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Herod the Great
(1959)
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Title: Herod the Great (1959)
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Cast
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Edmund Purdom | ... | |
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Sylvia Lopez | ... |
Miriam /
Mariamne
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| Sandra Milo | ... |
Sarah
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Elena Zareschi | ... |
Alexandra
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Alberto Lupo | ... |
Aaron /
Aron
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Corrado Pani | ... |
Herod Antipas /
Antipatro
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Renato Baldini |
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Camillo Pilotto |
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Carlo D'Angelo |
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Enrico Glori |
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Adolfo Geri |
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Fedele Gentile |
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Enzo Fiermonte |
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Feodor Chaliapin Jr. | ... |
(as Schaliapin Fiodor)
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Renato Montalbano |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Herod, King of Judea, is made a prisoner by the Romans. Convinced the King is dead, his faithful lieutenant, Aaron, is nevertheless unable to keep his promise to kill the Queen if something untoward happened to the King. He leads the young woman out into the desert. Herod's pleas to Augustus are successful and he returns to his palace. His son, Antipater, informs Herod that Aaron has betrayed him. Written by Aline
Taglines:
Bigness unmatched! Spectacle undreamed! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Language:
ItalianRelease Date:
5 December 1960 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Herod the Great See more »Company Credits
Production Co:
Comptoir Français de Productions Cinématographiques (CFPC), Explorer Film '58, Faro Film See more »
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No sooner did I state in my review of THE PRODIGAL (1955) above that it was going to be my only tribute to the late Edmund Purdom, that a visit to the local DVD rental shop also provided me with the opportunity to watch this Italian biblical flick. Unfortunately, the end results were even less satisfactory than that earlier Hollywood epic! For one thing, Purdom makes for a decidedly wooden ruler of Judea who, at the film's start, is seen returning from a lost battle against Octavius Caesar(!) to find all of his elderly subjects (who, naturally, had stayed home) seemingly out for his blood! Even his son and mother-in-law openly hate and scorn him! Eventually, Herod regains his composure with the appearance of his wife – and how could it have been otherwise when she is portrayed by the red-headed, curvaceous beauty Sylvia Lopez? Tragically, in real life she would be dead of leukemia before the year was out but not before making Steve Reeves' head spin in her most significant role in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959)! Out of the blue, then, the film's second half takes the form of a retread of Shakespeare's "Othello" with Purdom the jilted monarch, Lopez the compromised queen, Alberto Lupo as Herod's innocent right-hand man and Corrado Pani (as young Herod Antipas) as his Iago-ish brand new confidant! The strain is too much for Herod-Purdom to bear and, a little while after ordering the proverbial slaughtering of Judea's first born, he just keels over and dies at the foot of his throne! Ugh…which is a pity since a few months ago I had rather enjoyed Purdom's next collaboration with director Tourjansky, THE COSSACKS (1960) – which also shares at least three other distinguished participants (actor Massimo Girotti, screenwriter Damiano Damiani and cinematographer Massimo Dallamano) with this one.