The Vikings / The Badlanders

THE VIKINGS, 1958, MGM Repertory, 116 min. Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis play warring adventurers locked in a battle for land and the heart (or, more accurately, body) of the gorgeous Janet Leigh in this rousing epic. With an exuberant performance by Ernest Borgnine as the head Viking and stylish direction by the ever reliable Richard Fleischer, this is a fast, funny spectacle not to be missed on the big screen.

THE BADLANDERS, 1958, Warner Bros., 85 min. Dir. Delmer Daves. Ernest Borgnine gives one of the most intense performances of his career as John McBain, a hardened criminal who collaborates with fellow ex-con Alan Ladd on a daring gold robbery. This western remake of THE ASPHALT JUNGLE is a riveting heist film and a visually sumptuous period piece.