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The Ten Commandments (1923) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   485 votes
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Director:
Cecil B. DeMille
Writer:
Jeanie Macpherson (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Ten Commandments on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 November 1923 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
The first part tells the story of Moses leading the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, his receipt... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
Thou shalt not give a stupid review. more (23 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Theodore Roberts ... Moses, the Lawgiver (prologue)
Charles de Rochefort ... Rameses, the Magnificent (prologue) (as Charles De Roche)
Estelle Taylor ... Miriam, the Sister of Moses (prologue)
Julia Faye ... The Wife of Pharaoh (prologue)
Pat Moore ... The Son of Pharaoh - prologue (as Terrence Moore)
James Neill ... Aaron, Brother of Moses (prologue)
Lawson Butt ... Dathan, The Discontented (prologue)
Clarence Burton ... The Taskmaster (prologue)
Noble Johnson ... The Bronze Man (prologue)
Edythe Chapman ... Mrs. Martha McTavish
Richard Dix ... John McTavish, her son
Rod La Rocque ... Dan McTavish, her son
Leatrice Joy ... Mary Leigh
Nita Naldi ... Sally Lung, a Eurasian
Robert Edeson ... Redding, an Inspector
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
136 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White | Color (2-strip Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Silent
Certification:
UK:U | Canada:G | Finland:K-16 (1925) (second part) | Finland:K-3 (2006) (DVD) | Finland:S (1925) (first part) | South Korea:All
Filming Locations:
Fresno, California, USA more
Company:
Paramount Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The effect of the parting of the Red Sea was created by placing two blocks of blue gelatin side-by-side, heating them until they melted...then running the footage in reverse. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: The type of staff used by Moses and his followers has a Star of David on the end. The Star of David didn't become a symbol of Judaism until the Middle Ages. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Sands of Oblivion (2007) (TV) more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
14 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Thou shalt not give a stupid review., 22 October 2003
Author: sadie_thompson from United States

Oops, broke that one. All joking aside, this film is incredible. Astonishing effects for the early 20s, where you couldn't twist any digital domain to your whims. The parting of the Red Sea is pretty convincing, even if was Jello. (Can you imagine wading through Jello? Ick.)

This film is told in two parts, as we get to see Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God in what looks like a Fourth of July celebration. One with good fireworks. Most people know that story--Moses goes to deliver the Commandments, only to find everyone involved in a massive orgy. Here de Mille is in his element. He did so many massive orgies that he should have copyrighted them. We see people making out (not having sex--that would be wrong), men licking wine off women's feet (that is wrong, by gum), and a huge number of people trying to climb up what looks like a curtain. Why they're doing this only de Mille knows. All we need is Gloria Swanson being pawed by a tiger to make everything perfect. As some viewers may not know, de Mille can show whatever sin and debauchery he wants, because the sinners are going to get it in the end. They're gonna get it bad. From the giddy Israelites and their golden calf we're transported to the modern day (1923), where a woman reads the Bible. She can't be the sinner. A son stands nearby, looking very noble and content. Can't be him. Then, we see the other son. He looks bored and disbelieving. We have a sinner! Oh, and he's a bad one. He dances on Sunday, he steals women from their intendeds, he's involved in dozens of dirty dealings, and he's dating an Oriental leper. Beg pardon? I guess she's just thrown in for fun.

Of course, all's well that ends well, and everything turns out okay. This movie is silent, so the acting is a bit in-your-face, and the characters are extreme, but hey. It's necessary--literacy wasn't rampant back then, so filmmakers had to make everything painfully obvious. Some people weren't able to read the title cards, and they'd be lost without the silent films' distinctive pantomime.

Side benefit--the version I have on video features a nifty soundtrack by that powerhouse of the movie palace, the Wurlitzer organ.

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related flick a_bruns_04
Who did the score? odog_05
This movie needs to be on DVD! Barry-73
The set.. Noirfan55
so THIS is what they did before the talkies huh? digitalfortress0
Special features on the DVD Barry-73
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