Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Virginia Mayo | ... | Helena | |
Pier Angeli | ... | Deborra | |
Jack Palance | ... | Simon The Magician | |
Paul Newman | ... | Basil | |
Walter Hampden | ... | Joseph of Arimathea | |
Joseph Wiseman | ... | Mijamin | |
Alexander Scourby | ... | Luke | |
Lorne Greene | ... | Peter | |
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David J. Stewart | ... | Adam |
Herbert Rudley | ... | Linus | |
Jacques Aubuchon | ... | Nero | |
E.G. Marshall | ... | Ignatius | |
Michael Pate | ... | Aaron Ben Joseph | |
Natalie Wood | ... | Helena as a Girl | |
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Peter Raynolds | ... | Basil as a boy |
A Greek artisan is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver, and sculpt around its rim, the faces of the disciples and Jesus. He travels to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome to complete the task. Meanwhile, a nefarious interloper is trying to convince the crowds that he is the new Messiah, by using nothing more than cheap parlor tricks. Written by Dan Weckerly
Based on a best-seller by Thomas B. Costain, and directed by Victor Saville, "The Silver Chalice" was one of the studio's early CinemaScope films, and was really a variation on Fox's "The Robe," the first CinemaScope movie that had been a huge success in 1953... The action follows a group of Christians who are dedicated to preserving Christ's Holy Cup twenty years after the Last Supper...
Since Newman had the lead as a young Greek silversmith, sold into slavery, then chosen by the Christians to design a chalice for the Cup, becomes involved in battles and orgies, and must decide between the pagan world represented by a courtesan (Virginia Mayo) and the Christian world represented by his young, innocent wife (Pier Angeli). There is also a mad pagan magician (Jack Palance), who wants to destroy the chalice and establish his own religion, replacing Christ's miracles with black magic...
Newman was ideally cast as a Greek, because of his classic features, but he makes his film debut at particularly unfortunate time... 1954 was the year of "The Wild One" and "On the Waterfront," and Brando was at the height of his popularity...