Samson and Delilah (1949)
-
63% of users liked it
(1,953 ratings)
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… 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
- Directed By
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Written By
- Vladimir Jabotinsky, Harold Lamb, Jesse Lasky, Fredric M. Frank
- Genres
- Drama, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Oct 31, 1949 Wide
- 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.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
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, Makon at Feast
-
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
