The Egyptian (film)

1954 film by Michael Curtiz

The Egyptian

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Michael Curtiz
Screenplay by| Philip Dunne
Casey Robinson
Based on| The Egyptian
by Mika Waltari
Produced by| Darryl F. Zanuck
Starring| Jean Simmons
Victor Mature
Gene Tierney
Michael Wilding
Bella Darvi
Peter Ustinov
Edmund Purdom
Cinematography| Leon Shamroy
Edited by| Barbara McLean
Music by| Bernard Herrmann
Alfred Newman

Production
company

20th Century-Fox

Distributed by| 20th Century-Fox

Release date

* August 24, 1954 (1954-08-24)

Running time

| 140 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $3.9 million[1][2]
Box office| $4.25 million (US rentals)[3][4]
$9.25 million (worldwide rentals)[5][2]

The Egyptian is a 1954 American epic historical drama film made by 20th Century-Fox. Filmed in CinemaScope with color by DeLuxe, it was directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on Mika Waltari's 1945 novel of the same name and the screenplay was adapted by Philip Dunne and Casey Robinson. Leading roles were played by Edmund Purdom, Bella Darvi, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Gene Tierney, Peter Ustinov, and Michael Wilding. Cinematographer Leon Shamroy was nominated for an Oscar in 1955.

## Plot

[edit]

In 18th dynasty Egypt,[a] while lion hunting with his friend Horemheb, struggling physician Sinuhe discovers Egypt's newly ascendant pharaoh Akhnaton, who has sought the solitude of the desert in the midst of a religious epiphany. While praying, the ruler is stricken with an epileptic seizure, with which Sinuhe helps him. The grateful Akhnaton makes Sinuhe court physician and gives Horemheb a post in the Royal Guard, a career previously denied to him by low birth. Akhnaton becomes devoted to a new religion that he feels has been divinely revealed to him. This faith rejects Egypt's traditional gods in favor of monolatristic worship of the sun, referred to as Aten. Akhnaton intends to promote Atenism throughout Egypt, which earns him the hatred of the country's corrupt and politically active traditional priesthood.

Life in court drags Sinuhe away from his previous ambition of helping the poor, and he falls obsessively in love with Babylonian courtesan Nefer. He squanders all of his and his parents' property in order to buy her gifts, only to have her reject him nonetheless. Returning home, Sinuhe learns that his parents have committed suicide over his behavior. He has their bodies embalmed so that they can pass on to the afterlife, and, having no way to pay for the service, works off his debts in the embalming house.

Lacking a tomb in which to put his parents' mummies, Sinuhe buries them in the sand amid the lavish funerary complexes of the Valley of the Kings. Tavern maid Merit finds him there and warns him that Akhnaton has condemned him to death; one of the pharaoh's daughters fell ill and died while Sinuhe was working as an embalmer, and the tragedy is being blamed on his desertion of the court. Merit urges Sinuhe to flee Egypt and rebuild his career elsewhere, and the two of them have sex before he takes ship out of the country.

Olympic discus thrower Fortune Gordien and Jean Simmons on set.

For the next ten years, Sinuhe and his servant Kaptah wander the known world, where Sinuhe's Egyptian medical training gives him a reputation as a healer. After saving enough money from his fees to return home, Sinuhe buys his way back into the favor of the court with a piece of military intelligence he learned abroad, informing Horemheb (now commander of the Egyptian army) that the barbarian Hittites plan to attack the country with iron weapons.

Akhnaton is ready to forgive Sinuhe, according to his religion's doctrine of mercy and pacifism. These qualities have made Aten-worship popular amid the common people, including Merit, with whom Sinuhe is reunited. He finds that she had a son named Thoth, as a result of their night together years before, who shares Sinuhe's interest in medicine.

