Samson and Delilah (1949)

64% of users liked it
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Samson and Delilah is Cecil B. DeMille's characteristically expansive retelling of the events found in the Old Testament passages of Judges 13-16. Victor Mature plays Samson, the superstrong young Danite. Samson aspires to marry Philistine noblewoman Semadar (Angela Lansbury), but she is killed when… More Samson and Delilah is Cecil B. DeMille's characteristically expansive retelling of the events found in the Old Testament passages of Judges 13-16. Victor Mature plays Samson, the superstrong young Danite. Samson aspires to marry Philistine noblewoman Semadar (Angela Lansbury), but she is killed when her people attack Samson as a blood enemy. Seeking revenge, Semadar's younger sister Delilah (Hedy Lamarr) woos Samson in hopes of discovering the secret of his strength, thus enabling her to destroy him. When she learns that his source of his virility is his long hair, Delilah plies Samson with drink, then does gives him the Old Testament equivalent of a buzzcut while he snores away. She delivers the helpless Samson to the Philistines, ordering that he be put to work as a slave. Blinded and humiliated by his enemies, Samson is a sorry shell of his former self. Ultimately, Samson's hair grows back, thus setting the stage for the rousing climax wherein Samson literally brings down the house upon the wayward Philistines. Hedy Lamarr is pretty hopeless as Delilah, but Victor Mature is surprisingly good as Samson, even when mouthing such idiotic lines as "That's all right. It's only a young lion". Even better is George Sanders as The Saran of Gaza, who wisely opts to underplay his florid villainy. The spectacular climax to Samson and Delilah allows us to forget such dubious highlights as Samson's struggle with a distressing phony lion and the tedious cat-and-mouse romantic scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 8 min.
Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille
Written By: Vladimir Jabotinsky, Harold Lamb, Jesse Lasky, Fredric M. Frank
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 31, 1949 Wide
On DVD: Mar 1, 2005
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Lavishly produced, this Oscar nominated epic is a good example of DeMille's type of spectacles.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Was once best described by the film critic Dilys Powell as the only epic film in which the hero had bigger tits than the heroine.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Barry L

Brilliant movie classic and a lesson to all that women arent to be trusted...lol..only kidding.
Anthony V

Good Biblical effort.

Cast

            Hedy Lamarr as Delilah

            Victor Mature as Samson

            George Sanders as The Saran of Gaza

            Angela Lansbury as Semadar

            Henry Wilcoxon as Ahtur

            Russ Tamblyn as Saul

            Edgar Dearing as Tax collector

            Olive Deering as Miriam

            Fay Holden as Hazeleponit

            Julia Faye as Haisham Delilah's maid

            William Farnum as Tubal Delilah's Father

            Lane Chandler as Teresh

            Moroni Olsen as Targif

            Francis McDonald as Story Teller

            William "Wee Willie" Davis as Garmiskar

            John Miljan as Lesh Lakish

            Arthur Q. Bryan as Fat Philistine Merchant

            Laura Elliot as Spectator

            Victor Varconi as Lord of Ashdod

            John Parrish as Lord of Gath

            Frank Wilcox as Lord of Ekron

            Russell Hicks as Lord of Ashkelon

            Boyd Davis as First Priest

            Fritz Leiber as Lord Sharif

            Davison Clark as Merchant Prince

            George Reeves as Wounded Messenger

            Pedro de Cordoba as Bar Simon

            Frank Reicher as Village Barber

            Colin Tapley as Prince

            Dorothy Adams as Woman

            Eric Alden as Courtier

            Nils Asther as Prince

            Ray Bennett as Overseer at Gristmill

            Stanley Blystone
            
            Olive Carey as Miriam

            Harry Cording as Prince

            James Craven as Prince

            Charles Dayton as Midget at Arena

            Claire Du Brey as Woman

            Al Ferguson as Villager

            Margaret Field
            
            Byron Foulger
            
            Kenneth Gibson as Man

            Fred Graham
            
            Greta Granstedt as Woman

            Ed Hinton as Double for Victor Mature

            Charles Judels as Danite Merchant

            John Kellogg as Spectator

            Crauford Kent as Court Astrologer

            Fred Kohler Jr. as Soldier

            Bob Kortman as Vendor

            Ted Mapes as Captain Killed by Jawbone

            Frank Mayo as Master Architect

            Mike Mazurki as Leader of Philistine Soldiers

            Philo McCullough as Merchant

            Charles Meredith as High Priest

            John Merton as Assistant tax collector

            John Miller as Man with burro

            Bert Moorhouse
            
            Karen Morley as Woman

            Hugh Prosser as Tax Collector

            Carl Saxe as Slave

            Lester Sharpe as Saddle maker

            Tom Tyler as Philistine Captain of Gristmill

            Pierre Watkin as Second Priest

            Crane Whitley
            
            Lloyd Whitlock as Chief Scribe

            Henry Wills as Saran's charioteer

            Jeff York
            
            George Zoritch
            
            Hamil Petroff as Sword Dancer

            Harry Woods as Gammad

            Betty Boyd as Woman

            Gertrude Messenger as Woman

            Betty Farrington as Woman

            Charles Evans as Manoah Samson's father

            Stephen Roberts as Bergam at Feast
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