I'm suspicious...
So I watched Lawrence of Arabia for the first time. I have to say, I noticed a few similarities between it and a certain sci-fi novel set on a desert world..
Dune: Paul Atreides is from Caladan, a cool world where it apparently rains a lot. Also, much is made of House Atreides's sea power.
LoA: Lawrence is from England
Dune: Paul "knew their ways as if they were his own"
LoA: During a meeting with King Feisal Lawrence completes a passage of the Koran from memory, which inspires awe in the Arabs present.
Dune: Paul and his father are advocates of "desert power", a new way of fighting in the harsh climate of Arrakis.
LoA: Lawrence suggests that the Bedoin employ their desert skills to fight a new sort of warfare in the desert.
Dune: Paul acquires a "stillsuit" so he can survive in the desert.
LoA: Lawrence is given the garb of a bedoin.
Dune: Paul's exposure to the spice gives him the blue within blue eyes of the desert people
LoA: The camera can't seem to get away from Peter O'Toole's bright blue eyes.
Dune: Paul's enemies are the Harkonnen, who are shown to be cruel beyond belief and in the case of their leader-a homosexual.
LoA: Lawrence is leading the Arabs against the Turks, who are shown to be cruel beyond belief and in the case of their leader-a homosexual.
Dune: Paul surrounds himself with his loyal death commandos, the Feydakin.
LoA: Lawrence surrounds himself with a handpicked bodyguard of murderers.
There were several others but I think I covered the big ones. I don't even know if it's me seeing something I want to see or not, but it does seem like a lot of evidence. Frank Herbert claims he worked on Dune for ten years before he published it, but Lawrence of Arabia came out in 1961 I believe. Plenty of time to put pen to paper.
Dune: Paul Atreides is from Caladan, a cool world where it apparently rains a lot. Also, much is made of House Atreides's sea power.
LoA: Lawrence is from England
Dune: Paul "knew their ways as if they were his own"
LoA: During a meeting with King Feisal Lawrence completes a passage of the Koran from memory, which inspires awe in the Arabs present.
Dune: Paul and his father are advocates of "desert power", a new way of fighting in the harsh climate of Arrakis.
LoA: Lawrence suggests that the Bedoin employ their desert skills to fight a new sort of warfare in the desert.
Dune: Paul acquires a "stillsuit" so he can survive in the desert.
LoA: Lawrence is given the garb of a bedoin.
Dune: Paul's exposure to the spice gives him the blue within blue eyes of the desert people
LoA: The camera can't seem to get away from Peter O'Toole's bright blue eyes.
Dune: Paul's enemies are the Harkonnen, who are shown to be cruel beyond belief and in the case of their leader-a homosexual.
LoA: Lawrence is leading the Arabs against the Turks, who are shown to be cruel beyond belief and in the case of their leader-a homosexual.
Dune: Paul surrounds himself with his loyal death commandos, the Feydakin.
LoA: Lawrence surrounds himself with a handpicked bodyguard of murderers.
There were several others but I think I covered the big ones. I don't even know if it's me seeing something I want to see or not, but it does seem like a lot of evidence. Frank Herbert claims he worked on Dune for ten years before he published it, but Lawrence of Arabia came out in 1961 I believe. Plenty of time to put pen to paper.