KIRK DOUGLAS & TONY CURTIS PILLAGE THROUGH 'THE VIKINGS'

Mountain waterfall with James Donald and Ernest Borgnine in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS Year: 1958

Can you have a bonafide epic with only three Viking ships? Well Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS at least plays like one thanks to a booming opening narration by Orson Welles and especially Kirk Douglas's usual spirited acting style, neatly curbed by a much more subtle Tony Curtis as his unaware half brother....

The latter an assertive, resilient Viking slave who, we learn from the prologue, is related to Douglas from an England-set pillaging rape by their Viking king father, Ernest Borgnine, full of hearty laughs and a brawling beard, gulping gallons of grog during various scenes in a noisy tavern where the Vikings party like it's 1099.

James Donald, Tony Curtis and Edric Connor in THE VIKINGS Rates: ***1/2

A decent time-filler with an interesting story, don't expect much of a romance. Janet Leigh, who was famously Tony Curtis's real life wife back then, fends-off Douglas and his Viking passion before melting to his sibling's passive charm. Basically we're promised a love triangle that never happens...

Most of THE VIKINGS consists of scenes where those rowdy boats go to England and back (particularly thanks to sophisticated British traitor/mapmaker James Donald), bombastic in battles neatly filmed by the usually dependable studio-friendly Fleischer, stretching a thirty-minute story into two-hours that flows pretty well, thanks more to the colorful characters than their surprisingly sparse and economic sets and locations.

German actress Almut Berg as Pigtails in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS Year: 1958

Janet Leigh, Dandy Daniels, Kirk Douglas, Ernest Borgnine and James Donald in THE VIKINGS

 Danish actor Per Buckhøj as Bjorn in THE VIKINGS

The rowers in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

James Donald in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Ernest Borgnine and James Donald in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Janet Leigh and Dandy Daniels in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Mountain waterfall wide shot in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Viking ship Sea Dragon in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Kirk Douglas rides in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Kirk Douglas drinks grog in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Orson Welles story-narrated opening of Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Janet Leigh and Kirk Douglas in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

The Three Viking ships/boats in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Viking's oars dip the sea in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Crow's Nest from a Viking Ship in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

James Donald and Tony Curtis in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Greg Norman's shark logo was created long ago as proven in THE VIKINGS

Alexander Knox and Janet Leigh in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Oceanic battle sequence in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Tony Curtis & Kirk Douglas draw swords in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Time to change the reel in the tavern party room of Richard Fleischer's The Vikings

An eyeless Kirk Douglas in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS

Once again Almut Berg as Pigtails in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS