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poster of Samson and Delilah
Rating: 6.53/10 by 217 users

Samson and Delilah (1949)

When strongman Samson rejects the love of the beautiful Philistine woman Delilah, she seeks vengeance that brings horrible consequences they both regret.

Directing:
  • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Edward Salven
  • Bill Shanks
Writing:
  • Fredric M. Frank
  • Jesse Lasky Jr.
  • Vladimir Jabotinsky
Stars:
Release Date: Wed, Dec 21, 1949

Rating: 6.53/10 by 217 users

Alternative Title:
霸王妖姬 - HK
Sansón y Dalila - ES

Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 02 hour 14 minutes
Budget: $3,000,000
Revenue: $11,500,000

Plot Keyword: epic, christianity, torah, bible, male with long hair, god, strong man, old testament, religious film, strongman, christian, christian faith, biblical, samson, book of judges, philistine

George Sanders
The Saran of Gaza
Henry Wilcoxon
Prince Ahtur
John Miljan
Lesh Lakish
Arthur Q. Bryan
Fat Philistine Merchant Wearing No Robe
Victor Varconi
Lord of Ashdod
John Parrish
Lord of Gath
Frank Wilcox
Lord of Ekron
Russell Hicks
Lord of Ashkelon
Boyd Davis
First Priest of Dagon
Bert Moorhouse
Spectator at Temple
Fritz Leiber
Lord Sharif
Mike Mazurki
Leader of Philistine Soldiers
Davison Clark
Merchant Prince
George Reeves
Wounded Messenger
Frank Reicher
Village Barber
Dorothy Adams
Screaming Temple Spectator (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey
Temple Spectator (uncredited)
Cecil B. DeMille
Narrator (uncredited)
Dick Foote
Soldier at Temple (uncredited)
Byron Foulger
(uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Maybe not one of Cecil B. De Mille's better biblical epics, this, but it's still an enjoyable, if slightly long, watch with Hedy Lamarr on good form as the eponymous temptress. Snubbed by "Samson" (Victor Mature) in favour of her beautiful but fickle sister "Samadar" (Angela Lansbury) whom is subsequently killed, she sets out - with the aid of the Saran of Gaza (George Sanders), to find the secret behind the strength of the handsome, strong and decent man and use it do ensure his disgrace and downfall. De Mille uses a certain amount of cinematic licence with the biblical verses upon which this is based, but that does it no harm - it is a live, fairly action-packed romantic adventure that looks every inch the part. Sumptuous settings and costumes give it a visual richness and Victor Young has written a score than accompanies the grandeur of the visuals well, too. The acting, well that's quite another matter though. Lamarr is efficient, certainly, but Mature and Sanders are both as wooden as a picket fence. They deliver their dialogue as if they were reading it straight from off-screen cue cards. There is a great deal of activity filmed on sound stages that, though colourful, does limit the imagination (especially the terrifying stuffed lion that starts off the whole enterprise in the first place). George Barnes did try quite hard to photograph the legendary denouement creatively, but even that is just too stage bound to be wholly effective. Luckily, for me anyway, it leaves out much of the moralising. It's about power, avarice, betrayal, maybe even love and ultimately redemption but the narrative is left to deliver what messages we choose to receive, rather than having pontificating monologues aimed between our eyes. That helps to keep this a decent example of entertaining, big screen cinema that delivers a feast for your eyes, if not so much for your brain.


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