Customer Reviews

Samson & Delilah [VHS]

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One of DeMille's finest, from the sets and costumes to the superb acting and expressive music. Even the bit players are wonderful (look for George Reeves as the wounded Messenger relating the Battle of Ramath-Lehi to an incredulous George Sanders in terms that echoed the intro to Reeves' most famous role a few years later!). Lamarr is stunning, Mature is intense ("Look about you, Delilah..."), Sanders plays himself as the world-weary Seran of Gaza. Even ol'warhorse and longtime DeMille associate Henry Wilcoxson gets to shine as Prince Atur (he was originally supposed to play Samson, but was considered too old). There is no counting of the stars. Five is not nearly enough.

Our only quibble is with the way Dagon is portrayed in the temple scene. All the decor is Babylonian, and the idol looks like Moloch, the Canaanite sun god to whom certain kings of Judah used to sacrifice infants until commanded by God, through King Josiah, to desist (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31; 32:35; 2 Kings 23:10). The Philistines were related to the Phoenicians, not the Babylonians. Their wealth came from the sea. Dagon was an ocean god like Neptune, and was portrayed as a fish or a merman. The only decor in the movie that properly reflects Dagon are Delilah's fish earrings in the wedding scene.

This should be released on DVD so that like Miriam says at the end, we can watch his story "for a thousand years"!

One of the greatest films ever made, "Samson and Delilah" stands out as a crowning achievement in Biblical epics, the trademark of legendary director Cecil B. DeMille. The story of Samson, the strongest of men, felled by the temptress Delilah is brought to the screen in majesty and splendor. Victor Mature is wonderful in his role as Samson, bringing a sense of humor and humanity to the role. Hedy Lamarr nearly overwhelms the brilliant Technicolor with her ravishing beauty as Delilah, sleek and seductive. As Delilah's sister, Angela Lansbury fares well in her brief role as do George Sanders (as a subtle ruler of the Philistines) and Henry Wilcoxon (as a military governor). And the actors are only one ornament to the production. The art direction is masterful and incredible. And the costumes... such gorgeous opulence and splendor were never seen since, sometimes almost stealing the scenes from the actors. Both categories won 1949 Academy Awards, giving Oscar's gilt to this classic. The film is immensely entertaining and superbly directed with reverence to the sacred texts by DeMille (at 128 minutes, dramatically shorter than DeMille's "Ten Commandments". But the special effects are one of the best reasons to see the film: Mature's three-minute fight with a lion, to the unbelievabe climatic scene in which Mature pulls down a temple of stone. A classic all the way through, "Samson and Delilah" is a film that you will never tire of, and always want to see again and again...I now quote the film's final words: "Men will tell his story for a thousand years." And if it lasts that long, men will watch this movie for a thousand years.

I have always loved this movie since I was a kid. I want to purchase this movie but I prefer to wait until it is released on DVD. Why isn't this movie on DVD? There is no excuse. DVD has been out for a long time now. PLEASE PUT THIS MOVIE OUT ON DVD!!!

Cecil B. DeMille created one of the most entertaining Bible epics of the 1940's and 1950's when he directed "Samson and Delilah". The lavish sets and colorful costumes are simply wonderful and the cast is filled with well-known stars, like Victor Mature, Hedy Lamarr, George Sanders and Angela Lansbury. The movie won oscars for art direction/set decoration and costumes, but as usual the cast of a Biblical epic was ignored by the Academy Awards. Since nearly everyone's heard the Old Testament story of Samson and Delilah, I'll include only a very brief summary of the movie.

Victor Mature stars as Samson, a respected and feared Hebrew leader who is seduced by the Philistine femme fatale Delilah, unforgettably played by the sexy Hedy Lamarr. Samson fears no man because God has blessed him with amazing strength, and he kills many of his foes. When Delilah fears that Samson will leave her, she betrays him to the local Philistine ruler (George Sanders) after learning the secret of Samson's extraordinary strength lies in his long hair, which she promptly cuts. Now reduced to a blind slave, Samson asks God for forgiveness and his strength back. God gives him his strength back, and Samson delivers one final, devastating blow to the Philistines.

"Samson and Delilah" is one of my favorite stories from the Bible and although DeMille changed some of the facts of the story it still remains a very entertaining classic. For the totally accurate version of the story read Judges 13-16 in the Old Testament. Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature were superb and their chemistry was electric. I hope we don't have to wait much longer before this great epic is released on a special edition dvd!

