The Bible: In the Beginning...

The first twenty-two chapters of Genesis: the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the Flood, the Tower of Babel and Abraham. John Huston directed and narrated it, played Noah and voiced God. Dino De Laurentiis produced on a budget between 15 and 18 million dollars, an enormous figure for 1966. The cast shows the scale: Michael Parks, Richard Harris, Ava Gardner, Peter O'Toole and George C. Scott. It was the highest-grossing film of 1966 in the United States, taking 34.9 million dollars in North America with 15 million in domestic rentals on its first run. Even so, Fox records show a loss of roughly 1.5 million once worldwide receipts fell short of break-even. Reviews split. The Los Angeles Times called it magnificent almost beyond cinematic belief and Variety praised its consummate skill, taste and reverence. Bosley Crowther found no galvanising feeling of connection between the episodes, and Leonard Maltin gave it his lowest rating, saying only Huston himself as Noah escapes the heavy-handedness. Toshiro Mayuzumi's score was nominated for an Academy Award. Who it is for: viewers who love the enormous religious epics of the sixties and large-scale production design. Who it is not for: anyone bothered by length and disconnection. It runs 174 minutes and really is episodic.