Paris Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Priam Stanley Baker as Achilles Niall MacGinnis as Menelaus Robert Douglas as Agamemnon Nora Swinburne as Hecuba Torin Thatcher as Odysseus Harry Andrews as Hector Ronald Lewis as Aeneas Brigitte Bardot as Andraste Marc Lawrence as Diomedes, ruler of Aetolia Maxwell Reed as Ajax, Prince of Salamis Robert Brown as Polydorus, the youngest son of Priam Barbara Cavan as Cora Patricia Marmont as Andromache Guido Notari as Nestor Tonio Selwart as Alephous George Zoritch as Singer Esmond Knight as High Priest Terence Longdon as Patroclus Janette Scott as Cassandra Eduardo Ciannelli as Andros Production The film was made in Rome's Cinecittà Studios and in Punta Ala, Grosseto. The scene of the Greeks' initial assault on the walls of Troy features a series of shots that are directly copied from a sequence in the Persian attack on Babylon in D. W. Griffiths' silent film classic Intolerance. Some shots from this sequence would in turn be reused in the introductionary scenes of the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts. This project makes several departures from the original story, including showing Paris as a hero and great leader, and most of the Greek lords as treacherous and opportunistic pirates who are using Helen's flight as an excuse to win the treasures of Troy. The 2003 miniseries sharing its name with this film would later partially re-employ this plot device. Reception Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote that some parts were "well done", including the Greek descent from the Trojan horse which "has the air of great adventure that one expects from this tale", but "the human drama in the legend ... is completely lost or never realized in the utter banalities of the script, in the clumsiness of the English dialogue and in the inexcusable acting cliches." Variety wrote, "The word 'spectacular' achieves its true meaning when applied to Warner Bros.' 'Helen of Troy.' The retelling of the Homeric legend, filmed in its entirety in Italy, makes lavish use of the Cinemascope screen ... Action sequences alone should stir word-of-mouth." Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "'Helen of Troy' qualifies as a mighty film impression of history and legend ... The Warner film satisfies the demands for beauty, and also attains triumphant effects, which give real life to ancient battles with spear, bow and arrow, fire, sword and javelin. In their magnitude attacks on