After fighting off a rival production with Yul Brynner, Spartacus was a labour of love for Kirk Douglas that quickly became a nightmare.

During a shoot that went massively over time and budget, actor Tony Curtis is reputed to have told co-star Jean Simmons, “Who do I have to f*** to get off this film?”

Douglas himself was the driving force behind getting it made, fuelled by his disappointment at losing out to Charlton Heston on Ben-Hur.

Seeking a Roman epic of his own, he brought Howard Fast’s…