Peter Ustinov in the context of "Grammy Award"

Quo Vadis (Latin for "Where are you going?") is a 1951 American religious epic historical film set in ancient Rome during the final years of Emperor Nero's reign, based on the 1896 novel of the same title by Polish Nobel Laureate author Henryk Sienkiewicz. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and filmed in Technicolor, it was directed by Mervyn LeRoy from a screenplay by S. N. Behrman, Sonya Levien, and John Lee Mahin. It is the fourth screen adaptation of Sienkiewicz's novel. The film stars Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, and Peter Ustinov, and features Patricia Laffan, Finlay Currie, Abraham Sofaer, Marina Berti, Buddy Baer, and Felix Aylmer. Future Italian stars Sophia Loren and Bud Spencer appeared as uncredited extras. The score is by Miklós Rózsa and the cinematography by Robert Surtees and William V. Skall. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 2, 1951.

The story, set between 64 and 68 AD, combines both historical and fictional events and characters, and compresses the key events of that period into the space of only a few weeks. Its main theme is the Roman Empire’s conflict with Christianity and persecution of Christians in the final years of the Julio-Claudian line. Unlike his illustrious and powerful predecessor, Emperor Claudius, Nero proved corrupt and destructive, and his actions eventually threatened to destroy Rome's previously peaceful social order. The title refers to an incident in the apocryphal Acts of Peter.

Topkapi is a 1964 American Technicolor heist comedy film produced and directed by Jules Dassin from a screenplay by Monja Danischewsky, based on the 1962 novel The Light of Day by Eric Ambler. Produced by Filmways and distributed by United Artists, the film stars Melina Mercouri, Peter Ustinov, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, and Akim Tamiroff. The plot follows a small-time con artist who gets roped into helping a gang of international art thieves steal an emerald-encrusted dagger from Istanbul's Topkapı Palace, while he is simultaneously forced to spy on them for the Turkish police.

The music score was by Manos Hadjidakis, the cinematography by Henri Alekan, and the costume design by Denny Vachlioti. For his performance, Ustinov won his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Billy Budd is a 1962 British historical adventure-drama film produced, directed, and co-written by Peter Ustinov. It is adapted from Louis O. Coxe and Robert H. Chapman's stage play version of Herman Melville's 1924 novella of the same name. Terence Stamp, in his film debut, plays the title role, with Robert Ryan as John Claggart, Melvyn Douglas as the Dansker, and Ustinov as Captain Vere.

The film was released by Rank Film Distributors on September 21, 1962. It received generally positives reviews with film critic Pauline Kael calling it the best film of 1962. It was nominated for five BAFTA Awards, including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. For his first-ever film role, Stamp was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles, and received a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor.