Saadia (film)
| Saadia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Albert Lewin |
| Written by | Albert Lewin |
| Based on |
Échec au destin by Francis D'Autheville |
| Starring |
Mel Ferrer Cornel Wilde |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Cinematography | Christopher Challis |
| Edited by | Harold F. Kress |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release dates | December, 1953 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,022,000[1] |
| Box office | $1,352,000[1] |
Saadia is a 1953 adventure film directed by Albert Lewin. Set in Morocco, and based on a novel by the French writer Francis D'Autheville, it tells of a love triangle.
Cast
- Cornel Wilde : Si Lahssen
- Mel Ferrer : Henrik
- Rita Gam : Saadia
- Michel Simon : Bou Rezza
- Cyril Cusack : Khadir
- Wanda Rotha : Fatima
- Marcel Poncin : Moha
- Anthony Marlowe : Cpt. Sabert
- Hélène Vallier : Zoubida
- Mahjoub Ben Brahim : Ahmed
- Jacques Dufilho : leader of bandits
- Bernard Farrel : Lt. Camuzac
- Richard Johnson : Lt. Girard
- Peter Copley : Mokhazenis
- Marne Maitland : horse dealer'
- Harold Kasket : Sheikh of Inimert
- Peter Bull : village leader
- Eddie Leslie (as Edward Leslie) : a villager
Production
Filmed entirely in Morocco, this film is believed to have been the first Technicolor feature to have been filmed on location. The cinematographer Christopher Challis called it the most difficult production he had ever worked on. Lewin had pre-selected the sets on a pre-production tour of Morocco, however, unaware of the technical requirements of the large three-strip camera rig, interiors proved to be too small. Thus, there could be no long shots. Among his other eccentricities the film maker also had a horse transported more than a thousand miles to the set, but finding the tail too short, had fake ones made abroad and sent to the filming location.[2]
Reception
According to MGM records the movie earned $580,000 in the US and Canada and $772,000 elsewhere, making a loss to the studio of $408,000.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ↑ Ellis, David A. (2012). Conversations with Cinematographers. Scarecrow Press. p. 54. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
External links
- Saadia at the Internet Movie Database
- Saadie at Melferrer.com
- Saadia at New York Times