Solomon and Sheba (1959)

Shortly before his death in ancient Israel King David has a vision from God telling him that his younger son Solomon should succeed him as king. His other son Adonijah is unhappy and vows ... See full summary »

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

Crane Wilbur (story), Anthony Veiller (screenplay),

Stars:

Yul Brynner, Gina Lollobrigida, George Sanders

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Yul Brynner	...	Solomon
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Sheba
George Sanders	...	Adonijah
Marisa Pavan	...	Abishag
David Farrar	...	Pharaoh
John Crawford	...	Joab
Finlay Currie	...	David
Harry Andrews	...	Baltor
José Nieto	...	Ahab (as Jose Nieto)
Maruchi Fresno	...	Bathsheba
William Devlin	...	Nathan
Jack Gwillim	...	Josiah
Jean Anderson	...	Takyan
Laurence Naismith	...	Hezrai (as Lawrence Naismith)
Julio Peña	...	Zadok (as Julio Pena)

Storyline

Shortly before his death in ancient Israel King David has a vision from God telling him that his younger son Solomon should succeed him as king. His other son Adonijah is unhappy and vows to attain the throne. Meanwhile the Egyptian Pharoah agrees to cede a Red Sea port to the Queen of Sheba is she can find a way to destroy Solomon, whose wisdom and benevolent rule is seen as a threat to more tyrannical monarchs in the region. Sheba, Pharoah, Adonijah, the leaders of the Twelve Tribes and his own God make life difficult for Solomon who is tempted by Sheba to stray.

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Plot Keywords:

king | queen | king david | pharaoh | death | 

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Taglines:

Behold! The love story of the ages!

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Salomon und die Königin von Saba

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Small Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min 141 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

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Goofs

When we first see Sheba, she is feeding a macaw. They are native to Brazil, not Egypt.

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Quotes

Adonijah: You and your Sheban slut have defiled the fair name of Israel.

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Connections

Referenced in The Secret Life of Brian (2007)

User Reviews

" You worship only one God, we have many to choose from "

Back in the early history of Hollywood, during the 1950's, movie producers and gifted directors were often constricted and restricted in their efforts to produce memorable films. Take this one for instance. The film is called " Solomon (Yul Brynner) and Sheba (Gina Lollobrigida) " Some say they succeeded, others, especially modern critics used to a more tolerant set of guidelines, snicker at their censored efforts. The story is of the Bibical encounter between the wisest of all kings and the sultry queen from Sheba. Although many facts are distorted, the magnificence within the movie are surprisingly spectacular. Indeed, while viewing the gorgeous setting, elegant costumes and splendid scenery a plethora of questions arise. Things like, Solomon having a hundred wives, yet pursues Sheba like a lion after a kill. The Queen is given permission to have a pagan ritual to her God, however modern audiences view their exotic gyrating dance with yawing amusement. Still the cast of this film did a great job. George Sanders, David Farrar, John Crawford and Finlay Currie as David give this film it's legitimacy. Together they establish this colorful film as a movie original. ***