Meanwhile, the priests of the old gods have been fomenting hate crimes against the Aten's devotees, and now urge Sinuhe to help them kill Akhnaton and put Horemheb on the throne instead. The physician is given extra inducement by the princess Baketamun; she reveals that he is actually the son of the previous pharaoh by a concubine, discarded at birth because of the jealousy of the old queen and raised by foster parents. The princess now suggests that Sinuhe could poison both Akhnaton and Horemheb and rule Egypt himself (with her at his side).

Sinuhe is still reluctant to perform this deed until the Egyptian army mounts a full attack on worshipers of the Aten. Kaptah smuggles Thoth out of the country, but Merit is killed while seeking refuge at the new god's altar. In his grief, Sinuhe blames Akhnaton for these tragedies and poisons him at their next meeting. Realizing what has been done, Akhnaton accepts his fate. He still believes his faith is true, but that he has understood it imperfectly; future generations will be able to spread the it better than he. Enlightened by Akhnaton's dying words, Sinuhe warns Horemheb that his wine is also poisoned, thus allowing him to marry the Princess and become Pharaoh.

Later, Sinuhe is brought before his old friend for preaching the ideals Akhnaton believed in and is sentenced to be exiled to the shores of the Red Sea, where he spends his remaining days writing down his life story, in the hope that it may be found by Thoth or his descendants. Ultimately it is revealed that "These things happened thirteen centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ".

## Cast

[edit]

* Edmund Purdom as Sinuhe
* Victor Mature as Horemheb
* Jean Simmons as Merit
* Bella Darvi as Nefer
* Gene Tierney as Baketamon
* Michael Wilding as Akhenaten
* Peter Ustinov as Kaptah
* Judith Evelyn as Taia
* Henry Daniell as Mekere
* Carl Benton Reid as Senmut
* Tommy Rettig as Thoth
* Anitra Stevens as Nefertiti
* John Carradine as the Grave Robber
* Michael Ansara as the Hittite Commander

## Original novel

[edit]

The script was based on the Waltari novel of the same name. It is elaborated in the book, but not the film, that Sinuhe was named by his mother from the Story of Sinuhe, which does include references to Aten but was written many centuries before the 18th dynasty. The use of the "Cross of Life" ankh to represent Akhnaton's "new" religion reflects a popular and esoteric belief in the 1950s that monolatristic Atenism was a sort of proto-Christianity. Historically the ankh is not the iconographic ancestor of the Christian cross,[6] and the principal symbol of Aten was not an ankh but a solar disk emitting rays, though the rays usually ended with a hand holding out an ankh to the worshipers. The sun-disk is seen only twice; when we first meet Akhnaton in the desert, he has painted it on a rock, and Sinuhe says "Look! He worships the face of the sun." It appears again as part of the wall painting above Akhnaton's throne. With that said, the ankh was used in the original novel. Likewise, Akhnaton's dying revelation that God is much more than the face of the sun is actually found among Waltari's best-known writings.[citation needed]

The best-selling novel[7] was also well-received critically, with the New York Times describing it as "fine and panoramic".[8]

## Development

[edit]

Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Fox bought the film rights in 1952. He announced the film would be his only personal production in 1953. Marlon Brando was going to play the lead, Sinuhe, and Casey Robinson would write the script.[9] Robinson finished his script in March 1953.[10] In April, Fox announced the film would be shot in its new wide-screen technology, CinemaScope.[11] Zanuck borrowed Michael Curtiz from Paramount to direct.[12] In November 1953 Victor Mature joined the cast along with Jean Peters and Kirk Douglas.[13] In January 1954, Fox said the cast would also include Betta St. John, Peter Ustinov, and Bella Darvi.[14]

It was the film debut of Darvi, who was a protege of Zanuck and his wife Virginia ("Darvi" was a combination of "Darryl" and "Virginia"). She eventually became Darryl Zanuck's mistress.[15] By January, Peters was out and replaced by Jean Simmons, so only the right half of publicity materials had to be changed.[16] In October 1953, Philip Dunne signed a new three-year contract with Fox and joined the film.[17] Dunne said Robinson had done "a pretty good script" which was ultimately done in by "casting". Dunne says he worked on the film as an "unofficial producer".[18]

