Los pecados de Jezabel

Paulette Goddard, a beautiful star of the 1940s, was given her first big break by immortal comedian Charlie Chaplin. He starred her opposite himself in his classic film "Modern Times" in which she played his young companion. She also became his wife (though they would eventually divorce). Nevertheless, she and Claire Bloom were the only Chaplin leading ladies to go on to prestigious careers of their own. Vivacious Paulette made such classics as "The Cat And The Canary", "So Proudly We Hail (Oscar nomination), "The Great Dictator" (again opposite Chaplin) and "Kitty". She also made a few films with Cecil B. DeMille--most notably, "Northwest Mounted Police". By the 1950s, however, her box office appeal had faded, and her age (she claimed to have been born in 1911, but the true date was 1905) had finally caught up with her. After "Bride Of Vengeance", her last film at Paramount (where she was under contract) flopped, she and the studio parted ways, and she was on her own. For the next four years, she made a handful of low-budget quickies, none of which revived her fading career. "Sins Of Jezebel" is one of the more interesting ones, though. Made on an unbelievable $100,000 budget,it was reportedly completed in all of three days),but, that's probably just the length of time Paulette filmed her scenes. (She worked on 'Vice Squad'' (1952) for just three days as well. Paulette starred as the infamous Biblical queen, who attempts to replace God with her own Pagan idol, Baal. Opposite her (eventually) is a young George Nader, playing a servant of King Ahab (Eduard Franz), who quickly falls for her after she marries the weak willed King. As might be expected, production values are extremely low, though in an attempt to cash in on the then-popular Biblical epics ("The Robe", "Demitrius and the Gladiators" among others), it was filmed in color and wide screen. The script is serviceable, the photography is above average, and Goddard, Nader, and Franz give good performances. Paulette still boasted a trim figure, though at 48 years old, she was obviously past her prime. Nevertheless, this film, as a fairly straightforward retelling of the Bible story remains watchable and entertaining. Rarely seen on TV these days, VCI Communications has just released it on a DVD double bill with "Queen of the Amazons" (about which the less said, the better). There is minor print damage, and the sound is poor, but it's presented in Anamorphic Widescreen and the color is still attractive. All things considered, it's a welcome release of an obscure film.

I was just a little kid when Frankie Laine's hit record of Jezebel came out paying tribute in song to the evil Phoenician Queen of Israel. It may very well have inspire Lippert Pictures to think like DeMille and make what passed for a biblical epic at that small studio with a cast of dozens.

In fact DeMille veteran Paulette Goddard plays the title role in Sins Of Jezebel. Paulette who ran afoul of C.B. DeMille during the filming of her third and last DeMille epic Unconquered probably missed the lead in Samson And Delilah because of it.

Samson And Delilah had the usual big budget and effects that a major studio can bring to bear. Sins Of Jezebel has none of that kind of opulence, but in Paulette Goddard's performance I think you can see what she might have brought to the part of Delilah another biblical bad girl.

The film is narrated by John Hoyt who plays a modern day rabbi and the prophet Elijah. Had this been a major studio production we would have seen Elijah via Paramount's special effects swept up in the fiery chariot as the Bible says he was. All that happens here is he goes off in the sunset after handing off the prophet's job to Elisha.

The luckless and feckless Ahab is played by Eduard Franz. He's just a fool for lust who passes off that he's marrying the slinky and sexy Jezebel because of reasons of state. Like anyone really believes him. But when she starts bringing in priests of her God Baal and sets up temples to same, it all unravels for Franz and Goddard.

One thing C.B. DeMille would not have done is cast Joe Besser in any kind of role in one of his epics. Besser is one of those guys who should stay in what he does best. I half expected some of his shtick from burlesque in the film. He plays Yonkel the chariot repair guy.

Given the microscopic budgets of Lippert Pictures as compared to Paramount, Sins Of Jezebel passes for an epic in that studio. Maybe the only one they ever did. But how Paulette must have missed Paramount and C.B. DeMille.

One of the surest money-makers Hollywood put out in the 1950s were religious epics. Some of them are amazingly good....most just seem silly and often have little to do with the Bible verses that they are supposedly based upon. I assumed "Sins of Jezebel" would fall in this latter category...especially since it sports such a salacious title. However, surprisingly, the film is quite well made and actually is a good representation of the life of Jezebel and King Ahab in the book of Kings. Now I am not saying it's perfect...but it's far less silly and is a decent movie that probably won't offend Christians or Jews.

The story is about Jezebel, a non-Jew who came to Judea...and leaving a long trail of seduced men in her wake. She sets her sights very high and soon is one of King Ahab's favorites. And, as she's able to twist men around her wicked fingers, he soon agrees to break the Law and construct temples for foreign gods in his country. But while she's worshipping Baal, the prophet Elijah points out how ineffectual and wrong these people are. Ultimately, it ends up with a contest between these priest of Baal and Elijah...though even this doesn't change the evil hearts of Jezebel and Ahab.

There were two things I wasn't thrilled with in this movie. Paulette Goddard, though a nice looking woman, is well past her peak and it's unintentionally funny whenever men go all googly-eyed at her. The other is the inclusion of silly and 100% non-sexy 'sexy dance' scenes. It obviously is a time-filler and just seems way out of place.

Otherwise, the story worked reasonably well and I actually was more interested in it than I'd imagined. Not life-changing but good.

In the Bible ,there's no love interest between the heroine and Jehu. So he has no regret when he has the wicked queen thrown out of the window .

The Biblical story is sandwiched between sequences which will remind you of your old Sunday school days : one deals with the creation (it's perhaps going too far back in time) ; the other one makes the viewer think that maybe the budget was too low to film certain scenes ,so a voice over would do the trick.

Paulette Godard is gorgeous as a wicked queen who makes life difficult for everybody around , urging the Israelites to turn their back on Jehovah ; John Hoyt is impressive as Elijah the prophet who curses them : Jehovah 's wrath will be ruthless. He predates bearded Charlton Heston in "the ten commandments" and the ten plagues of Egypt.

The stoning of Naboth was told in the BIble ,the queen wanting to latch onto his vineyard .

The movie cannot compete with high budget movies such as "Samson and Delilah " ,"the ten commandments" "Solomon and Sheba " or "Esther and the king" ; made in a slapdash manner ,it's only a curio for sword and sandals buffs.

How I managed to watch this through to the end will forever remain a mystery. Appalling religious codswallop!