Sophia Loren Archives - Judith (1966)

FOREIGN TITLES & RELEASE DATES

USA (New York, Radio City Music Hall) - January 20, 1966 - Judith - 109'

West Germany -

February 25, 1966 - Judith -
Canada (Montreal, Loew'sl) - March 1966 - Judith - 109'
France (Paris) -

April 13, 1966 - Judith -
Italy - February 1966 - Judith -
UK - March 14, 1966 - Judith - 109'
Spain (Madrid, Alvi, Canciler) -

June 16, 1975 - La Venus de la ira - 109' (attendance: 363,756)


French poster	Italian poster	Spanish poster	British poster

PLOT

In 1948, as the State of Israel is born, there is concern in a kibbutz along the border about an ex-Nazi general who is suspected of being in contact with the Arabs of the nearby areas which are under the responsibility of the war organization. The Jewish wife of the Nazi, a survivor of the concentration camp in Dachau, is brought from Austria. The woman succeeds in finding the general’s hiding place and, before she dies, manages to obtain valuable information on the attack plans that the Arabs are preparing. (Enrico Lancia)
Story from an unpublished short story by Lawrence Durrell .

FILMING LOCATIONS

Matsuva, Haifa, Nahariya (Israel)

August through October
Sophia arrives in Israel on July 29 1964.

MAIN CAST

Sophia Loren (Judith)
Peter Finch (Aaron Stein)
Jack Hawkins (Major Lawton)
Hans Verner (Gustav Schiller)

CREDITS

Photography:
John Wilcox (Technicolor, Panavision)
Costume design:
Yvonne Blake
Music:
Sol Kaplan
Sophia's Makeup Artist:
Giuseppe Annunziata
Still photographers:
Tazio Secchiaroli, Vittoriano Rastelli, Bob Penn
Sophia's voice is dubbed by:
Rita Savagnone (Italian), Marion Degler (German)
Production:
Kurt Unger and Phil Breen for Cumulus Command Productions

NOTES

Sophia's cachet: $1,000,000.

The film was shot in Israel and an entire kibbutz (communal farm) was created and eventually destroyed.

Alternate title: Conflict (

video title).

Peter Finch is an alcoholic and usually goes out every night to get plastered.

Arab countries will boycot all Sophia Loren's films following her participation in Judith.

Third Mann movie in Sophia's acting career. She did her Hollywood debut with Delbert Mann in Desire Under the Elms, Anthony Mann in the two epic films El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire, and, finally Daniel Mann in Judith. None of the Manns is related.

"At the time, an uneasy truce existed between

Israel

and the Arab countries, supervised by a United Nations emergency force since the cease-fire following hostilities in 1956. The Israeli Army assigned a squadron of commandos to guard Sophia and the rest of the company, but there were no problems."
Warrren G. Harris, Sophia Loren: A Biography.

QUOTES AND REVIEWS

"Sophia, even more measured and capable of expressing inner feelings, brings into focus the difficult role of the woman persecuted by her husband, who becomes an object of pleasure for the enemy, who lives only for hatred and revenge, although in her heart there is still room for more delicate feelings. (...) Sophia is the most expressive of all."
Domenico Capanna, Epoca, 24 mar 1966

"She is lending her name and her presence to a routine cloak-and-dagger film that, without her, would get no more attention - and would deserve no more - than a quickie on the lower end of a double-bill... And it also gives some good views of Miss Loren, who looks pretty snappy in the tight-fitting shorts and sweater - not to mention a black wig worn by a girl in a kibbutz."
Bosley Crowther, New York Times, 21 jan 1966

"Sophia Loren accepts with great conviction a role that has biblical resonance and produces fine results."
Tino Ranieri, La Gazetta del popolo, 26 mar 1966

"Sophia, in short shorts, is so distracting that you almost miss the fact she has developed into a darn good actress."
Al Ricketts, Pacific Stars & Stripes, 25 may 1966

" Sophia is not a woman you ever make a pass at if you happen to be alone with her. (...) She is one of those marvelous natural creations you feast your eyes on and leave it at that. Her whole attitude is professional, with no emotional undertow to drag you off course, and what a sense of humor!"
Peter Finch in Sophia Loren: A Biography by Warren G. Harris.

"Peter was one of the gentlest, kindest, and most talented partners it has ever been my luck to work with. I know these may be the conventional words you speak in such sad circumstances, but they are true."
Sophia Loren.

"Sophia Loren, who is not only beautiful but gorgeous as well, plays a 20th century counterpart to the Biblical Judith in a thoroughly enjoyable new movie that uses the birth of the state of Israel as the background for an exciting melodrama."
Dennis Powers, Oakland Tribune, 23 feb 1966