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55 Days at Peking

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55 Days at Peking
Theatrical release poster
byHoward Terpning
Directed byNicholas Ray
Written by
Produced bySamuel Bronston
Starring
CinematographyJack Hildyard
Edited byRobert Lawrence
Music byDimitri Tiomkin
Production
company
Samuel Bronston Productions
Distributed byAllied Artists
Release date
  • May 29, 1963(1963-05-29)
Running time
153 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[1]
Box office$10 million[2]

55 Days at Pekingis a 1963 Americanepichistoricalwar filmdramatizing thesiege of the foreign legations' compounds in Beijing(then still Peking, in English) during theBoxer Uprising,which took place in China in the summer of 1900. It was produced bySamuel BronstonforAllied Artists,with a screenplay byPhilip YordanandBernard Gordon,and with uncredited contributions fromRobert Hamer,Julian Halevy, andBen Barzman.Noel Gersonwrote a screenplaynovelizationin 1963 under the pseudonym "Samuel Edwards".

The film was directed primarily byNicholas Ray,althoughGuy GreenandAndrew Martonassumed leadership in the latter stages of filming after Ray had fallen ill. Both men were uncredited. It starsCharlton Heston,Ava Gardner,andDavid Niven,with supporting roles byFlora Robson,John Ireland,Leo Genn,Robert Helpmann,Harry Andrews,andKurt Kasznar.It also contains the first known screen appearance of futuremartial arts filmstarYuen Siu Tien.Japanese film directorJuzo Itami,credited in the film as "Ichizo Itami",appears asCol. Goro Shiba.

55 Days at Pekingwas released by Allied Artists on May 29, 1963 and received mixed reviews, mainly for its historical inaccuracies and lack of character development. However, the film was praised for its acting, direction, music, action sequences, and production design. In addition to its mixed critical reviews, the film grossed only $10 million at the box office against a budget of $10 million. Despite this, the film was nominated for twoAcademy Awards.It was director Ray's last film untilLightning Over Water(1980).

Plot

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The film is set during theBattle of Peking (1900)(modern day Beijing).

Starvation, widespread in China, is affecting more than 100 million peasants by the summer of 1900. Approximately a thousand foreigners from various western industrialized countries have exploited their positions inside Beijing's legations, seeking control of the weakened nation. TheBoxersoppose the westerners and the Christian religion and are planning to drive them out.

The turmoil in China worsens as the Boxer secret societies gain tacit approval from theDowager Empress Cixi.With 13 of China's 18 provinces forced intoterritorial concessions by those colonial powers,frustration over foreign encroachment boils over when the Empress encourages the Boxers to attack all foreigners in Beijing and the rest of China. When the Empress condones the assassination of the German ambassador and "suggests" that the foreigners leave, a violent siege of Beijing's foreignlegations districterupts. Beijing's foreign embassies are gripped by terror, as the Boxers, supported byImperialtroops, set about killing Christians in ananti-westernnationalistic fever.

The head of the US military garrison isUS MarineMajor Matt Lewis, loosely based on the real MajorJohn Twiggs Myers,an experiencedChina handwho knows local conditions well. A love interest blossoms between him and Baroness Natasha Ivanova, aRussian aristocratwho, it is revealed, had an affair with a Chinese General, causing her Russian husband to commit suicide. The Russian Imperial Minister, who is Natasha's brother-in-law, has revoked her visa in an attempt to recover a valuable necklace. Although the Baroness tries leaving Beijing as the siege begins, she is forced by events to return to Major Lewis and volunteers in the hospital, which is battered by the siege and is running out of supplies. To help the defenders, the Baroness exchanges her very valuable jeweled necklace for medical supplies and food, but she is wounded in the process and later dies.

Lewis leads the small contingent of 400 multinational soldiers and US Marines defending the compound. As the siege worsens, Maj. Lewis forms an alliance with the senior officer at the British Embassy, Sir Arthur Robertson, pending the arrival of aBritish-led relief force.After hearing that the force has been repulsed by Chinese forces, Maj. Lewis and Sir Arthur succeed in their mission to blow up a sizable Chinese arsenal.

As the foreign defenders conserve food and water, while trying to save hungry children, the Empress continues plotting with the Boxers by supplying aid from her Chinese troops. Eventually, a foreign relief force from theEight-Nation Alliancearrives and defeats the Boxers. The troops reach Beijing on the 55th day and, following theBattle of Peking(Beijing), lift the siege of the foreign legations. Foreshadowing the demise of theQing dynasty,rulers of China for the previous two and a half centuries, the Dowager Empress Cixi, alone in her throne room, having gambled her empire and lost, declares repeatedly to herself, "The dynasty is finished".

