El Cid
“The GREATEST ROMANCE and ADVENTURE in a THOUSAND YEARS!”
Synopsis
Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Larry Cohen on EL CID
Type: Featurette • Published 2014-02-13
Top Cast
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Charlton Heston
El Cid Rodrigo de Vivar
Sophia Loren
Jimena
Raf Vallone
Count Ordóñez
Geneviève Page
Princess Urraca
John Fraser
Prince Alfonso
Gary Raymond
Prince Sancho
Hurd Hatfield
Arias
Massimo Serato
Fanez
Frank Thring
Al Kadir
Michael Hordern
Don Diego
Andrew Cruickshank
Count Gormaz
Douglas Wilmer
Moutamin
Tullio Carminati
Priest
Ralph Truman
King Ferdinand
Christopher Rhodes
Don Martín
Carlo Giustini
Bermúdez
Gérard Tichy
King Ramírez
Fausto Tozzi
Dolfos
Release History & Theatrical Window
Mar del Plata Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 14, 1961
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 1, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$6.3M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$26.6M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
4.26x
+$20.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Screenplay & Story
- Philip Yordan, Fredric M. Frank, Ben Barzman
- Original Score
- Miklós Rózsa
- Original Title
- El Cid
- Country of Origin
- Italy, Spain, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Latin
- Runtime
- 3h 7m
- Production Budget
- $6.3M
- Worldwide Gross
- $26.6M
- Production Studios
- Samuel Bronston Productions, Dear Film, Aspa Films
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Anthony Mann
Philip Yordan, Fredric M. Frank, Ben Barzman
Miklós Rózsa
Manuel Berenguer, Robert Krasker
Robert Lawrence
Samuel Bronston
Department Leadership Roster
Anthony Mann
Director
Philip Yordan
Screenplay
Fredric M. Frank
Screenplay
Ben Barzman
Screenplay
Samuel Bronston
Producer
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music Composer
Robert Krasker
Director of Photography
Robert Lawrence
Editor
Veniero Colasanti
Production Design
John Moore
Production Design
Veniero Colasanti
Costume Design
John Moore
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for El Cid.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring El Cid.
***Retro***
Medieval
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Topher's Vault: Historical Epics & Sword-and-Sandal — Movies
Topher's Vault Category 25: Historical Epics & Sword-and-Sandal — Movies only. Curated by Navi for Topher's profile.
Prime Video - War Movies
Curated list of War on Prime Video (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 14, 2026.
Prime Video - History Movies
Curated list of History on Prime Video (US). Updated frequently. Last updated October 14, 2026.
Epic
Grand storytelling across genres: mythic journeys, monumental struggles, sweeping histories and multigeneration sagas. Epic in spirit and narrative, not simply expensive or long. Independently curated from AFI and BFI recommendations with our own film-by-film selections.
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Frequently Asked Questions About El Cid
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is El Cid about?
Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain.
Who directed El Cid?
El Cid was directed by Anthony Mann.
Who stars in El Cid?
The principal cast of El Cid includes Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page, John Fraser.
When was El Cid released and how long is it?
El Cid was released in 1961 with a total runtime of 3h 7m.
What was the box office and production budget of El Cid?
El Cid had a reported production budget of $6.3M and grossed $26.6M at the worldwide box office (4.26 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for El Cid?
The original motion picture soundtrack for El Cid was composed by Miklós Rózsa.
What is the age rating and content advisory for El Cid?
El Cid holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).