Amazon.com: Behaving as if it hadn't already been immortalized in Judges, chapters 13-16, Cecil B. DeMille immortalized history's most famous haircut all over again in this 1949 classic of the Epic Saga genre. Victor Mature is a trifle bovine as Samson--which perhaps isn't so inappropriate--but Hedy Lamarr's Delilah is a magnet on fire. Impossibly perfect and sexy, she sashays through the movie in a whole wardrobe of revealing halter tops, bending the men like blades of grass. These days it's hard to enjoy a DeMille film without condescension: from Samson's fight with a lion that might well be stuffed, to the famous collapsing-temple scene, we are constantly aware of how far movies have come, and the Philistines parade around in costumes that won an Oscar but can only remind the modern viewer of Klingon cocktail parties. But in so many other ways this is very classy filmmaking. DeMille takes considerable liberties with the biblical story to come up with a sort of Ur-narrative of love, betrayal, and remorse that you can swallow very nicely with or without its religious ingredient. Best exchange: Lamarr--"You killed him with... your hands. Oh, Samson!" (Jumps on Mature's back.) Mature--"Hey! One cat at a time!" Also stars George Sanders, a very youthful (and miscast) Angela Lansbury, and impassioned music by Victor Young. --Richard Farr
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Samson & Deliliah
A very well done movie. Never dreamed I would find it but am so glad that Amazon had it. Thank you.......
Rating: - Still not on DVD? WHY????
People have been asking for years and no one's listening! I don't want a South Korean/HongKong import. Is it too much to ask? If they can release some tripe, recent TV shows, they can put this classic out on DVD.
Rating: - MOVIE SYNOPSIS
This dazzling biblical epic, based on the Old Testament story of the legendary strongman and the treacherous woman who betrayed him, became an instant classic in the "only by DeMille" tradition. Victor Mature stars as Samson, a proud and strong slave who gallantly fights for the love of a beautiful Philistine (Angela Lansbury). In a spectacular sequence, the rippling Samson fights a lion with his bare hands in order to gain the woman's hand in marriage as her sister, Delilah (Heddy Lamar), jealously looks on. On the evening of their wedding feast a battle erupts between Samson and jealous Philistines, ... Read More
Rating: - Still waiting for this movie on DVD with closed caption
I have enjoyed this classic movie. It's really silly to have 2-hour movie on 2 VHS tapes which take up too much space in my video cabinet. I deducted 1 star for this reason.
Studio, if you read this, I hope you will have this movie transferred to DVD with closed-caption included, of course, in the near future. I wonder why it wasn't done so since it's as good as other classic movies like Ben Hur, Ten Commandments, The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators, Spartacus, etc. and I have those DVDs in my collection already.
Rating: - Samson & Delilah (1950) DVD , DVD DVD????? WHEN?
I saw the the movie when it played in the theater.
I got the VHS version on 2 separate tapes which is frustrating to change tapes.
I see other movies on DVD by Victor Mature like Demetrius & The Gladiators, The Robe.
Other movies like Ten Commandments, Ben Hur.
All these releases on DVD and NO SAMSON & DELILAH!!!!!!ON DVD!!!!!!
When in the world are they going to release this movie on DVD???
I loved this movie and I keep asking, WHEN IS THIS MOVIE, "SAMSON & DELILAH" with Victor Mature & Hedy Lamaar are going to be released???? WHEN??? ... Read More
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