Controversial British officer T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) learns the culture of Arabs (Alec Guinness,... (Learn more)
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn (View All)
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Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn
This sweeping, highly literate historical epic covers the Allies' mideastern campaign during World War I as seen through the eyes of the enigmatic T. E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole, in the role that made him a star). After a prologue showing us Lawrence's ultimate fate, we flash back to Cairo in 1917. A bored general staffer, Lawrence talks his way into a transfer to Arabia. Once in the desert, he befriends Sherif Ali Ben El Kharish (Omar Sharif, making one of the most spectacular entrances in movie history) and draws up plans to aid the Arabs in their rebellion against the Turks. No one is ever able to discern Lawrence's motives in this matter: Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness) dismisses him as yet another "desert-loving Englishman," and his British superiors assume that he's either arrogant or mad. Using a combination of diplomacy and bribery, Lawrence unites the rival Arab factions of Feisal and Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn). After successfully completing his mission, Lawrence becomes an unwitting pawn of the Allies, as represented by Gen. Allenby (Jack Hawkins) and Dryden (Claude Rains), who decide to keep using Lawrence to secure Arab cooperation against the Imperial Powers. While on a spying mission to Deraa, Lawrence is captured and tortured by a sadistic Turkish Bey (Jose Ferrer). In the heat of the next battle, a wild-eyed Lawrence screams "No prisoners!" and fights more ruthlessly than ever. Screenwriters Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson used T. E. Lawrence's own self-published memoir The Seven Pillars of Wisdom as their principal source, although some of the characters are composites, and many of the "historical" incidents are of unconfirmed origin. Two years in the making (you can see O'Toole's weight fluctuate from scene to scene), the movie, lensed in Spain and Jordan, ended up costing a then-staggering $13 million and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The 1962 Royal Premiere in London was virtually the last time that David Lean's director's cut was seen: 20 minutes were edited from the film's general release, and 15 more from the 1971 reissue. This abbreviated version was all that was available for public exhibition until a massive 1989 restoration, at 216 minutes that returned several of Lean's favorite scenes while removing others with which he had never been satisfied. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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US Release Date
12/16/62
MPAA Rating
Rated PG for (re-rated)
Running Time
215 mins. (V 1989 restored version)
Locations
- Jordan, Saudi Arabia
- Lee International Studios, Shepperton, England, United Kingdom
- Morocco
- Spain
Language
- English
Box Office Total
$5,627,115
Awards
- Nominated for a Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Editing award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Picture award at the 1962 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Winner of the Best British Actor award at the 1962 British Academy of Film and Television Awards.
- Winner of the Best Color Art Direction award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the New Star of the Year - Male award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director award at the 1962 Directors Guild of America [Festival/A Awards.
- Winner of the Best Film - Any Source award at the 1962 British Academy of Film and Television Awards.
- Winner of the U.S. National Film Registry award at the 1990 Library of Congress [Festival/Award] Awards.
- Winner of the Best Picture - Drama award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Cinematography - Color award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Screenplay award at the 1962 British Academy of Film and Television Awards.
- Winner of the 100 Greatest American Movies award at the 1998 American Film Institute [Festival/Awar Awards.
- Nominated for a New Star of the Year - Male award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Sound award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Original Score award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Picture award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Actor award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Nominated for a Best Original Score award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director award at the 1962 National Board of Review [Festival/Awa Awards.
- Winner of the Best Color Cinematography award at the 1962 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie Awards.
- Winner of the Best Director award at the 1962 Hollywood Foreign Press Association [F Awards.
Distributor
- Columbia Pictures
- Sony Pictures Releasing
