Runtime: 134 minutes
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Starring: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders, Henry Willcoxon, Olive Deering
From: Paramount
Three notes to begin this review:
One: I’m posting this at an odd time due to my schedule; the second review likely will be real late, at least in terms of Florida time.
Second: My apologies for not spending much time viewing full-length motion pictures of this age or older as of late.
Three: Aside from a small role (as Joan of Arc!) in the atrocious The Story of Mankind, this is the first movie I’ve seen Hedy Lamarr in; I know some will be APPALLED by this pronouncement. This was not done deliberately; it’s more stupidity on my part. Once I learned years ago that she’s an awesome dame who was a self-taught inventor that played a key role in inventing what would later morph into Bluetooth and an early version of Wi-Fi… what a fool I am.
As this played on TCM during their Summer Under the Stars day devoted to Lamarr & I’ve enjoyed every Cecil B. DeMille production I’ve tackled… this was entertaining hokum, for sure. Of course, it was about what I expected for a Biblical production w/ the director, this time adapting a story from Holy Scripture that many know even if it’s the two leads and where Samson’s strength is from.
I won’t reveal much more about a story that probably at least a few are well-familiar with. Victor Mature as Samson has all the luck… besides his status as an SOB that killed a lion with his bare hands, a young Angela Lansbury, Lamarr, and Olive Deering all vie for his love. All three lovely ladies were enchanting although Hedy’s part (what a slew of crop-tops she wore) was of course the boldest and she nailed the role. I was amused by how much of an ill-tempered hothead Samson was, and the way he got revenge on those darn Philistines. You know, I might be on Delilah’s side here!
In any event, this was a delight visually, full of many different hues presented in Technicolor. Whether outdoor shooting in the desert or lavish sets, that plus the costumes set the mood for this desert romance/melodrama/epic which is long yet was a rewarding journey for me. Several other familiar faces appeared, including teen actor Russ Tamblyn and in a juicy part, George Sanders as the scheming, sarcastic ruler.
If not my favorite from DeMille, I still had fun and most importantly, I now better appreciate Hedy Lamarr; without a doubt, more of her work will be discussed in the future.
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