When the soldiers of the Eight-Nation Alliance have taken control of the city, after routing the Boxers and the remnants of the Imperial Army, Maj. Lewis assembles his men, having received new orders from his superiors to leave Beijing. He stops and circles back to retrieve Teresa, the young, half-Chinese daughter of one of his Marine comrades who was killed during the 55-day siege. Aboard his horse, she and Maj. Lewis leave the city behind, followed by his column of marching Marines.

Cast

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Uncredited roles

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Production

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Development

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On September 8, 1959, producerJerry Waldannounced he would be producing a film on the Boxer Rebellion tentatively titledThe Hell Raisersfor20th Century Fox.He had hoped to star David Niven as a British officer andStephen Boydas a United States Marine commander whileHope LangeandFrance Nuyenwere sought for supporting female roles.[3]A few weeks later, on September 24, it was reported that Wald had signed Niven, Boyd, and Nuyen for their respective roles.[4]

Meanwhile, producerSamuel Bronstonhad enjoyed commercial success from making historical spectacles in Spain, particularlyKing of Kings(1961), directed byNicholas Ray,andEl Cid(1961), directed byAnthony MannstarringCharlton Heston.InParis,screenwritersPhilip YordanandBernard Gordonwere brainstorming ideas for potential historical epics. During one story conference, Gordon suggested the Boxer Rebellion having recalled reading a theatrical play while working in the Story Department forParamount Picturesduring the 1940s. Yordan dismissed the idea, but later on having returned from a cruise in London, his wife located a book with a chapter titled "Fifty-five Days at Peking" inside a bookstore and showed it to him. Fascinated with the title alone, Yordan pitched the idea to Gordon, who noted that he had earlier pitched the Boxer Rebellion.[5][6]In an interview with theLos Angeles Times,Bronston stated he was attracted to the Boxer Rebellion because it showed "the unity of peoples, no matter what their beliefs, in the face of danger. This incident is what theUNsymbolizes but has not yet achieved. "[7]

In September 1961, Bronston announced he was planning a trilogy of historical epics in Spain, among them was55 Days at PekingandThe Fall of the Roman Empire(1964). For55 Days at Peking,Alec Guinnesswas being sought for a lead role while a British director was to be selected. Filming was slated to begin in spring 1962.[8]That same month, Wald toldThe New York Timesthat he was unhappy with Bronston's plans as his project had long been in development, with a final script draft being written byBarre Lyndon;Wald had also wanted Guinness to star in his project. Furthermore, he stated that he had filed an infringement complaint with theMotion Picture Association of Americabecause he had approached Yordan to write a script in 1956.[9]In April 1962, Wald instead sold the project toNBCas a television film,[10]but Wald's death three months later prevented its continuation.[11]

Casting

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In September 1961, Heston was initially slated to star inThe Fall of the Roman Empire,but he expressed reluctance after reading the screenplay.[12]In November 1961, Heston was presented with a treatment for55 Days at Peking,and by this stage, Ray was chosen to direct the film. "It might be an interesting period for a film," wrote Heston. "I'd like to work for Nick, too."[13]However, Heston was still reluctant. In December 1961, following the Madrid premiere ofEl Cid,during a flight back toLos Angeles,Yordan and Ray again pitched the idea to Heston, and this time he agreed to star in the film. Heston wrote in his journal, "I feel uneasy, but I'm now convinced I must go basically on what confidence I have in a director's talent."[14]Subsequently,Fall of the Roman Empirewas placed on hold as its already completed sets were later demolished and replaced with theForbidden Citysets for55 Days at Peking.[15][16]

In March 1962, Bronston told columnistHedda Hopperthat he had hopedKatharine Hepburnwould portray Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi.[17]Also, Bronston wantedAva Gardnerfor the female lead, although Heston did not want to work with Gardner and instead pushed forJeanne Moreau.[18]Meanwhile, the role had been offered toMelina Mercouriwho refused it because she wanted more rewrites of the screenplay.[19]On June 11, it was reported that Gardner and Hepburn had joined the cast.[20]In the lobby of the Grand Hotel inRome,Bronston offered David Niven a role in the film for a salary of $300,000, to which he accepted without reading the script,[21]and on June 12, Niven's casting was announced.[22]By late June 1962, Hepburn had dropped out of the cast, and Bronston announced thatFlora Robsonhad replaced her to portray the Chinese empress, whileRobert Helpmannwould play Prince Tuan.[23]

