The Long Ships (1964)
starring Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn, Rosanna Schiaffino, Oskar Homolka, Edward Judd, Lionel Jeffries, Clifford Evans, Gordon Jackson, Colin Blakely
IMDb synopsis:
There is a legend about a great bell, called "The Mother of Voices," made of pure gold, three times the size of a man, made by monks many years ago. This is the story told in the marketplace by a Viking called Rolfe. This information finds its way to the Islamic ruler Aly Manush, who is obsessed with finding the bell. But Rolfe claims not to know where the bell is and escapes back to his homeland to convince his father and brother to give him a ship and crew to replace the one he lost or to help him steal the Death Ship which belongs to the king because he DOES know where the bell is.
TRIVIA:
The film is perhaps best-known for a torture contraption called the "Mare of Steel", depicted as a huge, curved blade, that unlucky prisoners are forced to climb and ride down on their exposed bellies, hands tied, splaying them open at its base and impaling them on a bed of 2-foot steel spikes. (Thank goodness, we're spared the bloody bits, which nowadays would be shown in detail!)
Here are some film clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UptN7VPjEd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v-mphZD_Xc&feature=PlayList&p=260EBD1E64679B50&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=46
I remember seeing this at the drive-in and watch it every time it's aired if at all possible.
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My oops! Kirk Douglas is an earlier film about these seagoing adventurers:
The Vikings (1958)
starring Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Ernest Borgnine, Janet Leigh, Alexander Knox
IMDb synopsis:
Einar and Eric are two Viking half-brothers. The former is a great warrior whilst the other is an ex-slave. Neither knows the true identity of the other. When the throne of Northumbria in Britain becomes free for the taking, the two brothers compete against one another for the prize, but they have very different motives~both involving Princess Morgana.
I suppose it's absolutely understandable to mix up the golden-haired leading men: Richard Widmark and Kirk Douglas. But, it's Widmark who searches for the golden bell. I also saw this one at the drive-in!