A Dream Of Kings (1969)

Set in Chicago's Greek-American community, a well respected citizen (Anthony Quinn) of the community is determined to take his dying 7 year old son to Greece after doctors have given up hope. But he has no money. This is one tedious movie to sit through. Once again, Quinn adopts his Zorba persona and plays a Greek peasant that's a life force, a beloved street corner sage. Well, I intensely disliked ZORBA THE GREEK and if it didn't work for me then, it certainly doesn't work for me now and when Quinn goes in to his little Greek dance, shimmying his shoulders and yelling, "Opa!", I cringed. It's a dreary piece of kitchen sink drama. Even the normally appealing Inger Stevens as a neighborhood widow is unusually dour and a scene with Quinn seducing her has all the appeal of Lugosi as Dracula about to take a bite out of pale Helen Chandler. Yet we're meant to admire Quinn and nod our heads when his best friend (Sam Levene) tells him, "Because you're alive, I'm alive!" in understanding. Based on the novel of the same name by Harry Mark Petrakis. Directed by Daniel Mann (THE ROSE TATTOO) with the score, unmistakably, by Alex North. The cast includes the sad eyed Irene Papas as Quinn's long suffering wife, Alan Reed and Val Avery.