Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The (1962) – Nostalgia Central

Upon its release in 1962, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was heavily panned. Glenn Ford was no Rudolph Valentino (the star of the original silent version) and was clearly miscast as a 20-something playboy. Ford was in his mid-forties.

Ford’s character, Argentinian playboy Julio Desnoyers, had to see everyone he knew fall victim to the Nazis while living in Paris during World War II before he joined the resistance.

Much of the film concerns Julio’s love affair with Marguerite Laurier (Ingrid Thulin), the wife of a Parisian newspaper publisher who is off to war.

MGM executives believed Thulin’s Swedish accent was too thick and difficult to understand, so much of her dialogue was subsequently dubbed by Angela Lansbury.

Yvette Mimieux is appealing in the role of Julio’s ardent young sister. Charles Boyer is excellent as the father, and Paul Lukas gives an impressive performance as the German general.

Despite heavy promotion by MGM, the movie grossed only $1.9 million and lost the studio nearly $4 million. It was Vincente Minnelli’s biggest-ever flop.

Julio Desnoyers
Glenn Ford
Marguerite Laurier
Ingrid Thulin
Angela Lansbury (voice)
Marcelo Desnoyers
Charles Boyer
Julio Madariaga
Lee J. Cobb
Karl von Hartrott
Paul Lukas
Chi Chi Desnoyers
Yvette Mimieux
Heinrich von Hartrott
Karl Böhm
Etienne Laurier
Paul Henreid
Dona Luisa Desnoyers
Harriet MacGibbon
Elena von Hartrott
Kathryn Givney
Armand Dibier
Marcel Hillaire
General von Kleig
George Dolenz
Colonel Kleinsdorf
Stephen Bekassy
Miguel
Nestor Paiva
François
Albert Rémy

Director
Vincente Minnelli