Omar Khayyam

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Debra Paget and Cornel Wilde in Omar Khayyam (1957)

During the 11th century, Persian poet Omar Khayyam's lover marries the Shah but the Shah, whose life is threatened by a sect of assassins, appoints Omar royal advisor.During the 11th century, Persian poet Omar Khayyam's lover marries the Shah but the Shah, whose life is threatened by a sect of assassins, appoints Omar royal advisor.During the 11th century, Persian poet Omar Khayyam's lover marries the Shah but the Shah, whose life is threatened by a sect of assassins, appoints Omar royal advisor.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

386

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See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
This picture marked the last film-score credit for Victor Young, the accomplished Hollywood composer, recording artist and songwriter of melodic standards - "Street of Dreams", "Love Letters", "Stella by Starlight", "My Foolish Heart", "When I Fall in Love", "Around the World".

Goofs
As Omar leaves the council of the Grand Master.

Quotes
Omar Khayyam: They call you Chosen One... the Seventh Excellent Creature.Are you also to be appointed Caliph, interpreting the Will of God, Supreme Ruler above all earthly kings?
Hasani Sabah: If it were not so, I could not wear these robes nor hold this office.
Omar Khayyam: You have named me your Counsellor, but
[pause]
Omar Khayyam: I am happier with lesser matters, like this strip of vellum on which I have reduced the year to better reckoning. These figures will guide the lives of men when our mouths have been stopped with the dust of a thousand years, and the name Omar Khayyam is just as long forgotten. These figures, written on the skins of lambs, have more power than all your daggers and secret plans. Such men as you have arisen in every generation, from the dawn of mankind to our times, each with another form of the ancient conspiracy to rule this Earth. Millions of men have died to prove them wrong. What you are doing is not new, and will never be old. And when you have failed - as all those before you have failed and miserably died - it will happen again, and over again, as long as my calendar shall last.
[pause]
Omar Khayyam: But my calendar may not last an hour. Only sworn Assassins leave this rock.

Connections
Featured in Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005)

Soundtracks
The Loves of Omar Khayyam
Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

User reviews11

Review

Featured review

6/10

Another great biography parodies into fluff. Kitsch Entertainment

Unfortunately we do not have a lot of biographical detail on Omar Khayyam, one of the world's greatest mathematician, astronomer and poet, and a philosopher as well. His tomb, still existent in Iran is a great monument of Islamic architecture. This movie is a monument to Hollywood's inability to capture any of those values and turn it all instead into a vapid adventure story with miles of cheap fabrics that look 'exotic'. We even get a band of "assasins' that is very similar in spirit, logical plan and training to today's Taliban.

Cornell Wilde is unable to project the charisma and genius of this Persian poet. He looks like a retired banker that lives in NY, has a mild interest in the theater and is doing this movie because he wants to have a tax right-off. He should have been played by Omar Shariff. Margaret Hayes is great camp as Queen Zarada, the queen mother whose ambition will stop at nothing to secure the throne for her sons. She is also capable of sustaining a platinum blond mane in the midst of the harem with great aplomb, as a symbol and reminder that all queens should be white, blond and preferably from Philadelphia. She is always trailing several yards of Technicolor blue cape behind her every move. Joan Taylor is so ferociously loyal and annoyingly organized as Yaffa, Omar's slave, that one is relieved to see her being pushed from a cliff. Debra Paget plays Sharain, Omar's great love and inspiration for his poems, as a secular nun who also clearly has a cross-eyed problem. This role should understandably have gone to Arabian Night-resident-Hollywood-expert Maureen O'Hara. Michael Rennie is the EVIL Hasani Sabah, and gives the best performance in his role as the ruthless leader of the Assassins sect. One laments not to see him shirtless and wearing a pendant cabochon emerald from one of his handsome earlobes.

As a vapid Arabian Night action movie it has all the polyester, plated gold, architectural plaster and Technicolor spectrum of saturated glamorama to while away a lazy summer afternoon. Great double feature with a Sinbad or Baghdad movie.