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

5.9/10

384

YOUR RATING

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

5/10

Watchable But Noting Else

Leaving aside whether this film has some accuracy on the Persian poet and matemathician's life or not (history doesn't know much about him), I agree with a review here that states a better movie could have been made with this story.

The picture is very slow in its first part -almost boring- and it gets more interesting when the plot to kill the Sultan by the Assassins appears and some action with it. The settings are acceptable -no more than that- if we consider this a 1957 product and so are the costumes and the musical score by Victor Young.

But I think the major flaw in this movie is Cornel Wilde's casting as the main character. Wilde was never a more than average actor and here he is unable to support the weight of a film in which he is the center. He lacks charisma, strength and presence as Kayyahm and renders a dull performance. The rest of the cast is standard with the exception of Michael Rennie who plays a great villain worthy of a much better effort.

Perhaps if the movie had focused on the second part only -that is the the Assassins sinister plans and the fight against them- and included a much more suitable actor in the main role, we would be talking about a really enjoyable epic adventure film.