“About ten minutes after Arabesque gets under way, you’ll lose track of its plot completely, and that’s as it should be.” (New York Times)

Arabesque is a fast-moving, suspenseful tale of international intrigue starring Gregory Peck as a professor who is plunged into deciphering a high-stakes secret message written in hieroglyphics, and Sophia Loren as an enigmatic beauty who can—or cannot—be trusted to help. With music by Henri Mancini, it’s full of plot twists and red herrings. Watch Donen’s stylish direction: He challenged himself to “avoid any sign of the studio manner” when shooting the film, using every trick in the book and devising new camera techniques to keep things fresh.

Presented in 35mm