The Vikings (film)

The Vikings
Theatrical release poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by	Richard Fleischer
Written by	Calder Willingham (screenplay) Dale Wasserman (adaptation)
Based on	The Viking by Edison Marshall
Produced by	Jerry Bresler
Starring	Kirk Douglas Tony Curtis Janet Leigh Ernest Borgnine James Donald Alexander Knox Frank Thring
Narrated by	Orson Welles
Cinematography	Jack Cardiff
Edited by	Elmo Williams
Music by	Mario Nascimbene
Production companies	Brynaprod Curtleigh Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	June 11, 1958 (1958-06-11) (New York)[1]
Running time	116 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3.5 million[2]
Box office	$6.2 million (US and Canada rentals)[3] $7 million (overseas rentals)[4]

The Vikings is a 1958 American epic^[5] historical fiction swashbuckling film directed by Richard Fleischer, filmed in Technirama, and printed in Technicolor. It was produced by Jerry Bresler and Kirk Douglas (who also starred in the film), through Douglas' Brynaprod company. It is based on the 1951 novel The Viking by Edison Marshall, which in turn is based on material from the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons. Other starring roles were taken by then husband-and-wife Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh as well as Ernest Borgnine. The film made notable use of natural locations in Norway. It was mostly filmed in Maurangerfjorden and Maurangsnes, captured on film by cinematographer Jack Cardiff, although Aella's castle was the real Fort-la-Latte in north-east Brittany in France.

Despite being derisively called a "Norse Opera" by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, the film proved a major box office success and spawned the television series Tales of the Vikings, directed by the film's editor, Elmo Williams, which included none of the original cast or characters.