Writing

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In 1977, Ray recalled, "The pressure was tremendous. On a $6 million production, I had no production manager, and a 21-year-old assistant director. No script. I had two artists in my office, one Chinese and one Spanish. I'd describe the scene to them, they'd draw it and then I'd give it to the so-called writers and say," Write a scene around this? "[24]Prior to filming, Gordon and Ray had worked on a draft in which the former struggled writing as he contracted "colds and the flu and constantly ran a low-grade fever." After four weeks of work, they presented pages of their draft to Yordan, who ordered them to "go back to square one and write the kind of clumsy, impersonal, fat historical opus" that the international distributors wanted. "[25]With filming nearly approaching, Yordan suggested hiringArnaud d'Usseauto assist Gordon with writing some scenes, particularly those with Gardner. Gordon later recalled that d'Usseau worked meticulously slow and "simply couldn't find his way into our script." After a few weeks, d'Usseau left the project with none of his work being used. Shortly after this, blacklisted screenwriter Julian Halevy accepted Gordon's offer to rewrite some scenes, among of which were new scenes for the Empress Dowager.[26]

By May 1962, Gordon delivered a 140-pageshooting script,[27]but most of the scenes were merely summarized or sketched in. That same month, Heston received the script, but disapprovingly jotted in his journal that "[t]he love story is very arbitrary, I think; the dialogue primitive."[28]Filming would proceed without a finished script and on-set rewrites were frequent. It had been suggested that a native British screenwriter should revise the dialogue for Niven's character for whichRobert Hamerhad been hired for the task. Ultimately, his services were later turned away as Hamer had sunken into alcoholism. Yordan then recruitedJon Manchip Whiteto help rework the script, but it did not pan out.[29]Four weeks later into production, Niven threatened to walk off set unless the script was rewritten. Yordan ordered Gordon to write "aHamletscene for him, and he'll shut up. "Gordon then wrote four to five pages of monologue for Niven's character to self-reflect on his actions. The new scenes were sent to Niven in which he returned to finish filming.[30]

Filming

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Principal photographybegan on July 2, 1962.[31]The film was shot on location inLas Matas.[32]Three thousand extras were required, including 1,500 Chinese. There were estimated to be 300 adultChinese people in Spainso the rest were imported from all over Europe, particularly London, Rome, Marseilles, and Lisbon.[33][34][35]

As production continued, Gardner became difficult during the shoot, often turning up late, disliking the script, and drinking heavily. One day, she walked off set claiming an extra had taken a photograph of her.[36]Ultimately, the idea to write Gardner out of the film came from screenwriterBen Barzman,who had rewrittenEl Cid.[37]According to Heston, Yordan had written a death scene in which the Baroness dies of shrapnel wounds. By the time the scene was shot, Gardner struggled to remember her lines. Heston then suggested giving her lines toPaul Lukas,who was playing a physician.[38]

On September 11, 1962, Ray was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack.[39]At this point, production had fallen six weeks behind schedule with Gardner's role being nearly complete, but significant scenes for Heston and Niven had yet to be shot. To replace him, Heston suggestedGuy Green,who had previously directed him inDiamond Head(1963), to finish the remaining scenes between him and Gardner.[40]Green subsequently left the production, and by October 1962, directorial duties were transferred toAndrew Marton,who was directing thesecond unit.[41]Marton reflected, "When I came onboard, I thought the picture was very shallow, just action, action, action and there was no meaning. I wrote a new beginning and a new ending and submitted them to management—who consisted of Bronston andMichael Wasynski... Anyway, they said 'NO!' with a capital N, capital O. And I was very unhappy. "Regardless, Marton invited directorJohn Fordonto the set, who had advised him to shoot the sequences with no hesitation.[42][43]Heston finished his scenes on October 20, 1962, for which he wrote in his journal, "What I have learned from this, I hope permanently, is never start a film without a good finished script."[44]Principal photography ended on November 15, 1962.[45]

Release

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In May 1962, it was reported that Allied Artists, who had earlier distributedEl Cid,had signed to distribute55 Days in Pekingin the United States.[46]Bronston had raised the money by first pre-selling the film to distributors on the basis of the topic, and the involvement of Heston and Ray.[47]

On May 28, 1963, the film received a gala invitational premiere at the Beverly Theater.[48]

Home media

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Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the film on DVD February 28, 2001. A UK Blu-ray fromAnchor Bay Entertainmentwas released in April 2014.

