Spartacus
A Thracian slave turned gladiator, Spartacus defies the brutal system that seeks to break him, igniting a rebellion that threatens the power of Rome's most dangerous men.
“They trained him to kill for their pleasure ... but they trained him a little too well”
Synopsis
Spartacus, a rebellious Thracian born and raised into slavery, is sold to the gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of training for combat in the arena, Spartacus stages a revolt against his captors, leading the other slaves in a rebellion. As the group travels from town to town, their numbers grow with the addition of escaped slaves. Under Spartacus's leadership, they advance toward southern Italy, with the goal of crossing the sea and returning to their homelands.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 293+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Robert LawrenceShot by Russell MettyScored by Alex NorthDesigned by Alexander GolitzenSound by Calvin LoeserCostumes by Valles
Box Office
1960 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 5.0× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$60.0M
Re-release box office
- 19914 theaters
- $239K($581K today)
Domestic gross earned in theatrical re-release, by year · adjusted for inflation
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- 1967 re-release· 161 min · 1967
- 1968 re-release· 187 min · 1968
Also known as
- Spartakusde
- Espartacoes
- (Bulgarian)Спартак
Release dates around the world1 country · showhide
- United StatesOct 6, 1960
Companies
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
293 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Kirk Douglas
as Spartacus
Kirk Douglas Nm0000018
as Spartacus
Laurence Olivier
as Crassus
Tony Curtis
as Antoninus
Jean Simmons
as Varinia
Charles Laughton
as Gracchus
Peter Ustinov
as Batiatus
John Gavin
as Julius Caesar
Nina Foch
as Helena Glabrus
John Ireland
as Crixus
John Ireland Nm0409869
as Crixus
Herbert Lom
as Tigranes Levantus
Supporting cast
176John Dall
as Marcus Publius Glabrus
Charles Mcgraw
as Marcellus
Joanna Barnes
as Claudia Marius
Harold J Stone
as David
Woody Strode
as Draba
Peter Brocco
as Ramon
Paul Lambert
as Gannicus
Robert J Wilke
as Guard Captain
Nick Dennis
as Dionysius
John Hoyt
as Caius
Frederick Worlock
as Laelius
Phil Altman
as Slave
David Armstrong
as Small Role
Joseph Bardo
as A slave shouting 'I'm Spartacus
John Barton
as Slave
Arthur Batanides
as Legionnaire
Paul Baxley
as Gladiator
John Benson
as Guard
Shari Lee Bernath
as Little Girl
Sabine Bethmann
as Varinia (rehearsed only)
Norman Bishop
as Pirate
Bill Blackburn
as Prisoner
Shirley Blackwell
as Slave
David Bond
as Slave
Buff Brady
as Soldier
Don Bramblett
as Gladiator
Brad Brown
as Soldier
Courtney Brown
as Pirate
Jerry Brown
as Soldier
Rudy Bukich
as Gladiator
Bob Burns
as Pirate
Paul E Burns
as Fimbria
Polly Burson
as Slave
Wayne Burson
as Guard
Richard E Butler
as Gladiator
Joe Canutt
as Soldier
Tap Canutt
as Soldier
Al Carmichael
as Gladiator
Bill Catching
as Soldier
Chuck Courtney
as Soldier
Dick Crockett
as Guard
Hume Cronyn
as Gladiator
Dave Dabov
as Gladiator
John Daheim
as Capua Guard
Carol Daniels
as Slave Girl
Tony Dante
as Roman legionnaire
Doris Darling
as Slave
Ted De Corsia
as Legionnaire
Terence De Marney
as Majordomo
Frank Donahue
as Gladiator
Mary Donovan
as Slave
Craig Duncan
as Petitioner
Johnny Duncan
as Beheaded Man
Louie Elias
as Gladiator
Maurice Elias
as Gladiator
Roy Engel
as Roman Businessman
Richard Farnsworth
as Salt Mine Slave, Gladiator, Slave General
Logan Field
as Centurion
Lila Finn
as Slave
Duke Fishman
as Roman Senator
Charlotte Fletcher
as Mother with Child