There were a number of Egyptian-themed films made around this time, including Valley of the Kings and Land of the Pharaohs.[19]

### Marlon Brando quits

[edit]

In February 1954, a week before filming was to start, Brando took part in a reading of the script. Dunne says Brando read the part "absolutely beautifully" but then Curtiz said "How can I with all my genius make you play this man who is one minute hero the next moment villain?" Dunne says he went home to write a memo for Curtiz then got a call saying Brando had quit the film.[20] Brando said he was unable to play his part due to mental strain and had his psychiatrist support him.[21] As location filming in Egypt had already started, Fox sued Brando for $2 million.[22][23]

Filming was postponed. Fox tried to borrow Dirk Bogarde from J. Arthur Rank in Britain.[24] Hedda Hopper suggested John Cassavetes. Cameron Mitchell, then a Fox contract star tested for the role of the Pharaoh.[25] Farley Granger was the next choice and considered the role, but then decided he was not interested after having just moved to New York.[26][27] Other contenders for the role had been John Derek and Cameron Mitchell, who were all screen tested. Eventually the role of Sinuhe went to Edmund Purdom borrowed from MGM.[28][29] MGM took $300,000 for Purdom's services although he was only paid $500 a week.[30] Cassavetes later credited Hopper for helping to kick-start his career in Hollywood by her public push for him.[31]

Philip Dunne later said he tried to get Zanuck to cast Cassavetes as the Pharaoh but Zanuck wanted an English actor to play it. "He thought all kings, emperors and nobility should be played by English actors", said Dunne.[32] Michael Wilding played the part. Dunne says he also wanted Dana Wynter to play Nefertiti – he thought the actress just looked like the real queen – but instead "Zanuck let Michael Curtiz cast some lumpish girlfriend who looked about as much like Nefertiti as you or I do."[33]

Fox's lawsuit against Brando was resolved when the actor agreed to make Désirée (1954) for the studio.[34]

## Production

[edit]

Filming began in May 1954.[35]

Some of the sets, costumes, and props from this film were bought and re-used by Cecil B. DeMille for The Ten Commandments (1956). As the events in that story take place seventy years after those in The Egyptian, this re-use creates an unintended sense of continuity. The commentary track on the Ten Commandments DVD points out many of these re-uses. Only three actors, Mimi Gibson, Michael Ansara and John Carradine, and a handful of extras, appeared in both pictures. The Prince Aly Khan was a consultant during filming; he was engaged to Gene Tierney.

Dunne recalls during filming "Darryl was so besotten [with Darvi] he decided to go around to our film stills department and see how she looked in her costumes. He'd been running the lot for 25 years, but didn't know where it was and flew into a rage. It was right next door to his private dining room."[36]

## Music

[edit]

The Egyptian soundtrack cover.

Owing to the short time available in post-production, the composing duties on the film score were divided between two of 20th Century-Fox's best-known composers: Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann.

Newman would later conduct the score in a re-recording for release on Decca Records. Musician John Morgan undertook a "restoration and reconstruction" of the score for a recording conducted by William T. Stromberg in 1998, on Marco Polo Records. The performance of the score recorded for the film was released by Film Score Monthly in 2001.

## Home media

[edit]

The film has been released on DVD[37] and there are several Blu-rays, including bootlegs from Brazil and Spain. Legitimate HD releases have appeared in America (Twilight Time), France (Sidonis Calysta), Denmark (Soul Media), and Japan (Mermaid Films). The region 0 US disc's 2010 transfer has a drastically revised color scheme, which afflicted numerous Fox restorations carried out at the same time. The other discs, which are region-locked, have a more accurate 2005 transfer.[38]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ 14th century BC.