Reception

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Critical response

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Bosley CrowtherofThe New York Timesdescribed the film as:

[R]ousing, sometimes exciting, action fare that should keep the customers alert and entertained even if their intellects are confused. The fact of the matter is that the principals and the multitudinous extras involved have no more depth than Occidental and Oriental figures on a Chinese tapestry. And their actions—at least the reasons behind the actions of the principals — are rarely explored fully. Without authentic historic background, a viewer gets a foggy picture, if any, of the real causes of the Boxer Rebellion.[49]

Gene Arneel ofVarietypraised the production design and Jack Hildeyard's cinematography, but also felt the script "plays interestingly but somehow lacks appropriate power. The characterizations don't have the intensity of the struggle."[50]Philip K. Scheuer, reviewing for theLos Angeles Times,wrote that "For sheer color magnificence—photographed by Jack Hildeyard in Super Technirama 70—it is as breathtaking asEl Cid.Only this time, instead of medieval Spain, it is the China of 1900, complete with Forbidden City and surrounding legations. It should hold and fascinate spectators for its two-and-a-half hours of sheer, pell-mell movie making, even though characters are stereotypes whose melodramatics are as dated as the period itself. "[51]

Timemagazine felt "Pictorially, the film is magnificent, and some of the handsomest scenes—an orange sun rising over the peaks of the Forbidden City, midnight pyrotechnics as the Imperial arsenal blows up, the gates of the greatTartar Wallbeing stormed by Boxers in scarlet turbans—are almost as good as the evocative paintings by Water-coloristDong Kingman,which open and close the picture. It was doubtless ghastly to wait 55 days at Peking until international reinforcements arrived, and the moviegoer who experiences the whole siege in two hours and 30 minutes comes out feeling lucky. "[52]Awarding the film four complete stars, Dorothy Masters of theNew York Daily Newswrote: "A powerful drama of global interest, the film has integrity, a component frequently lost in the razzle-dazzle dangled by so many multi-million-dollar colossals."[53]

At thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 58% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 5.43/10.[54]

Box office

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55 Days at Pekingwas acommercial disasterin the United States. Produced on a then-enormous budget of $10 million,[1]the film's domestic gross was $10 million,[2]earning only $5 million intheatrical rentals.[55]It was the20th highest-grossing film of 1963.The figures quoted ignore foreign box office receipts where the film was much more successful than in the United States.[citation needed]

Academy Award nominations

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Music from this film was responsible for two nominations at the 1964Academy Awards.Dimitri TiomkinandPaul Francis Websterwere nominated forBest Original Songfor "So Little Time", and Tiomkin was nominated forBest Music Score – Substantially Original.[56]

Legacy

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55 Days at Pekingcontains the first known occurrence of the phrase "Let China sleep. For when she wakes, the world will tremble", which is often mistakenly attributed toNapoleon Bonaparte.While appearing in the film in a script byBernard Gordon,the phrase did not appear in the subsequent books versions byNoel Gerson(written under the pseudonymSamuel Edwards).[57]

Comic book adaptation

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  • Gold Key:55 Days at Peking(September 1963)[58][59]
  • René Bratonne also made a French newspaper comic adaptation of this film, assisted by Pierre Leguen and Claude Pascal; they who worked under the pseudonym "Jack de Brown".[60]

