Forever associated with his role in Zorba the Greek (1964), Anthony Quinn was actually of Irish-Mexican descent. Born April 21, 1915, in Chihuahua, Mexico, Quinn's mixed heritage allowed him to play a variety of ethnicities, and by 1947, he had appeared as everything from a Hawaiian chief to an Arab sheik.Dissatisfied with the parts he was getting, Quinn turned his attention to theater in the late '40s, where he embraced roles such as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire." Quinn returned to the screen in the early 1950s and finally got the break he was hoping for opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata! (1952) -- a role that won him his first Oscar. Another Oscar would follow for his portrayal of Paul Gauguin in Lust for Life (1956).
Other memorable films for Quinn include La Strada (1954), Wild Is the Wind (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He died June 3, 2001.
La Strada: Special EditionFilmmaker Martin Scorsese introduces this restored special edition of Italian auteur Federico Fellini's powerful rumination on love and hate, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1956. The story follows the plight of gentle Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), who's sold by her mother to a... Read More
Guadalcanal DiaryRichard Tregaskis' factual book of South Pacific war stories makes a strikingly realistic transition to the silver screen. Following the U.S. Marines as they set about taking over the island of Guadalcanal and its airfield, the movie shows the obstacles the leathernecks must overcome, including... Read More
The MessageAfter seeing a vision of the angel Gabriel, Mohammad calls to the people of Mecca to cast aside their idols and worship God. Mohammad and his followers are exiled to Medina, but God commands them to return to Mecca and fight their oppressors. Mohammad's uncle -- a brave warrior named Hamza (Anthony... Read More
Zorba the GreekBasil (Alan Bates), a young English writer, meets a free-spirited Greek peasant named Zorba (Anthony Quinn) on the island of Crete. While Zorba pursues a relationship with aging French courtesan Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova, who won an Oscar for her role), Basil attempts to court a young widow.... Read More
The Secret of Santa VittoriaIncompetent mayor Italo Bombolini (Anthony Quinn) rises to the occasion when his small Italian town is threatened by approaching Nazis planning to seize the town's supply of valuable wine near the end of World War II. Organizing the locals, he facilitates a plan to hide a million bottles in a nearby... Read More
