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Land Of The Pharaohs - 1955
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Coming up next is 1955's "Land Of The Pharaohs", a story about the building of the famous pyramids of Egypt and the outcome of one man's greed and his desire to have it all.
The film's cast includes Jack Hawkins, Joan Collins, Dewey Martin, Alexis Minotis, James Robertson Justice, Sydney Chaplin, James Hayter, Kerima, and Piero Giagnoni.
Pharaoh Khufu has returned to his Egyptian capital after a successful campaign against an enemy territory. Upon his return, Khufu brings the people he fought against home as slaves.
The Egyptian people and the slaves watch as Khufu honors the war dead. They are given an elaborate sendoff into the afterlife.
The deserters of the war are thrown to the crocodiles of the Nile in punishment for disobeying their Pharaoh.
Pharaoh summons his best friend and high priest Hamar. He shows him the spoils of war. These treasures are to be used in his tomb after his death. He also wants to build something that is impenetrable so that grave robbers can't access the wealth after his death.
Khufu summons Vashtar, one of the recently enslaved people. Vashtar was responsible for building a large number of traps that nearly cost Khufu his campaign. Khufu feels that Vashtar is the man to build his tomb. Vashtar agrees to build the tomb on the condition that his people be allowed to go free afterwards. Khufu tells him that he will have to remain behind and not go with his people when they are free, because he will know the secrets of the tomb. Vashtar agrees.
And so the process of gathering materials and building the magnificent structure begins with everyone conscripted to help.
While receiving tribute from neighboring countries, Khufu meets with the ambassador from Cyprus, Princess Nellifer. He takes a shine to her and makes her his second wife.
He takes Nellifer and shows her his treasure hoard. She is completely dazzled. She picks up a piece and admires it. "It feels almost soft, like something to be
caressed. Only gold feels that way," she says.
Nellifer tries on an elaborate necklace. Khufu angrily tells her to take it off. These things are meant for his tomb and not for use by any other mortal.
Khufu's treasury guard Treneh helps Nellifer off with the necklace after the pharaoh leaves. Treneh tells Nellifer he wishes the necklace was his to give. The two begin an affair.
Years have passed since Vashtar first began work on the tomb. Now, his eyesight is failing and he must enlist the help of his son, Senta, to finish the project.
When Khufu visits the construction site, a falling stone nearly crushes him. Senta saves him, but reveals that he too knows the tomb's secrets. Now, he must stay behind rather than leave when his people are free.
Elsewhere, Nellifer and Treneh hatch a plot to get rid of the Queen, Pharaoh's son, and Pharaoh so that Nellifer can rule.
They trick Khufu into searching for more treasure for his tomb, thus getting him out of the city.
Nellifer trains the little prince to play a tune on a flute. A cobra (specially planted by Nellifer) comes near the boy as he plays. The Queen sees this and sacrifices herself so that her son can live.
Nellifer sends her servant to murder Khufu at his encampment. Khufu is injured in the fight, but he manages to kill his attacker. He also notices that the servant is one belonging to Nellifer.
Injured, Khufu returns home immediately and confronts Nellifer, whom he finds with Treneh. Treneh and Khufu fight with swords. Treneh injures Khufu, while Khufu kills Treneh. Because of the injuries he sustains, Khufu also dies.
Hamar, Khufu's best friend and high priest, is left to comfort the little prince, Khufu's successor.
One of Nellifer's first acts as regent is to have the treasure vaults opened. She is stunned when she finds they are empty. Hamar tells her that the contents of the vaults are now in Khufu's tomb. She cannot issue orders because she is not yet the ruler. That won't happen until Khufu is sealed in his tomb within thirty days time.
Hamar summons Vashtar and Senta. He tells them that once the tomb is sealed, they are free to go with their people. It won't matter if they know the secret, because once the tomb is closed, no one can open it. Vashtar and Senta are thrilled.
Khufu is given a final farewell by his people. Nellifer leads the mourners in the funeral procession.
While Khufu's funeral is going on, the people he enslaved begin to travel back to their homeland, the pyramid they built as Khufu's tomb looming up behind them.
Hamar insists that Nellifer accompany them inside the tomb. Only she can give the order to have Khufu's body sealed inside. She does this and gives the order to seal the tomb.
Having suspected Nellifer of having a hand in Khufu's death, Hamar orchestrated things this way. Once the tomb begins to be sealed, there is no way out, and Nellifer is trapped inside with Khufu's loyal servants who swore to be entombed with him. When she pleads with Hamar to help her, he says, "There’s no way out. This is what you lied and schemed and
murdered to achieve. This is your kingdom."
Vashtar, Senta, and their countrymen turn and take one last look at the pyramid before heading home to their own country.
Cast rundown:
Jack Hawkins...................................Pharaoh Khufu
Joan Collins.....................................Princess Nellifer
Dewey Martin...................................Senta
Alexis Minotis...................................Hamar
James Robertson Justice....................Vashtar
Sydney Chaplin.................................Treneh
James Hayter....................................Mikka
Kerima.............................................Queen Nailla
Piero Giagnoni...................................Prince Xenon
And that's it for Land Of The Pharaohs. On any given day, there were about 10,000 extras working on the film. Half of these were soldiers in the Egyptian Army supplied by the government of Egypt. At the time of its release, the film wasn't well received, which prompted director Howard Hawkes to take a break from filmmaking. It has received a surge in popularity in recent years. A bit of trivia: the crocodiles shown at the beginning of the film aren't actually crocodiles at all. They are American alligators.
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