When "Samson and Delilah" was released in 1949, Hollywood was on the edge of its big Biblical boom, pictures like "The Robe" and "Salome". Cecil B DeMille had been doing this stuff for decades -- his original "The Ten Commandments" in 1923 and his "The Sign of the Cross" in 1932 -- and the fact is "Samson and Delilah" is a lot more entertaining than DeMille's "The Greatest Show on Earth", which won the Best Picture Oscar a couple of years later. Church groups made it a mission to the movies to see this two-hour epic version of the story that takes up three chapters in Judges. But this is not the Bible, this is Stories from the Bible, in comic book colors. I know, be nice, but I'm afraid DeMille took himself veeery seriously. His trailers often had him pontificating like an avuncular professor about Moses or Andrew Jackson or Charlton Heston. However, the contradiction in his films -- the Bible-thumping one minute and sniggering suggestions of sex the next -- make him seem like a carnival barker, selling an all-healing elixir before bringing out the burly-Q girls. I'm afraid it reveals a basic contempt for his audience. After 35 years, critics had become a little weary of DeMille's modus operandi; his 1956 re-make of "The Ten Commandents" was described by Playboy as "run-of-DeMille". The title roles in "Samson and Delilah" are played by Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr. I have never understood Mature's hunk status. His physique was not half as impressive as that of Burt Lancaster, who was originally set for the role. All Mature's musculature seems to have gone into his face, and when he tries to emote it's a little alarming. Much more impressive physically is Hedy Lamarr as Delilah. She was one of the most beautiful women ever to appear on the screen, but unfortunately she simply couldn't act. Hedy could take E=mc² and make it sound vacuous, and her habit of staring out of camera range makes one suspect she was addicted to cue cards. Of course, it could have been worse. Evidently DeMille wanted Betty Hutton for the role. Betty Hutton?? Why not Judy Canova? The picture was touted as a spectacle, but as such it's spotty. The fight with the lion is impossibly cheesy: in long shot Samson is obviously not Victor Mature, and in close-up, the lion looks like it should be splayed on Clyde Beatty's living room floor. More fortunate is the Valley of Sorek sequence. Delilah's opulent tent and her sparkling pool set amid ruins might have been designed by a Beverly Hills landscape artist. Maybe they were. (Edith Head designed Delilah's costumes, and to say they are eye-popping is an understatement.) The climax, of course, takes place in the Temple of Dagon. By this time Delilah is hopelessly in love with the blinded Samson, and it is she who leads him to the great pillars holding up the temple. (You won't find THAT in Judges!) The destruction of the temple is one of the great spectacles in cinema, even by today's standards. This was long before digital effects, so I assume the illusion was achieved with minatures and double exposures. When the dust clears, we find the young Saul (Russ Tamblyn, of all people) mourning Samson before trudging off to future royalty. An Irish kid as king of the Hebrews. The philistines be upon thee, indeed.

Cecil B. DeMille is good, Victor Mature is good, but I'm giving this film 5/5 stars for one reason and one reason only, her name is Hedy Lamarr. She is simply hot ... the devil indeed! It is clearly beyond a doubt now that DeMille had incredible Hollywood connections! Who else could get a woman, any woman, in these kind of costumes in 1949 and maintain a G-rating? With that said, allow me to say that this film is indeed a Biblical classic. It is bathed in a magnificent blend of colors, and displays pageantry on the highest of levels. Despite the pomp and circumstance, the film still gets it's Christian message of morals across, and in the end this is what it's all about. For the film, 4/5 stars. For Hedy Lamarr, she can hardly receive enough stars.

I saw the the movie when it played in the theater.
I got the VHS version on 2 separate tapes which is frustrating to change tapes.

I see other movies on DVD by Victor Mature like Demetrius & The Gladiators, The Robe.
Other movies like Ten Commandments, Ben Hur.
All these releases on DVD and NO SAMSON & DELILAH!!!!!!ON DVD!!!!!!

When in the world are they going to release this movie on DVD???

I loved this movie and I keep asking, WHEN IS THIS MOVIE, "SAMSON & DELILAH" with Victor Mature & Hedy Lamaar are going to be released???? WHEN???
PLEASE MAKE IT SOON!!!!

Just one simple statement - why is this NOT on DVD? What better film to glow up a DVD that this Technicolor marvel? PLEASE, PLEASE Paramount, release it!!...You've done us good with "Sunset Boulevard," "Roman Holiday," etc., now give us this fantastic treat!!...

The '50 was the "Sword & Sandal Movies" decade. Uncountable films of the genre were released. The most notable: "The Ten Commandments" (1956) and "The Robe" (1958). Also in a very good supporting second line "The Egyptian" (1954), "Land of Pharaohs" (1955) and "Helen of Troy" (1956).
"Samson & Delilah" (1949) was nearer to the first group than the second.

A renowned specialist as Cecil B. DeMille was summoned.
He had a solid and successful experience in the genre, from first "Ten Commandments" (1923) version (he was responsible also for 1956's version) thru "The King of Kings" (1927) till "Cleopatra" (1934) and "The Crusades" (1935), he directed one blockbuster after other.

The script is based on the Biblical tale of Samson. This Hercules-like hero appeared among the Jews when they were oppressed by the Philistines.
The film depicts him as a rather naïve peasant in love with a Philistine girl. In order to gain her hand he kill barehanded a lion and won the prize.
Unfortunately for everyone a conjunction of mishap transform his wedding day in a bloody tragedy.
Delilah, his would-be sister-in-law swears revenge. She will not stop until poor Samson is rendered powerless and delivered into his enemies' hands.

The movie is outstanding in several categories: Costumes and Set Decoration both won the Oscar; Cinematography, Special Effects and Music Scoring were nominated. Remember that in those days the Oscar Award was a Major Award.

As for the performing, Victor Mature had the perfect physique-du-role and he will profit from it in following years starring and co-starring "The Robe" (1953), "Demetrius & the Gladiators" (1954) amongst other films.
Hedy Lamarr was a gorgeous vamp as Delilah and played the seducer's role perfectly.

For me there are two unforgettable scenes: one Samson defeating an entire Philistine army armed only with an ass' jaw bone the other the Hero smashing down the temple barehanded.

It is a good Ancient History related film.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Yeah, I give the film "four stars" but my main reason for submitting is to set the record straight. Angela Lansbury did not play Samson's sister; she played "Semadar", sister to Delilah and betrothed of Samson. Her accidental death at the hands of one of the Philistine wedding party sends Samson in a murderous rage, setting the stage for Delilah's emergence as a treacherous romantic interest.