Sign of the Pagan (1954)

50% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(68 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

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Douglas Sirk
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Dec 18, 1954 Wide

Critic Reviews

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.
, 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.
, 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.
, Film4
Sirk's fluid direction lift this refreshingly short epic above what most other directors would have done with the material.
Derek Adams, Time Out
An immensely interesting though finally unsuccessful film.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Too uneven, dramatically clumsy, chatty and overblown to satisfy.