''Sins of Rome'' ( it, Spartaco) is a 1953 historical drama film directed by

Riccardo Freda Riccardo Freda (24 February 1909 – 20 December 1999) was an Italian film director. He worked in a variety of genres, including sword-and-sandal, horror film, horror, ''giallo'' and spy films. Freda began directing ''I Vampiri'' in 1956. The f ...

and loosely based on the life story of

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...

. The rights of film's negatives and copies were bought by the producers of

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...

's 1960 film ''

'', as to prevent eventual new releases of the film that could have damaged the commercial outcome of Kubrick’s film; this resulted in ''Sins of Romes withdrawal from market for about thirty years.

Cast

Massimo Girotti Massimo Girotti (18 May 1918 – 5 January 2003) was an Italian film actor whose career spanned seven decades. Born in Mogliano, in the province of Macerata, Girotti developed his athletic physique by swimming and playing polo. While studying eng ...

Ludmilla Tchérina Ludmilla Tchérina (born Monique Tchemerzine; ; 10 October 1924 – 21 March 2004) was a French prima ballerina and actress. Biography Tchérina was born Monique Tchemerzine, into Circassian aristocracy as the daughter of Kabardian Prince Ave ...

as Amitis *

Gianna Maria Canale Gianna Maria Canale (12 September 1927 – 13 February 2009) was an Italian film actress. Biography Canale was born in 1927 in Reggio Calabria. In 1947, she competed in the Miss Italia beauty contest, where she was runner-up to Lucia Bo ...

as Sabina *

Yves Vincent Yves Vincent (5 August 1921 – 6 January 2016) was a French film and television actor. Selected filmography * ''Devil and the Angel'' (1946) - Robert * ''La taverne du poisson couronné'' (1947) - Pierre Astor * '' The Sharks of Gibraltar'' ...

as Ocnomas *

Carlo Ninchi Carlo Ninchi (31 May 1896 – 27 April 1974) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1963. He was born in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, and died on 27 April 1974 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Selected filmogra ...

Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

Carlo Giustini Carlo Giustini (born 4 May 1923), sometimes credited as Carlo Justini, is an Italian retired actor. Life and career Born in Viterbo, the son of a railway employee, Giustini debuted at twenty years old in ''The Materassi Sisters'', after having ...

as Artorige *

Teresa Franchini Teresa Franchini (19 September 1877 – 11 August 1972) was an Italian stage and film actress. She was a leading lady of the theatre in her youth, appearing in the first Italian staging of Oscar Wilde's ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' in 1905. Beginnin ...

as Spartacus's Mother *

Vittorio Sanipoli Vittorio Sanipoli (1915–1992) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in around a hundred films and television series between 1942 and 1980. Life and career Born Luciano Sanipoli in Genoa, he made his acting debut in 1939 ...

as Marcus Virilius Rufus * Umberto Silvestri as Lentulus *

Renato Baldini Renato Baldini (18 December 1921 – 5 July 1995) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 87 films between 1950 and 1983. He was born in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''It's Forever Springtime'' (1950) - Un carabiniere al processo ...

as Gladiator *

Nerio Bernardi Nerio Bernardi (23 July 1899 – 12 January 1971) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in nearly 200 films between 1918 and 1970. He was born in Bologna, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * ''Nero'' (1922) * ''The Sheph ...

Cesare Bettarini Cesare Bettarini (17 October 1901 – 19 October 1975) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in a number of productions during the Fascist era, including the 1935 drama '' Like the Leaves'' (1935).Caldiron p.46 Selected filmography * '' The Wed ...

Release

''Sins of Rome'' was distributed in Italy as ''Spartaco'' by A.P.I. on January 28, 1953. The film grossed a total of 450 million

Italian lire The lira (; plural lire) was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. It was first introduced by the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy in 1807 at par with the French franc, and was subsequently adopted by the different states that would eventually f ...

in Italy. The film was released in the United States as ''Sins of Rome'' and in the United Kingdom as ''Spartacus the Gladiator''.

References

External links

* 1953 films 1950s historical drama films Peplum films Films directed by Riccardo Freda Films about gladiatorial combat Films about rebels Films set in the 1st century BC Films set in ancient Rome Films set in Capua Films set in Rome Third Servile War films Cultural depictions of Spartacus Sword and sandal films Films scored by Renzo Rossellini French black-and-white films Italian black-and-white films Italian historical drama films French historical drama films 1950s Italian films 1950s French films {{adventure-film-stub