## See also

[edit]

* List of historical drama films
* List of American films of 1954
* List of epic films

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p248
2. ^ a b "20th Blessing". Variety. 9 November 1955. p. 20.
3. ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p225
4. ^ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954', Variety Weekly, January 5, 1955
5. ^ Daily Variety, November 9, 1955 p. 4
6. ^ Mark, Joshua J. "The Ankh". World History Encyclopedia. World History Publishing. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
7. ^ "TOP BEST SELLERS: IN LOS ANGELES Fiction Leaders". Los Angeles Times. Sep 18, 1949. p. D9.
8. ^ ORVILLE PRESCOTT (Aug 22, 1949). "Books of the Times". New York Times. p. 19.
9. ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (Sep 17, 1952). "METRO AIMS TO SUE LANZA IN FILM ROW: Studio Instructs Its Attorneys to Move Against Tenor for Damages to 'Student Prince'". New York Times. p. 34.
10. ^ Schallert, Edwin (Mar 24, 1953). "CinemaScope and 3D Rivalry in Full Swing; Henreid to Direct Play". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
11. ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES (Apr 2, 1953). "U.-I. STUDIO SHOWS NEW WIDE SCREEN: System Accommodates Both Standard and 3-D Pictures -- Fox Lists Production Plan". New York Times. p. 34.
12. ^ "SCREEN GUILD ACTS TO BAR COMMUNISTS: Actors' Union Adopts Bylaw Prohibiting Reds -- 3,769 Favor Move, 152 Opposed". New York Times. July 28, 1953. p. 23.
13. ^ "Drama: Mature Handed Big Role in 'Egyptian'". Los Angeles Times. Nov 27, 1953. p. B8.
14. ^ "Fox 'The Egyptian' To Have All-Star Cast". The Washington Post. Jan 10, 1954. p. L5.
15. ^ A. H. WEILER (Jan 31, 1954). "RANDOM OBSERVATIONS ON PICTURES AND PEOPLE". New York Times. p. X5.
16. ^ "Drama: 'Long John, Silver' to Be Shot in Australia". Los Angeles Times. Jan 18, 1954. p. B8.
17. ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (Oct 16, 1953). "EISENHOWER ROLE IN FILM APPROVED: President Grants Permission to Columbia to Portray Him in Movie of West Point". New York Times. p. 33.
18. ^ McGilligan p 164
19. ^ "HOLLY: Get set for a rash of sphinxes, Pharaohs and dancing girls. A new movie cycle is under way". Los Angeles Times. July 25, 1954. p. K8.
20. ^ =McGilligan p 164-65
21. ^ THOMAS M. PRYORS (Feb 4, 1954). "LEMMON IS SIGNED FOR COMEDY LEAD: Actor, Who Will Co-Star With Judy Holliday in 'Phffft,' Is Doing Grable Film". New York Times. p. 22.
22. ^ Hopper, Hedda (Feb 5, 1954). "Studio to Sue Brando for Film Delay". Los Angeles Times. p. 18.
23. ^ "FOX SCORES BRANDO IN $2,000,000 CLAIM". New York Times. Feb 17, 1954. p. 28.
24. ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (Feb 11, 1954). "ARNALL FOR DROP IN FILM BARRIERS: President of Independents Urges Re-evaluation of Foreign Market Policy". New York Times. p. 34.
25. ^ Hopper, Hedda (Feb 18, 1954). "Looking at Hollywood: Richard Widmark, Who Acts and Writes, Wants to Produce". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. c8.
26. ^ "Drama: Merian Cooper Paid Honor in Washington". Los Angeles Times. Feb 25, 1954. p. A12.
27. ^ Richard Dyer MacCann (May 25, 1954). "Reconstructing Old Egypt: Hollywood Letter". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 6.
28. ^ Pryor, Thomas M (26 Feb 1954). "NICHOLS HONORED BY WRITERS GUILD: Scenarist Is Awarded Laurel Achievement for His Work in Industry and Union". New York Times. p. 15.
29. ^ "Putdom Picked for 'Egyptian'". Los Angeles Times. Feb 26, 1954. p. B7.
30. ^ Hopper, Hedda (Mar 13, 1954). "Looking at Hollywood: Movie on Vasco da Gama to Be Set in Portugal". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 16.
31. ^ "Drama: ZaSu to Play Nurse in 'Francis' Picture". Los Angeles Times. Feb 26, 1954. p. B6.
32. ^ McGilligan p 164
33. ^ Lee Server, Screenwriter: Words Become Pictures, 1987 p 107
34. ^ Bacon, James (Apr 11, 1954). "Screen and Stage: His Conflicting Traits Qualify Brando as Genuine Character". Los Angeles Times. p. D8.
35. ^ Richard Dyer MacCann (May 25, 1954). "Reconstructing Old Egypt: Hollywood Letter". The Christian Science Monitor. p. 6.
36. ^ Jim Bawden (Jan 27, 1990). "Philip Dunne looks back at movies' golden age: [SA2 Edition]". Toronto Star. p. G8.
37. ^ "The Egyptian (1954) DVD comparison". DVDCompare.
38. ^ "The Egyptian (1954) Blu-ray comparison". DVDCompare.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Egyptian (1954 film).

