November 22, 2009

Quo vadis? is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?" or "Whither goest thou?".
The Christians being fed to the horde of MGM lions is wild.
Whether Christians were actually fed to the lions is still debated.

I have this movie on DVD and finally got around to
watching it. Interesting movie for minor parts. Peter Ustinov
is great as Nero, Buddy Baer is an introspective giant and
Leo Genn steals the show as Petronius. Both Ustinov and
Genn were nominated for Best Supporting Oscars.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) - Karl Malden - Winner
Other Nominees:
Come Fill the Cup (1951) - Gig Young
Death of a Salesman (1951) - Kevin McCarthy (I)
Quo Vadis (1951) - Leo Genn
Quo Vadis (1951) - Peter Ustinov

From IMDB:
Peter Ustinov would later say that director Mervyn LeRoy gave him the perfect insight as to how to play Nero. LeRoy told him, "I see Nero as a guy who plays with himself nights."

One immediate problem they encountered with the lions was that when they were released from their cages, they found the arena so hot, they'd immediately retreat back into their cages. Director Mervyn LeRoy overcame this problem by having several costumes filled with meat.