Salomé

the first temptation is to criticize it. very hard. and it is the normal reaction. because the film has potential and the right cast. but for director seems be more seductive the easy way. the dance of Rita Hayworth, the sketch of the force of Charles Laughton, Judith Anderson in a role as game of stereotypes. the result - not the best. after decades, it is not a real sin and it is a wise option to see it as piece from a long chain of religious/historical films from the "50. but the case of "Salome" remains different. for the simple motif than it is not an ordinary film from the "50. and only way to discover it out of not inspired solution of script or director vision is ... to imagine it.

Don't bother watching this film for historical accuracy. Watch it instead for entertainment value only and to see why Rita Hayworth was worshipped as a Goddess.

You can almost feel the debauchery oozing out of Charles Laughton's Herod as he oils his way through the film. And Judith Anderson's Queen Herodias is completely over the top, but you can see where she's coming from and that she's a product of her circumstances. Stewart Granger is almost out of place here as he's the only one not seriously hamming it up, but he still does a relatively convincing job as Commander Claudius, improving as the film progresses.

I love this film for the wonderful elocution-lesson delivery of the dialogue and the gloriously artificial colouring which give a lovely fantasy recreation of biblical times: even though bad things happen, they just don't seem that bad. And even after all these years Rita Hayworth's dancing is a vision to behold for men and women alike.

Salome certainly isn't a terrible film, far from it. But I do think, as a biblical epic it is flawed in many ways. The costumes and the scenery were a joy to the eyes, and the music was beautiful and a treat to the ears. The acting is pretty good too, with Stewart Granger handsome in his role, and Judith Anderson deliciously cruel as Herodias, though Anderson to be fair has given better performances in classics like And Then There Were None and Rebecca. Charles Laughton gives one of his career's weakest performances, but he is good as King Herod to some extent. The film's portrayal of John the Baptist from Alan Badel was also fine, but Salome's creme de la creme is Rita Hayworth in the title role. Entirely captivating and so beautiful, and she danced beautifully in Dance of the Seven Veils which also happens to be a scene from Richard Strauss's opera of the same name. However, the film's flaws include pedestrian pacing, an underdeveloped script and a story that suffers from a lot of tampering. Overall, deeply flawed, but watchable biblical film, that is worth watching if only for Hayworth and Dance of the Seven Veils. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I just finished watching this movie. I think it has been unfairly rundown by critics. Yes it is historically inaccurate, but how many Hollywood epics are actually accurate ? The answer is hardly any.

To me movies are essentially entertainment, and this movie really did that. Most of this was down to the casting of the stunningly beautiful Rita Hayworth in the title role. Her much mentioned "dance of the seven veils" is without a doubt the highlight of this film.

The performances by the rest of the cast are decent if not exceptional. Stewart Granger is the Roman commander who is secretly a Christian, Charles Laughton plays Herod, a man as much obsessed with pursuing Salome as with trying to spare John the Baptist for fear of what God will do to him in retaliation (he believes John the Baptist to be the Messiah).

It is definitely not one of the greatest epics and some of the dialogue is not the best, but the movie is certainly not the worst of Hollywoods many Biblical epics. It is far more entertaining than "The Robe" and Rita Hayworth's radiance is extremely easy on the eye.

As we all know that Princess Salome,(Rita Hayworth) danced for King Herod,(Charles Laughton) in order to gain his favor and requested that John the Baptist's head would be removed and placed on a silver platter and given to the king. However, Hollywood changed the Bible version and made Salome look like a kind and loving Princess who loved the Christian way of thinking and living and wanted to save John The Baptist from being killed. Stewart Granger,(Commander Claudis) soon become the lover of Princess Salome after she had fought with him constantly and told him she wanted nothing to do with a Roman. King Herod and Queen Herodus (Judith Anderson)was living in adultery since she was married to another man and living with King Herod. Rita Hayworth was an experienced dancer and this was one of her best films in 1953.