Arabesque (1966)

My Review

Gregory Peck plays an Oxford professor who is recruited to help out in exposing a plot against a Middle Eastern politician in “Arabesque.” He must unlock a hieroglyphic code with the help of Sophia Loren who seems willing to help him, but her ultimate allegiances are not clear. Director Stanley Donen (“Charade” 1963) put together quite a humdinger of a spy thriller from an excellent screenplay by Julian Miller, Stanley Price, and Peter Stone. It is based on the 1961 novel “The Cipher” by Alex Gordon.

The director used camera techniques and a storyline that are reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock, with excellent cinematography by Christopher Challis, filmed in Technicolor, and a marvelous musical score by Henry Mancini. The exceptional performances by great stars like Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren also make this film special, which is something of Alfred Hitchcock meets James Bond. However, the very watchable “Arabesque” was only a modest hit at the box office for Stanley Donen Enterprises and Universal Pictures.