Sign of the Pagan (1954)
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43% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
57% of users liked it
(69 ratings)
Jeff Chandler may be the top-billed star of Sign of the Pagan, but the film belongs to Jack Palance, cast as no less than Attila the Hun. As Attila's hordes advance upon Rome, noble centurion Marcian (Chandler) mounts a counteroffensive. Alas, the Scourge of God cannot be stopped by weaponry or… More Jeff Chandler may be the top-billed star of Sign of the Pagan, but the film belongs to Jack Palance, cast as no less than Attila the Hun. As Attila's hordes advance upon Rome, noble centurion Marcian (Chandler) mounts a counteroffensive. Alas, the Scourge of God cannot be stopped by weaponry or sheer brute strength. No, Attila can be halted in his tracks only by the hand of God Himself. Through a deft combination of historical fact and movie magic, this is precisely what happens. Ballerina Ludmilla Tcherina, her voice dubbed by an anonymous American actress, co-stars as Marcian's lady love, while Rita Gam is sublimely cast as Attila's long-suffering daughter. Also appearing as Attila's slave bride is Allison Hayes, some three years away from her starring turn in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Filmed on a more spectacular scale than one usually associates with Universal-International, Sign of the Pagan loses some of its scope when shown on television. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Douglas Sirk
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Dec 18, 1954 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
Douglas Sirk's direction of the excellent script catches the sweep of the period portrayed without letting the characters get lost in spectacle.
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, New York Times
Customers planning to sneak out during these frothing soliloquies must cope with a musical sound track deafening enough to nail anybody down.
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Derek Adams, Time Out
An immensely interesting though finally unsuccessful film.
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, TV Guide's Movie Guide
While certainly not a classic, the film is leagues above Hollywood's typical 'babes-and-bacchanals' biblical epics of the period.
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, Film4
Sirk's fluid direction lift this refreshingly short epic above what most other directors would have done with the material.
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)
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Cast
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Jeff Chandler
as Marcian
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Jack Palance
as Attila the Hun
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Ludmilla Tchérina
as Princess Pulcheria
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Rita Gam
as Kubra
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Jeff Morrow
as Paulinus
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George Dolenz
as Theodosius
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Eduard Franz
as Astrologer
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Alexander Scourby
as Chrysaphius
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Sara Shane
as Myra
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Pat Hogan
as Sangiban
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Howard Petrie
as Gundahar
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Leo Gordon
as Bleda
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Rusty Wescoatt
as Tula
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Charles Horvath
as Olt
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Moroni Olsen
as Pope Leo
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Robo Bechi
as Chilothe
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Walter Coy
as Valentinian
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Michael Ansara
as Edecon
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Allison Hayes
as Iloico
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Fred Nurney
as Chamberlain
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Chuck Roberson
as Mirrai
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Norbert Schiller
as Seer
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Glenn Thompson
as Seyte