* The Egyptian at IMDb
* The Egyptian at Rotten Tomatoes
* The Egyptian at the TCM Movie Database
* The Egyptian at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
* Listing of recordings of the film score

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Michael Curtiz

1910s|

* The Last Bohemian (1912)
* Today and Tomorrow (1912)
* Captive Souls (1913)
* My Husband's Getting Married (1913)
* The Borrowed Babies (1914)
* The Princess in a Nightrobe (1914)
* Prisoner of the Night (1914)
* Bánk Bán (1914)
* Golddigger (1914)
* The Exile (1915)
* Seven of Spades (1916)
* The Strength of the Fatherland (1916)
* The Karthauzer (1916)
* The Black Rainbow (1916)
* The Medic (1916)
* Mr. Doctor (1916)
* Master Zoard (1917)
* The Red Samson (1917)
* The Last Dawn (1917)
* Spring in Winter (1917)
* Tartar Invasion (1917)
* Secret of St. Job Forest (1917)
* Nobody's Son (1917)
* The Charlatan (1917)
* A Penny's History (1917)
* The Fishing Bell (1917)
* Peace's Road (1917)
* Jean the Tenant (1917)
* Earth's Man (1917)
* The Wolf (1917)
* The Colonel (1918)
* The Merry Widow (1918)
* Magic Waltz (1918)
* A skorpió I. (1918)
* The Devil (1918)
* Lulu (1918)
* Lu, the Coquette (1918)
* Júdás (1918)
* The Ugly Boy (1918)
* Alraune (1918)
* 99-es számú bérkocsi (1918)
* The Sunflower Woman (1918)
* Liliom (1919)
* The Lady with the Black Gloves (1919)

1920s|

* Boccaccio (1920)
* The Star of Damascus (1920)
* The Scourge of God (1920)
* Mrs. Tutti Frutti (1921)
* Good and Evil (1921)
* Mrs. Dane's Confession (1921)
* Labyrinth of Horror (1921)
* Sodom and Gomorrah (1922)
* Young Medardus (1923)
* Avalanche (1923)
* Nameless (1923)
* A Deadly Game (1924)
* General Babka (1924)
* Harun al Raschid (1924)
* The Moon of Israel (1924)
* Red Heels (1925)
* Cab No. 13 (1926)
* The Golden Butterfly (1926)
* The Third Degree (1926)
* A Million Bid (1927)
* The Desired Woman (1927)
* Good Time Charley (1927)
* Tenderloin (1928)
* Noah's Ark (1928)
* Glad Rag Doll (1929)
* Madonna of Avenue A (1929)
* The Gamblers (1929)
* Hearts in Exile (1929)

