Synopsis

After the fall of Troy, Odysseus begins a perilous journey home to Ithaca, where his wife Penelope is besieged by unwanted suitors. Shipwrecked and suffering from amnesia, he gradually recalls his encounters with the Cyclops, Circe, the Sirens, and other dangers of the sea. Once he reaches Ithaca, Odysseus disguises himself to test Penelope's loyalty before reclaiming his kingdom.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is an Italian, French, and American co-production based on Homer's "Odyssey." It premiered in Italy on December 6, 1954, and received its German theatrical release on February 8, 1955.

• The production was originally planned as a 3-D picture. Georg Wilhelm Pabst was initially attached to direct but left the project shortly before filming began.

• Mario Bava worked on the picture's photography and special effects without receiving a directing credit. He was particularly involved with the Cyclops sequence.

• The film was photographed in Technicolor and released in multiple versions of different lengths. The Italian version ran substantially longer than several international prints.

• Separate Italian- and English-language versions were prepared. Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn supplied their own voices for the English version.

• The Cyclops effects used a large mechanical figure operated with wires and bellows. The production also borrowed ancient-style armor and weapons from museums in Rome, Naples, and Athens.

• Alberto Moravia drew on the making of the film for his novel "Contempt." Jean-Luc Godard later adapted that novel into the 1963 film of the same name.

• The picture became an important early success for producer Dino De Laurentiis and helped establish the lavish Italian mythological adventure films that became prominent during the 1950s and 1960s.