind Marcus in his Triumph chariot, holding a victory laurel above his head, and repeating "Remember thou art only a man." Ustinov recalled how he was cast as Nero in 1949: "An exciting proposition came my way when I was 28 years old. MGM were going to remake Quo Vadis , and I was a candidate for the role of Nero. Arthur Hornblow [Jr] was to be the producer, and I
9373-461: The same time they had to buy the 1924 silent-screen version.) The company originally intended to make the film in Italy, but the outbreak of WWII caused it to be postponed. After the war, production was restarted. A lease was obtained on the huge Cinecitta Studios, eight miles outside Rome, with its 148 acres and nine soundstages. After months of preparation, the art director, costume designer, and set decorator arrived in Rome in 1948. Construction of
9476-410: The second volume of his Trilogy, Potop (The Deluge). It ran in The Word from December 1884 to September 1886. Beginning in 1884, Sienkiewicz accompanied his wife Maria to foreign sanatoriums . After her death, he kept on traveling Europe, leaving his children with his late wife's parents, though he often returned to Poland, particularly staying for long periods in Warsaw and Kraków beginning in
9579-409: The south side of the pond and crossed the larch and spruce avenues. The park is entered through an ornate, neo-Gothic brick gate grate restored in 1995. At the gate there is the former caretaker's house and park built in 1854, called the " gardener's cottage." The building has an irregular shape with a storied part of the central hipped roof covered with flattened and round, now reduced, tower. The park
9682-472: The tragic fates of their heroes and that of the occupied Polish nation. His novel With Fire and Sword (1883–84) was enthusiastically received by readers (as were the next two volumes of The Trilogy ), becoming an "instant classic", though critical reception was lukewarm. The Trilogy is set in 17th-century Poland. While critics generally praised its style, they noted that some historic facts are misrepresented or distorted. The Trilogy merged elements of
9785-474: The way, the truth, and the life," words spoken by Jesus ( John 14:6, New Testament ). The film features many uncredited supporting parts and cameos : including Elizabeth Taylor as a Christian prisoner in arena, Sophia Loren as a Lygian slave, Christopher Lee as a chariot driver, Clelia Matania as Parmenida the hairdresser, Marika Aba as the Assyrian Dancer at Nero's banquet, Richard Garrick as
9888-558: The work of the Red Cross . Otherwise, he eschewed politics, though shortly before his death he endorsed the Act of 5th November 1916, a declaration by Emperors Wilhelm II of Germany and Franz Joseph of Austria and king of Hungary, pledging the creation of a Kingdom of Poland envisioned as a puppet state allied with, and controlled by, the Central Powers. Sienkiewicz died on 15 November 1916, at
9991-635: Was a citizen) was not a signatory to the Berne Convention , he rarely received any royalties from the translations. Already in his lifetime his works were adapted for theatrical, operatic and musical presentations and for the emerging film industry. Writers and poets devoted works to him, or used him or his works as inspiration. Painters created works inspired by Sienkiewicz's novels, and their works were gathered in Sienkiewicz-themed albums and exhibitions. The names of his characters were given to
10094-419: Was a conservative. His Little Trilogy ( Stary Sługa , 1875; Hania , 1876; Selim Mirza , 1877) shows his interest in Polish history and his literary maturity, including fine mastery of humor and drama. His early works focused on three themes: the oppression and poverty of the peasants ("Charcoal Sketches", 1877); criticism of the partitioning powers (" Z pamiętnika korepetytora ", " Janko Muzykant " ["Janko
10197-647: Was a critique of materialism and decadence, and also an allegory for the strength of the Polish spirit. His Teutonic Knights returned to Poland's history, describing the Battle of Grunwald (1410), a Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic Knights in the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War . Both in German and Polish culture the Teutonic Knights were incorrectly viewed as precursors to modern Germans while
10300-857: Was born on 5 May 1846 in Wola Okrzejska , now a village in the central part of the eastern Polish region of Lubelskie , then part of the Russian Empire . His family were impoverished Polish nobles, on his father's side deriving from Tatars who had settled in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania . His parents were Józef Sienkiewicz of the Oszyk coat of arms and Stefania Cieciszowska. His mother descended from an old and affluent Podlachian family. He had five siblings: an older brother, Kazimierz (who died during January Uprising of 1863–1864), and four sisters: Aniela, Helena, Zofia and Maria. His family were entitled to use
10403-695: Was generally a moderate and declined to become a politician and a deputy to the Russian Duma . In the cultural sphere, he was involved in the creation of the Kraków and Warsaw monuments to Adam Mickiewicz . He supported educational endeavors and co-founded the Polska Macierz Szkolna organization. "Reasonably wealthy" by 1908 thanks to sales of his books, he often used his new wealth to support struggling writers. He helped gather funds for social-welfare projects such as starvation relief, and for construction of
10506-465: Was selective in the findings that made it into the novels. Thus, for example, he prioritized Polish military victories over defeats. Sienkiewicz kept a diary, but it has been lost . A life of him written in English by Monica M. Gardner was published in 1926. About the turn of the 20th century, Sienkiewicz was the most popular writer in Poland, and one of the most popular in Germany, France, Russia, and
10609-453: Was tested by [the director] John Huston . I threw everything I knew into this test, and to my surprise, John Huston did little to restrain me, encouraging me in confidential whispers to be even madder. Apparently the test was a success, but then the huge machine came to a halt, and the project was postponed for a year. At the end of the year, the producer was Sam Zimbalist and the director Mervyn LeRoy. They also approved my test, but warned me in
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