The film Zarak was at the time billed on posters as ‘The Mighty Zarak’ – very impressive to us youngsters at the time.

My Dad loved Victor Mature in films and I remember him  going to see this one – and he was not disappointed.

However what would have troubled him was to read Margaret Hinxman’s review in Picture-goer on 12 January 195- where she gives this film ‘an award for absurdity’.  

She goes on the say ‘This must be seen to be believed. It’s may favourite awful film for years. Everyone involved should get an award for absurdity’  

However many of others reviews I see  give the film a much better time – it may be better with age. Victor Mature stars as the title character in Zarak.  It’s the story of the eldest son of a clan chief who betrays his father with the father’s youngest bride played by the Swedish Anita Ekberg.  

After being banished from the tribe for this deed,  Zarak  – Victor Mature – becomes a bandit chief and the scourge of the territory.  Michael Wilding is sent to bring in Zarak dead or alive, but other tribes are starting to get restless.

Finlay Currie plays a mullah who seems to come  in and out of the film at key points  He’s quite the saintly figure.

Good action film that fans of Victor Mature  ( and I am one of them ) will appreciate.

Irving Allen and Albert Broccoli’s Warwick Productions made the film in London and North Africa for Columbia to distribute – and it did quite well at the Box Office. Victor Mature had just finished Safari for Warwick Productions when he made this one. 

I really enjoyed Safari and thought the production values were very high for that one – it was also entertaining. Soon after Zarak,  Victor Mature and Anita Ekberg were again cast together – this time in ‘Interpol’ – once again for Warwick Produtions and again on location and at Elstree Studios in England

Anita Ekberg had in 1956 married British Film Star Anthony Steele

ABOVE : Victor Mature and Anita Ekberg were again cast together – in ‘Interpol’

Soon after this Victor Mature was in England – again for Warwick Productions to make that film beloved of all commercial vehicle enthusiasts – The Long Haul’ with Diana Dors and later still in England for ‘The Bandit of Zhobe’

After that, back to the USA for a big film – The Big Circus’ with a very good cast indeed with 

Red Buttons ,  Rhonda Fleming ,  Kathryn Grant,  Vincent Price,  Gilbert Roland   and Peter Lorre