"Ulysses" is a dated film that was an Italian/French/American production and this wasn't unusual in the 1950s. Many American stars, particularly second and third tier stars, were lured to Europe to appear in films in order to increase the international marketability of the projects. And, at this time, Douglas was definitely a second-tier actor....with his greatest successes on film to come very soon over the next few years. I say dated mostly because the print looks poor...with the color quite faded and yellowed.

The film starts off unusually and confused me at first. All the crap Ulysses (Odysseus) went through over the last few years has already passed and he washes up on the shores of a kingdom near his own. But he has no memory...and has no idea who he is nor how he came to be there. Over time, he slowly remembers...and that is how you then see his tale. Now understand...you only see a small portion of "The Odyssey"...many portions are skipped or severely truncated. And, after he recalls who he is, he heads home in time to see a bunch of jerks vying for his wife, Penelope, and they plan on murdering Ulysses' son and taking over his kingdom.

Is this a great film? No. Only a mini-series could do the original tale justice. And, the special effects, though decent for the 1950s are not great and could stand improvement. Overall, it's a good 'Cliff Notes' sort of version--hitting many of the highlights but also, oddly de-emphasizing the gods and Ulysses' arrogance in all this.

By the way, if you are confused, the original story starred Odysseus. Ulysses is the Romanization of Odysseus.

Kirk Douglas entered the sand and sandal genre six years before his acclaimed Spartacus with this version of Ulysses and his long voyage home from the wars of Troy. If you'll remember your classical history, and the recent movie Troy, Ulysses was the guy who finally broke the siege at Troy with that wooden horse gambit. But as the Greeks ran amuck in Troy, behaving very much like barbarians, Cassandra the high priestess of Poseidon, called on the big guy to do his very worst to Ulysses. Of course in the film Poseidon is called by his Roman name of Neptune.

As Ulysses, Kirk Douglas invests the part with his own combination of aggressiveness and charm. It ain't exactly the classics, but realize that the film was aimed at a juvenile market and it works out rather well. Even the grownups will get a good hearty laugh at how the clever Ulysses outwits the Cyclops.

Silvana Mangano does very well as the long suffering Penelope, the wife of Ulysses who's needs just aren't being met and as Circe the witch whose profession kind of scares the guys away. Anthony Quinn has a small role as one of Penelope's suitors for the hand of the presumed widow. Why he took such a small part in a film I'm not quite sure, but this would be the first of three films he did with Kirk Douglas. The next one, Lust for Life would gain Quinn a second Oscar.

Ulysses is not one of Kirk Douglas's greatest roles, but the film still holds up well today and kids and grownups will appreciate it.

I saw this movie in the fifties at the little local theatre. There was the dashing Kirk Douglas, the frightening Anthony Quinn, the story of the deeds of the great Odysseus (Ulysses). When I bought my used copy and watched it again, I was devastated. I've always had trouble with Kirk Douglas anyway, but this dull, talky waste of time just floored me. I was hoping Douglas would take the wax out of his ears and crash the ship. Everything is so emotive and so pained and there really isn't any fun of this film's contemporaries ("Jason and the Argonauts" and "The 7th Voyage of Sindbad"). Douglas poses, romances, watches dancing girls, tells stories. I agree with a previous writer that the made for TV "Odyssey" was no great prize, but at least something happened once in a while. Another of my childhood memories squashed!!