Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic The Ten Commandments (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From concept stage through production in Egypt to release of the film: Katherine Orrison carefully recreates the behind-the-scenes story of Cecil B. DeMille's beloved epic.

From the Back Cover

From concept stage through production in Egypt to release of the film, Katherine Orrison carefully recreates the behind-the-scenes story of Cecil B. DeMille's beloved epic. WRITTEN IN STONE treats the reader to an insider's view through the firsthand accounts of the movie's stars (including Martha Scott, Donald Curtis, Yvonne DeCarlo, Joan Woodbury, "Woody" Strode, and Vikki Bakken) and crew (including Henry Wilcoxon, associate producer; Jesse Lasky, Jr., screen writer; and William Sapp, special effects "wizard"). The book is vividly illustrated by the exclusive location photography of Ken Whitmore.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Vestal Press; First Edition ~1st Printing edition (May 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187951124X
• ISBN-13: 978-1879511248
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Story Behind the Making of the Ten Commandments, November 23, 1999

By A Customer

This is a first rate rendition of how the movie,"The Ten Commandments" was produced from interviews with the actors through the outstanding direction by C.B. DeMille. I especially commend the chapters by Henry Wilcoxen, producer and actor, and actor Clint Walker. Wilcoxen wanted Clint for the role of Joshua and ended up the Captain of the Sardinian Guard when DeMille decided he was too tall and dominated his scenes when compared to the other more famous (at the time) actors. Artist Arnold Friberg had even completed a color sketch of Clint as Joshua. An outstanding piece of work by the author. An interesting list of the actors and actresses considered for the various roles is provided. It would have been interesting to see how the movie would have turned out with William Boyd as Moses, DeMille's first choice. Or Jack Palance as Ramases II. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in Cecile B. DeMille and Company. Five star rating.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars C.B. DeMille fans have been waiting 40 years for this book., October 27, 1999

By	michael bifulco ([e-mail]) (usa) - See all my reviews

Outstanding. Katherine Orrison has made a long-awaited contribution to the memory of a phenomenal motion picture and the "world's greatest showman...ever" with the release of this book. Only two regrets: 1) although the reflections presented by the various participants were in chronological order for the most part, a narrative thread by the author taking us through the entire production process may have improved the impact of the eyewitness accounts, and 2) from Ken Whitmore's commentary, I'd guess we have only seen a fraction of the photo collection. I would love to read more and see more. Finally, I have yet to hear or read an explanation of why the final cut of the film was allowed to show Moses' staff jump magically from one hand to the other during the Exodus. All that aside, this book is wonderful reading for anyone who remembers the first time they saw this picture unfold on a movie screen.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible for fans of DeMille and epic films, September 1, 1999

By	Jeffrey N. Massie (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a series of behind-the-scenes interviews with people who worked on Cecil B. DeMille's masterpiece The Ten Commandments (1956), almost none of whom had ever before been interviewed about their contributions to the film.

Among the interviews are associate producer Henry Wilcoxon, screenwriter Jesse Lasky, Jr., and actors Woody Strode, Yvonne De Carlo and Joan Woodbury. Special-effects wizard William Sapp describes how he turned the Nile to blood (with a garden hose) and made it hail (popcorn). A highlight is exclusive Egyptian location photographs by Ken Whitmore, never before seen in print.

Did you know that Charlton Heston was NOT DeMille's first choice for Moses? The book reveals that the part was offered to (and turned down by) William Boyd, a longtime friend and associate of DeMille's best known as Hopalong Cassidy. This is one of many fascinating revelations in this unique book.