Khartoum (1966)
Set against the backdrop of the British Empire, Khartoum
charts the mighty struggle between General Gordon and the Arab leader The Mahdi.
United only by a deeply heartfelt belief in their own
righteousness, the two men head for the ultimate showdown. They are magnificently
cast with Charlton Heston as the legendary General "Chinese" Gordon, and Sir
Laurence Olivier as the Mahdi.
Using Robert Ardey's polished screenplay, director
Basil Dearden tells their story using the river Nile as the location where
this historic duel really took place.
Perhaps the greatest battle stager of all time
Yakima Canutt (You may remember the Chatiot race in Ben-hur)fills the
vast canvas with bloody action. Like Lawrence of Aradia, this is a study
of fanaticism in the desert, told on an epic scale.
CAST DETAILS
Charles "Chinese" Gordon.......................................Charlton
Heston
The Mahdi.................................................................Laurence
Olivier
Ralph Richardson................................................................Gladstone
Director..........................................................................Basil
Dearden
Producer.....................................................................Julian
Bkaustein
Written by.......................................................................Robert
Ardrey