The Robe (1953)

35% of critics liked it
(17 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(5,651 ratings)

Historically important as the first CinemaScope feature film, 20th Century-Fox's The Robe is fine dramatic entertainment in its own right. Based on the best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Richard Burton as the wastrelly Roman tribune who is assigned by a weary Pontius Pilate… More Historically important as the first CinemaScope feature film, 20th Century-Fox's The Robe is fine dramatic entertainment in its own right. Based on the best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Richard Burton as the wastrelly Roman tribune who is assigned by a weary Pontius Pilate (Richard Boone, who spends the whole of his single scene washing his hands) to supervise the crucifixion of Christ. After the Seven Last Words, the jaded Burton wins Christ's robe in a dice game. Gradually, the mystical influence of the holy garment transforms Burton from a roistering cynic into a True Believer--at the cost of his own life, which he willingly gives up in the service of his Lord. Also starring in The Robe are Jean Simmons as Burton's pious childhood sweetheart, Victor Mature as his Christian-convert slave Demetrius (an excellent performance--in fact, Mature is more believable than Burton!), Michael Rennie as the disciple Peter, and Jay Robinson as the raving Emperor Caligula. Mature, Rennie and Robinson would appear in the 1954 sequel to The Robe, the hurriedly assembled Demetrius and the Gladiators. Watch and listen for the unbilled contributions of Michael Ansara as Judas and Cameron Mitchell as the voice of Jesus. The film won three Academy Awards, and a special Oscar bestowed upon Fox for the development of CinemaScope. For many years, the TV prints of the Robe were struck from the "flat," standard-ratio version shot simultaneously with the widescreen version. Only recently has the CinemaScope The Robe been made available to cable TV (shown in "letterbox" format to allow home viewers the full picture). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: G, 2 hr. 13 min.
Directed By: Henry Koster
Written By: Lloyd C. Douglas, Gina Kaus, Albert Maltz, Philip Dunne
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Sep 16, 1953 Wide
On DVD: Oct 16, 2001
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
The performances are consistently good.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Pious claptrap.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Tthe mightiness of masses and the forms of heroes have never loomed so large as they do in this studied demonstration, projected by CinemaScope. But an unwavering force of personal drama is missed in the size and the length of the show.
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine
Overblown melodramatic biblical nonsense.
, Film4
Everything, including performances, is turned up to eleven, and what it lacks in finesse it more than makes up for in sheer spectacle.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Important historically as the first CinemaScope feature film.
David Cornelius, DVDTalk.com
Insufferably wooden.
Bill Gibron, Filmcritic.com
hackneyed Golden Age hokum
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
Had it not been the first film shot in CinemaScope, very few people would probably still be talking about The Robe.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Stick with The Ten Commandments, or try watching Fellini Satyricon instead.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Artistically, this historical epic, the first to be released in CinemaScope is mediocre due to Kostler's pedestrian direction.
, Time Out
Turgid direction, probably not helped by a necessarily cautious approach to framing, is married to creaky dialogue and stiff performances to render this of purely historical interest.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
an interesting film that compels viewers to consider how they would act in such times
Jon Lap, Apollo Guide
Among the interesting qualities The Robe has to offer, its sense of social transcendence ranks among the worthiest, alongside the film's demystification of religion, and decentralization of its protagonists.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Constanza B

The Robe is best remembered historically important as the first movie shot in Cinemascope. Grand and sweeping, the mere spectacle is enough to make it worth seeing, and helped usher in more than a decade's worth of lavish Biblical epics.
Timothy O

When I first saw this film, I loved it. It was a perennial and I could not wait for Easter time to see it. Of course, in retrospect, as I drifted away from the Church, the film began to take on a silliness. I still like it, but not as much.

Cast

            Richard Burton as Marcellus Gallio

            Jean Simmons as Diana

            Victor Mature as Demetrius

            Michael Rennie as Peter

            Jay Robinson as Caligula

            Dean Jagger as Justus

            Torin Thatcher as Sen. Gallio

            Richard Boone as Pilate

            Jeff Morrow as Paulus

            Ernst Thesiger as Tiberius

            Dawn Addams as Junia

            Leon Askin as Abidor

            Helen Beverly as Rebecca

            Frank Pulaski as Quintus

            David Leonard as Marcipor

            Michael Ansara as Judas

            Jay Novello as Tiro

            Nicholas Koster as Jonathan

            Frank de Kova as Slave Dealer

            Harry Shearer as David

            Francis Pierlot as Dodinius

            Thomas Brown Henry as Marius

            Sally Corner as Cornelia

            Rosalind Ivan as Julia

            Anthony Eustrel as Sarpedon

            A. Ben Astar as Cleander

            Jean Corbett
            
            John Doucette as Ship's Mate

            Roy Gordon as Chamberlain

            Percy Helton as Caleb

            Anthony Jochim
            
            George Keymas as Slave

            Emmett Lynn as Nathan

            Mae Marsh as Woman

            Cameron Mitchell as Christ

            Alex Pope
            
            Ford Rainey
            
            Hayden Rorke
            
            Gloria Saunders as Slave Girl

            Marc Snow as Auctioneer

            Betta St John as Miriam

            George E. Stone as Gracchus

            Anne Bancroft
            
            Sam Gilman as Ship's Captain

            George Melford
            
            George Robotham
            
            Leo Curley as Shalum

            Ed Mundy
            
            Van Des Autels
            
            Dan Ferniel
            
            Virginia Lee as Specialty Dancer

            Bella St. John
            
            Ernest Thesiger
            
            Frank DeKova
            
            Peter Reynolds
            
            Thomas Browne Henry
            
See full cast