1930s|

* Mammy (1930)
* Under a Texas Moon (1930)
* The Matrimonial Bed (1930)
* Bright Lights (1930)
* A Soldier's Plaything (1930)
* River's End (1930)
* Demon of the Sea (1931)
* God's Gift to Women (1931)
* The Mad Genius (1931)
* The Woman from Monte Carlo (1932)
* Alias the Doctor (1932)
* The Strange Love of Molly Louvain (1932)
* Doctor X (1932)
* The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
* 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
* Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
* The Keyhole (1933)
* Private Detective 62 (1933)
* Goodbye Again (1933)
* The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
* Female (1933)
* Mandalay (1934)
* Jimmy the Gent (1934)
* The Key (1934)
* British Agent (1934)
* The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)
* Black Fury (1935)
* Front Page Woman (1935)
* Little Big Shot (1935)
* Captain Blood (1935)
* The Walking Dead (1936)
* The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)
* Stolen Holiday (1937)
* Mountain Justice (1937)
* Kid Galahad (1937)
* The Perfect Specimen (1937)
* Gold Is Where You Find It (1938)
* The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
* Four's a Crowd (1938)
* Four Daughters (1938)
* Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
* Dodge City (1939)
* Daughters Courageous (1939)
* The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
* Four Wives (1939)

1940s|

* Virginia City (1940)
* The Sea Hawk (1940)
* Santa Fe Trail (1940)
* The Sea Wolf (1941)
* Dive Bomber (1941)
* Captains of the Clouds (1942)
* Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
* Casablanca (1942)
* Mission to Moscow (1943)
* This Is the Army (1943)
* Passage to Marseille (1944)
* Janie (1944)
* Roughly Speaking (1945)
* Mildred Pierce (1945)
* Night and Day (1946)
* Life with Father (1946)
* The Unsuspected (1947)
* Romance on the High Seas (1948)
* My Dream Is Yours (1949)
* Flamingo Road (1949)
* The Lady Takes a Sailor (1949)

1950s|

* Young Man with a Horn (1950)
* Bright Leaf (1950)
* The Breaking Point (1950)
* Force of Arms (1951)
* Jim Thorpe – All-American (1951)
* I'll See You in My Dreams (1951)
* The Story of Will Rogers (1952)
* The Jazz Singer (1952)
* Trouble Along the Way (1953)
* The Boy from Oklahoma (1954)
* The Egyptian (1954)
* White Christmas (1954)
* We're No Angels (1955)
* The Scarlet Hour (1956)
* The Vagabond King (1956)
* The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956)
* The Helen Morgan Story (1957)
* The Proud Rebel (1958)
* King Creole (1958)
* The Hangman (1959)
* The Man in the Net (1959)

1960s|

* The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960)
* A Breath of Scandal (1960)
* Francis of Assisi (1961)
* The Comancheros (1961)

Short films|

* Jön az öcsém (1919)
* Sons of Liberty (1939)

Productions|

* Bright Lights (1935)