See also

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References

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Citations
  1. ^ab"Bronston Film Two Years in Making".Los Angeles Times.May 23, 1963. Part IV, p. 10 – viaNewspapers.
  2. ^ab"Box Office Information for55 Days at Peking".The Numbers.September 5, 2013.
  3. ^Scott, John L. (September 8, 1959)."Wald Rushes Plans for 'Hell Raisers'".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 9 – viaNewspapers.
  4. ^Hopper, Hedda (September 24, 1959). "Wald Gets Niven for 'Hell Raisers'".Los Angeles Times.Part III, p. 6 – via Newspapers.
  5. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 145–6.
  6. ^Martin 2007,pp. 94–95.
  7. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (February 23, 1962)."History Own Best Dramatist to Him: Bronston Making Parallels With Past Pay Off Today".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 17 – via Newspapers.
  8. ^Archer, Eugene (September 12, 1961)."Bronston Plans 3 Film Spectacles: Boxer Rebellion, Rome's Fall, French Revolt on Agenda".The New York Times.p. 36.
  9. ^Archer, Eugene (September 15, 1961)."Producer Decries Movie Practices: Wald Says Two Plan Films on the Boxer Rebellion".The New York Times.p. 30.
  10. ^Connolly, Mike(April 21, 1962)."Boxer Rebellion Is Theme of TV Show".The Capital Times.p. 21.RetrievedApril 23,2020– via Newspapers.
  11. ^Graham, Sheilah(August 4, 1962)."Hollywood".The Scranton Times-Tribune.p. 9.RetrievedApril 23,2020– via Newspapers.
  12. ^Heston 1979,p.164.
  13. ^Heston 1979,p.168–169.
  14. ^Heston 1979,p.172.
  15. ^Heston 1995,pp. 272–273.
  16. ^Martin 2007,p. 134.
  17. ^Hopper, Hedda (March 12, 1962)."Looking at Hollywood: Jerry Lewis Lands on Moon in 'Astronuts'".Chicago Tribune.Part 3, p. 10 – via Newspapers.
  18. ^Heston 1995,pp. 279–280.
  19. ^Heston 1979,p.186.
  20. ^Hopper, Hedda (June 11, 1962)."Ava Gardner to Do Film for Bronston".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 14 – via Newspapers.
  21. ^Gordon 1999,p. 149.
  22. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (June 12, 1962)."Niven Will Contest Heston in 'Peking': Shibata Sells Script, Self; Darin Showbiz Phenomenon".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 11 – via Newspapers.
  23. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (June 22, 1962)."Flora Robson Joins Bronston in 'Peking'".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 13 – via Newspapers.
  24. ^Cocks, Jay (January 1977)."Director in Aspic".Take One.pp.17–21 – viaInternet Archive.
  25. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 147–149.
  26. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 148–149.
  27. ^Gordon 1999,p. 150.
  28. ^Heston 1979,p.184.
  29. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 152–153.
  30. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 154–155.
  31. ^Scott, John L. (June 29, 1962)."Lee Remick, Garner Named as Co-Stars: They'll Do 'Wheeler Dealers'; Ireland Joining 'Peking' Cast".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 11 – via Newspapers.
  32. ^Gordon 1999,pp. 150–151.
  33. ^Leralta, Javier (2002).Madrid: cuentos, leyendas y anécdotas, Volumen 2.Sílex Ediciones. p. 50.ISBN8477371008.(in Spanish)
  34. ^Wilson, Earl (October 13, 1962)."Baritone Lucky He Found Weede".Los Angeles Times.Part I, p. 15 – via Newspapers.
  35. ^"Oriental War on Plains of Spain: Boxer Revolt Filmed By Bronston Crew For '55 Days' Safety First Scenic Setting".The New York Times.December 9, 1962. p. 59.
  36. ^Server 2006,p. 395.
  37. ^Martin 2007,p. 125.
  38. ^Heston 1995,p. 287.
  39. ^Martin 2007,p. 90.
  40. ^Heston 1995,p. 289.
  41. ^Parsons, Louella (October 15, 1962)."Best of Hollywood".The Philadelphia Inquirer.p. 13.RetrievedApril 20,2020– via Newspapers.
  42. ^D'Antonio, Joanne (1991).Andrew Marton.Scarecrow Press.pp. 419–421.ISBN978-0-81-082472-0.
  43. ^Sherman, Eddie (November 8, 1962)."Suntan Scoops".The Honolulu Advertiser.p. B3.RetrievedApril 20,2020– via Newspapers.
  44. ^Heston 1979,p. 202.
  45. ^Eisenschitz 1993,p. 389.
  46. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (May 14, 1962)."Albright in 'Fix' With Gene Barry".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 13. – via Newspapers
  47. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (July 31, 1962)."Bronston Plan Seen as Film Revolution: Madrid Operation Is Based on Pre-Selling Productions".Los Angeles Times.Part IV, p. 7 – via Newspapers.
  48. ^"'55 Days' on Screen ".Los Angeles Times.May 8, 1963. Part V, p. 17 – via Newspapers.
  49. ^Crowther, Bosley (May 30, 1963)."55 Days at Peking' Is Drama of the Boxer Rebellion in China".The New York Times.p. 20.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  50. ^Arneel, Gene (May 1, 1963)."Film Reviews: 55 Days at Peking".Variety.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  51. ^Scheuer, Philip K. (May 12, 1963)."'Peking'---Bronston's Great Leap Forward? ".Los Angeles Times.p. 2.RetrievedApril 20,2020– via Newspapers.
  52. ^"Cinema: Foreign Devils Go Home".Time.May 31, 1963. p. 80.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  53. ^Masters, Dorothy (May 30, 1963)."'55 Days at Peking' Is Smasher ".New York Daily News.p. 50.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  54. ^"Fifty Five Days at Peking (1963)".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  55. ^"All-Time Top Grossers".Variety.January 8, 1964. p. 69.
  56. ^"The 36th Academy Awards (1964) Nominees and Winners".oscars.org.RetrievedApril 23,2020.
  57. ^""Sleeping China" and Napoleon ".napoleon.org.RetrievedApril 18,2022.
  58. ^Gold Key:55 Days at Pekingat theGrand Comics Database
  59. ^Gold Key:55 Days at Pekingat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
  60. ^"René Brantonne".

Bibliography

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