55 Days at Peking (1963) | |
| Director(s) | Nicholas Ray, Guy Green (uncredited), Andrew Marton (uncredited) |
| Producer(s) | Samuel Bronston, Michal Waszynski (associate) |
| Top Genres | Action, Drama, Historical, War |
| Top Topics | |
Featured Cast:
55 Days at Peking Overview:
55 Days at Peking (1963) was a Drama - Historical Film directed by Guy Green and Andrew Marton and produced by Michal Waszynski and Samuel Bronston.
Academy Awards 1963 --- Ceremony Number 36 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Music - Scoring | Dimitri Tiomkin | Nominated |
| Best Music - Song | Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster | Nominated |
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Quotes from
Capt. Andy Marshall:
[Regarding the Boxers massed on the Tartar Wall] No sign of activity, hmm?
Sgt. Harry: No sir, I think they're all asleep.
Capt. Andy Marshall: Ah, but we'd better not be Sergeant.
[Nodding to sleeping soldiers]
Capt. Andy Marshall: You'd better wake them all up.
Sgt. Harry: [to English Soldier] Wake up!
[to German Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Guten Morgen!
[to French Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Bonjour! Bonjour!
[to Italian Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Buongiorno!
[Picks up and looks at hat of Japanese Marine]
Sgt. Harry: ... Good Morning?
Japanese Marine: Good Morning.
Maj. Matt Lewis: He's a good soldier when he knows what he's fighting for.
Sir Arthur Robertson: It's easy when it's something you can see; a wall, a hill, a river, but how can you explain to them when it's for a principle.
Maj. Matt Lewis: You can't. Not here in China, it's too far from home.
Baroness Natalie Ivanoff: You know, I think I'll get you to take me to San Francisco with you.
Maj. Matt Lewis: Oh? Why to San Francisco?
Baroness Natalie Ivanoff: Well, isn't that the place where they found all the gold?
Maj. Matt Lewis: [laughs]
read more quotes from 55 Days at Peking...
Sgt. Harry: No sir, I think they're all asleep.
Capt. Andy Marshall: Ah, but we'd better not be Sergeant.
[Nodding to sleeping soldiers]
Capt. Andy Marshall: You'd better wake them all up.
Sgt. Harry: [to English Soldier] Wake up!
[to German Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Guten Morgen!
[to French Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Bonjour! Bonjour!
[to Italian Soldier]
Sgt. Harry: Buongiorno!
[Picks up and looks at hat of Japanese Marine]
Sgt. Harry: ... Good Morning?
Japanese Marine: Good Morning.
Maj. Matt Lewis: He's a good soldier when he knows what he's fighting for.
Sir Arthur Robertson: It's easy when it's something you can see; a wall, a hill, a river, but how can you explain to them when it's for a principle.
Maj. Matt Lewis: You can't. Not here in China, it's too far from home.
Baroness Natalie Ivanoff: You know, I think I'll get you to take me to San Francisco with you.
Maj. Matt Lewis: Oh? Why to San Francisco?
Baroness Natalie Ivanoff: Well, isn't that the place where they found all the gold?
Maj. Matt Lewis: [laughs]
read more quotes from 55 Days at Peking...
Facts about
Due to mainland China's hostility and isolation from the Western world, a full-scale 60-acre replication of Peking 1900 (sewers and all) was built in the plains outside Madrid, and Chinese/Asian extras were flown in from all over Europe to provide the local Peking (the old name of Beijing) citizenry. A number of costumes for the Royal Chinese Court (the Empress, Prince Tuan's, etc.) were authentic ones from Tzu Hsi's actual court. They were loaned by an illustrious Florentine family (which wished to stay anonymous) but was able to rescue them from the collapse of the dynasty right after the Boxer rebellion.
The Japanese Colonel Shiba, played by Ichizo Itami, is the only major character among those depicted in the besieged legations who has the real name of a key participant in the actual historical events. Shiba Goro (1860-1945), then with the rank of colonel, was military attaché at the Japanese Legation. The real life Colonel Shiba emerges as a true hero and the most admired military leader within the legations in contemporary newspaper accounts and memoirs, including by English and American authors. Wikipedia has an interesting article about his career.
The film, which was shot in Spain, needed hundreds of Chinese extras, and the company sent scouts throughout Spain and the rest of Europe to hire as many Asiatic-looking actors as they could find. The casting web in 1962 reached as far as London, Lyon and Marseilles, so the result was that many Chinese restaurants in those cities closed for the summer 1962 during filming because the restaurant staff - often including the restaurant's owners - was hired away by the film company. The company hired so many that for several months there was scarcely a Chinese restaurant to be found open in Spain and those 3 other cities.
read more facts about 55 Days at Peking...
The Japanese Colonel Shiba, played by Ichizo Itami, is the only major character among those depicted in the besieged legations who has the real name of a key participant in the actual historical events. Shiba Goro (1860-1945), then with the rank of colonel, was military attaché at the Japanese Legation. The real life Colonel Shiba emerges as a true hero and the most admired military leader within the legations in contemporary newspaper accounts and memoirs, including by English and American authors. Wikipedia has an interesting article about his career.
The film, which was shot in Spain, needed hundreds of Chinese extras, and the company sent scouts throughout Spain and the rest of Europe to hire as many Asiatic-looking actors as they could find. The casting web in 1962 reached as far as London, Lyon and Marseilles, so the result was that many Chinese restaurants in those cities closed for the summer 1962 during filming because the restaurant staff - often including the restaurant's owners - was hired away by the film company. The company hired so many that for several months there was scarcely a Chinese restaurant to be found open in Spain and those 3 other cities.
read more facts about 55 Days at Peking...