* v
* t
* e

Darryl F. Zanuck

Producer|

* Old San Francisco (1927)
* The First Auto (1927)
* The Jazz Singer (1927)
* Tenderloin (1928)
* The Show of Shows (1929)
* Three Faces East (1930)
* The Doorway to Hell (1931)
* Little Caesar (1931)
* Illicit (1931)
* The Public Enemy (1931)
* The Man Who Played God (1932)
* The Rich Are Always with Us (1932)
* Doctor X (1932)
* Life Begins (1932)
* The Cabin in the Cotton (1932)
* Three on a Match (1932)
* 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932)
* Parachute Jumper (1933)
* 42nd Street (1933)
* The Working Man (1933)
* Ex-Lady (1933)
* The Bowery (1933)
* Blood Money (1933)
* Moulin Rouge (1934)
* Looking for Trouble (1934)
* Born to Be Bad (1934)
* Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934)
* The Mighty Barnum (1934)
* Folies Bergère de Paris (1935)
* Les Misérables (1935)
* Cardinal Richelieu (1935)
* Call of the Wild (1935)
* Metropolitan (1935)
* Thanks a Million (1935)
* The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1935)
* Professional Soldier (1935)
* The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936)
* It Had to Happen (1936)
* A Message to Garcia (1936)
* Under Two Flags (1936)
* The Road to Glory (1936)
* Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
* Sing, Baby, Sing (1936)
* Pigskin Parade (1936)
* Seventh Heaven (1937)
* Slave Ship (1937)
* Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
* Wake Up and Live (1937)
* Thin Ice (1937)
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* The Little Princess (1939)
* The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
* Little Old New York (1940)
* The Man I Married (1940)
* The Return of Frank James (1940)
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* The Mark of Zorro (1940)
* Hudson's Bay (1941)
* Tobacco Road (1941)
* The Great American Broadcast (1941)
* Blood and Sand (1941)
* A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941)
* How Green Was My Valley (1942)
* Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942)
* Sex Hygiene (Short) (1942)
* To the Shores of Tripoli (1942)
* This Above All (1942)
* Thunder Birds (1942)
* The Purple Heart (1944)
* Wilson (1944)
* Winged Victory (1944)
* The Razor's Edge (1946)
* Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
* Fury at Furnace Creek (1948)
* The Snake Pit (1948)
* Pinky (1949)
* Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
* No Way Out (1950)
* All About Eve (1950)
* David and Bathsheba (1951)
* People Will Talk (1951)
* Viva Zapata! (1952)
* The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
* The Egyptian (1954)
* The View from Pompey's Head (1955)
* The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
* Island in the Sun (1957)
* The Sun Also Rises (1957)
* The Roots of Heaven (1958)
* Crack in the Mirror (1960)
* Sanctuary (1961)
* The Big Gamble (1961)
* The Longest Day (1962)
* The Chapman Report (1962)
* The Visit (1964)

Writer|

| as Mark Canfield|

* The Desired Woman (1927) (story)
* Maybe It's Love (1930)
* Baby Face (1933) (story)
* Crack in the Mirror (1960)

|

as Melville Crossman|

* Tenderloin (story) (1928)
* State Street Sadie (story) (1928)
* Thanks a Million (story) (1935)
* A Yank in the R.A.F. (story) (1941)
* Thunder Birds (original story) (1942)
* China Girl (story) (1942)
* The Purple Heart (story) (1944)

as Gregory Rogers|

* Find Your Man (Rin Tin Tin story) (1924)
* The Lighthouse by the Sea (Rin Tin Tin story) (1924)
* Three Weeks in Paris (story, screenplay as Darryl Zanuck) (1925)
* The Midnight Taxi (story) (1928)

as self|

* A Broadway Butterfly (1925)
* Red Hot Tires (1925)
* Hogan's Alley (1925)
* The Caveman (scenario) (1926)
* The Little Irish Girl (adaptation) (1926)
* The Social Highwayman (1926)
* Footloose Widows (1926)
* Across the Pacific (adaptation) (1926)
* The Better 'Ole (screenplay) (1926)
* Tracked by the Police (Rin Tin Tin story) (1927)
* Old San Francisco (1927)
* The First Auto (story) (1927)
* Good Time Charley (story) (1927)
* Noah's Ark (story) (1928)
* My Man (story) (1928)
* Hardboiled Rose (story) (1929)
* Madonna of Avenue A (story) (1929)
* Say It with Songs (story) (1929)
* The Life of the Party (1930)
* Little Caesar (story – uncredited) (1931)
* The Dark Horse (story) (1932)
* Lady Killer (story – uncredited) (1933)
* Folies Bergère de Paris (contributing writer – uncredited) (1935)
* G Men (story) (1935)
* This Is My Affair (story – uncredited) (1937)
* Alexander's Ragtime Band (contributing writer – uncredited) (1938)
* The Great Profile (story – uncredited) (1940)
* Ten Gentlemen from West Point (1942)

People|

* Virginia Fox (wife)
* Richard D. Zanuck (son)
* Dean Zanuck (grandson)

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