The King of Kings (1927)

Jesus Christ faces religious and political oppression during his ministry and in the days before his death and resurrection.

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writer:

Jeanie Macpherson (story)

Stars:

H.B. Warner, Dorothy Cumming, Ernest Torrence

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
H.B. Warner	...	Jesus - the Christ
Dorothy Cumming	...	Mary - the Mother
Ernest Torrence	...	Peter
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Judas Iscariot
James Neill	...	James - Brother of John
Joseph Striker	...	John - the Beloved
Robert Edeson	...	Matthew - the Publican
Sidney D'Albrook	...	Thomas, the Doubter
David Imboden	...	Andrew - a Fisherman
Charles Belcher	...	Philip
Clayton Packard	...	Bartholomew
Robert Ellsworth	...	Simon - the Zealot
Charles Requa	...	James the Lesser
John T. Prince	...	Thaddeus
Jacqueline Logan	...	Mary Magdalene

Storyline

Mary Magdalene becomes angry when Judas, now a follower of Jesus, won't come to her feast. She goes to see Jesus and becomes repentant. From there the Bible story unfolds through the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

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Plot Keywords:

based on the bible | 1st century | miracle | religious sect | blind boy | 

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Taglines:

Supreme in Theme! Gigantic in Execution!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kralj kraljev

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,773,970

Company Credits

Production Co:

DeMille Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min (1931 re-release) 155 min (DVD) (premiere)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System) (1931 reissue) Silent Silent (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White Color (2-strip Technicolor) (some sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first film shown at Grauman's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.

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Goofs

When the blind girl gets pulled through the window, she is wearing modern underwear.

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Quotes

Rich Judeaean: Mary, if thou wilt give thy kisses to a beast - why not to me?

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Crazy Credits

In the original premiere version, there is no 'THE END' title. The film fades to black after the final scene of Jesus looming over a modern city with the title 'LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS' superimposed.

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Connections

Spoofed in Silent Movie (1976)

User Reviews

Creative, Interesting, & Still Well Worth Seeing

This Cecil B. DeMille silent classic is still well worth seeing. It is creative and interesting, while remaining respectful to its subject, and thus it is among the best of the many movies made about Jesus. Unlike most directors (especially today), DeMille did not think that he was bigger than his subject, and thus he uses his skills to illustrate the well-known story and to make it memorable, rather than expending time and energy in trying to push some trivial perspective of his own. He makes it lavish when it should be lavish, and keeps it simple when it should be simple.

The opening scene, with Mary Magdalene and her admirers hearing bits of news regarding Jesus and Judas Iscariot, is a good introduction to the rest of the story, and also sets the tone for what follows. While it is a fictionalized scene not found in the Bible, it seems natural and works well. The rest of the movie likewise does not always follow the biblical narratives exactly, but the added material is always in keeping with the main themes. The cast is pretty good, although given the nature of the story, most of them have limited screen time. H.B. Warner looks just a little too old to be fully convincing as Jesus, but otherwise he is good enough in a difficult role. Probably the best performance is given by Joseph Schildkraut as Judas. He is quite believable, and is especially good in the Last Supper scene. His father Rudolph is also good in a smaller role as the high priest Caiaphas.

With the vast number of movies that are always being made about religious subjects, no doubt it will only be silent movie fans who will seek out this version of "The King of Kings", but that's unfortunate because it is nicely made and has many positives that make it worth seeing.