John Justin, born in 1917 in London, was a British actor whose career spanned several decades and genres. He is perhaps best known for his role as Ahmad in The Thief of Bagdad (1940), a film that showcased his charm and talent in a fantastical setting. In the 1970s, Justin continued to make his mark in the cult cinema scene with notable performances in Lisztomania (1975) and Valentino (1977), where he contributed to the exploration of larger-than-life characters and themes in cinema. His work remains a significant part of the conversation surrounding cult and exploitation films.
Lisztomania
A send-up of the bawdy life of Romantic composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey), with ubiquitous phallic imagery and a good portion of the movie devoted to Liszt's "friendship" with fellow composer Richard Wagner (Paul Nicholas). This movie begins during the time when Franz would give piano performance to a crowd of shrieking teenage fans while maintaining affairs with his mistresses. He eventually seeks Princess Carolyn of St. Petersburg (Sara Kestelman) (at her invitation), elopes, and, after their marriage is forbidden by the Pope (Sir Ringo Starr), he embraces the monastic life as an abbé.