Paul Frees
as Caius
Robert Fuller
as Extra
Richard George
as Roman Soldier
Rudy Germane
as Soldier
Jeanne Gerson
as Woman Selling Chestnuts
Seamon Glass
as Pirate
Joe Gold
as Soldier
Harold Goodwin
as Slave
Sol Gorss
as Slave Leader
Marv Goux
as Trainer
James Griffith
as Otho
Jack Grinnage
as Petitioner
Donna Hall
as Slave
Don Happy
as Slave
Edith Happy
as Slave
Betty Harford
as Slave
Brad Harris
as Gladiator, Soldier
Harry Harvey Jr
as Slave
Joe Haworth
as Marius
Chuck Hayward
as Soldier
Vinton Hayworth
as Metallius
Wayne Heffley
as Slave Guard
Lars Hensen
as Slave
Manuel Herreros
as Soldier
Bob Herron
as Small Role
Hallene Hill
as Beggar Woman
Charles Horvath
as Slave Leader
Shep Houghton
as Slave
Basil Howes
as Orderly
Bob Hoy
as Soldier
Loren Janes
as Salt Mine Slave, Gladiator, Slave General
Jil Jarmyn
as Julia
Anthony Jochim
as Petitioner
Duke Johnson
as Juggler
Harry C Johnson
as Juggler
Paul Keast
as Roman Businessman
Valley Keene
as Soldier
Pete Kellett
as Slave
Kenner G Kemp
as Roman Senator
Hubie Kerns
as Gladiator
Aron Kincaid
as Crassus' Standard-Bearer
Desmond Koch
as Soldier
Seymour Koenig
as Soldier
Irvin Zabo Koszewski
as Soldier
Paul Kruger
as Roman Senator
Stubby Kruger
as Pirate
Carey Loftin
as Guard
Dayton Lummis
as Symmachus
Cliff Lyons
as Soldier
Otto Malde
as Roman General
Michael Masters
as Small Role
Joan Mckellen
as Slave
Gordon Mitchell
as Gladiator
Bob Morgan
as Galeno
Boyd Red Morgan
as Bit Part
Rod Normond
as Guard
Juan Olaguivel
as Slave with little girl
Tracy Olsen
as Girl
Robert Osborne
as Guard
Dayton Osmond
as Boy Chicken Seller
Eddie Parker
as Slave
Josephine Parra
as Slave Girl
Harvey Parry
as Guard
Regis Parton
as Gladiator
Victor Paul
as Gladiator
Leonard Penn
as Garrison Officer
Gil Perkins
as Slave Leader
Jack Perkins
as Gladiator
Vic Perrin
as Narrator
Larry Perron
as Guard
Robert Perry
as Slave
Preston Petersen
as Pirate
Lorrie Pettit
as Slave
Eugene Poole
as Pirate
Bill Raisch
as Soldier Whose Arm is Hacked Off
Walter Raney
as Roman Gladiator
Mike Read
as Sruntman
Chuck Roberson
as Slave
George Robotham
as Pirate
Ronnie Rondell Jr
as Guard
Wally Rose
as Gladiator
Frosty Royce
as Slave
Evelyn Rudie
as Little Girl in Slave Camp
Autumn Russell
as Slave Girl
Russell Saunders
as Soldier
Aaron Saxon
as Gladiator
Rube Schaffer
as Soldier
Jim Sears
as Gladiator
Scott Seaton
as Roman Senator
Bill Shannon
as Soldier
Alex Sharp
as Gladiator
Tom Steele
as Gladiator
John Stephenson
as Centurion
Robert J Stevenson
as Legionnaire
Kay Stewart
as Slave Girl
Jerry Summers
as Gladiator
Ken Terrell
as Bit Part
Glen Thompson
as Gladiator
Larry Thor
as Staff Officer
Helen Thurston
as Slave
John Traux
as Prisoner
Don Turner
as Guard
Lili Valenty
as Old Crone
Buddy Van Horn
as Soldier
Dale Van Sickel
as Trainer
Louise Vincent
as Slave at Gracchus' Home
Peter Virgo
as Guard
Will J White
as Guard
Judy Whitney
as Child
Charles Wilcox
as Gladiator
Billy Williams
as Gladiator
Jack Williams
as Soldier
Lynda Lee Williams
as Slave Girl
Carleton Young
as Herald
Fred Zendar
as Guard
Directors
1Writers
6Producers
3Other crew
110Jeff Corey
acting coach (uncredited)
Bob Rose
additional grip (uncredited)
Paul Frees
adr voices (uncredited)
Eric Orbom
Art Director
Gil Parrondo
art director: Spain unit (uncredited)
Fernando Gonzalez
assistant art director (uncredited)
George Dye
assistant camera (uncredited)
William N Clark
assistant camera (uncredited)
Jeffrey Harharwood
assistant costume designer
Charles Scott
assistant director (uncredited)
Foster H Phinney
assistant director (uncredited)
Joseph E Kenney
assistant director (uncredited)
Parents Guide
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