The Silver Chalice

Having read all of the various reviewers'comments, I wonder at all the negative opinions : "The worst film ever made according to Paul Newman and many of his fans" - "a tax write -off along the lines of THE PRODUCERS "- "almost unintentionally bad like an Ed Wood feature". I think none of that is true. Surprisingly I find much of this movie highly entertaining. Paul Newman really need not be ashamed of his debut work - he certainly looks right as Basil and for the most part, he acts the part convincingly - he does especially well in his scenes with Pier Angeli- obviously MGM thought they had real chemistry because they were soon re-teamed in SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME. Jack Palance's over the top Simon the Magician is a great villain - you hate him but love his outlandish behavior that climaxes with his attempt to fly off a giant tower. Virginia Mayo in a badly written part wins your sympathy as the 'bad" girl/courtesan. The stylized sets are often criticized - but it is their very oddness that adds a special,dreamlike quality to many scenes. This was not a cost cutting measure by Warners, as some have suggested. In fact, this film was quite a moneymaker upon its initial release. Perhaps the most successful element of the entire project is Franz Waxman's beautiful, moving music score- one of the best of the period - it holds up to many listens. I think viewers today who see this in pan&scan format can not appreciate its beauty when seen in a theater in Cinemascope & Stereophonic Sound - I saw it on re-release in the 60s and it was impressive( available on a widescreen version great out of print laser disc and recently released on DVD ). Certainly not a great movie , it still has an entertainment value most reviewers are missing.

Epic and religious story based on a novel by Thomas Costain and dealing with the momentous deeds that befall a young Greek artisan called Basil (film debut of Paul Newman , though James Dean was offered the character, but he and his agent thought the script was poor) is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver and sculpt around its rim the faces of the disciples (Lucas played by Alexander Scourby , Peter acted by Lorne Greene ..) and Jesus himself . Later on , he returns Rome where he meets Apostle Peter .

This Biblical extravaganza turns out to be a religious mammoth epic and focuses a moving Roman pageant dealing with a Greek sculptor , following his stirring career , spiritual awakening and reaches an exciting peak at the ending . This is a spectacular but failed portrayal of Biblical Hollywoodiana in which only flashes of the brilliance to come emerge from some amazing scenes . In its way , it was Warner Brother's answer to ¨The robe¨, being a misfire in which about to go bankrupt the production company . It has marvelous images , spectacular scenes , average performances as well as a lot of cast of thousands . However , the picture resulted to be a bloated , turgid Biblical epic , a real failure at box office . When the film ran on television in 1966, Paul Newman , who was a little wooden , took out ads in the Hollywood trade papers, and in Variety magazine , calling it "the worst motion picture produced during the 1950s," apologizing for his performance, and asking people not to watch the film . Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect, and many people tuned in to watch it on TV . Newman once screened the movie for friends at his home, giving them whistles , pots, and wooden spoons, and encouraging them to make noisy critiques of the film. Paul Newman, who was a finalist for the role of Cal Trask in East of Eden (1955) that eventually was played by Dean and made him a star, took the role, which Newman later regretted . While shooting "East of Eden," Dean went over to visit Newman on the set of this film, where he met the love of his short life, Pier Angeli, Newman's co-star . A 15-year-old Natalie Wood who interprets Mayo's role when younger gives sensitive acting , though brief . The best acting comes , indeed , from Virginia Mayo as helper to Simon the Magician performed by an overacted Jack Palance . The supporting cast also includes E.G. Marshall as Ignatius , Michael Pate as Aaron Ben Joseph , Ian Wolfe as Theron , Lawrence Dobkin as Ephraim , Walter Hampden as Joseph of Arimathea , Joseph Wiseman as Mijamin and Albert Dekker as Kester . Furthermore , film acting debut of Lorne Greene and Robert Middleton . Alexander Scourby, who plays St. Luke, was known for his deep, rich voice and later became the first person to read and record the entire King James version of the Bible on records.

Sensitive and lyric musical score by the classic Franz Waxman . Colorful and glamorous Cinematography by William V. Skall . Strange and innovative production design by Rolf Gerard , including monumental as well as rare sets , in theatrical style . The motion picture was regularly directed , this was final film as director for Victor Saville . He moved to Hollywood in 1939, where he acted primarily as producer, though he did direct one more A-grade film , Green Dolphin Street (1947). He directed several movies such as Storm in a Teacup , South Reading , If Winter comes , Calling Bulldog Drummond and especially his successful ¨Kim ¨. Though briefly touted as a possible successor to Louis B. Mayer at MGM, the massive critical and artistic failure of a decidedly stodgy and miscast biblical epic, The Silver Chalice (1954), hastened Saville's eventual retirement from the industry .

The art direction is horrible. The sets are cheaply done. The cinematography could have been done by a three-year-old. And it has Lorne Greene. All of these are the earmarks of a horrible movie, and it is, in fact, horrible. Yet, frankly, there is something fun about all this. Newman's performance really isn't that bad -- at least give him points for effort -- and Virginia Mayo, probably one of the most underrated actresses of her generation, is miscast but not bad. Add this to Jack Palance's always-watchable scenery-chewing histrionics and you have a classically bad film. This could make a fortune on those midnight movie circuits; it deserves legendary bad film status. And, by the way, who ever told Thomas Costain he could write?

Okay, The Silver Chalice is not that terrible, but considering the talent it was a huge disappointment and saw the worst work and films of almost everybody involved(apart from Jack Palance, he was in the Gor films and that bizarre Treasure Island adaptation).

The Silver Chalice does have some good things. William V Skall's cinematography and Franz Waxman's score were nominated for Oscars and the nominations were deserving, the cinematography is beautiful and makes the most of the spectacle while the music positively sweeps, is lushly orchestrated in distinctive Waxman fashion and gives the film heart and pace. Jack Palance is enormously entertaining and maniacal as magician Simon, it's over the top- but you can say that that was in comparison to the rest of the performances- but in a deliciously gleeful way. Pier Angeli gives a heartfelt performance as well and Simon's flying off the sky scraping Tower of Babel is an unforgettable scene and close to being the highlight of the film.

Paul Newman on the other hand is very wooden and ill-at-ease in his role, it is his debut(one that is understandably one he'd rather forget) but he was an amazing talent in acting and that did not come through here. Virginia Mayo is alluring but looks completely and utterly lost and Natalie Wood is quite charming but her acting is bland compared to her usual performances. Joseph Wiseman and Lorne Greene are largely wasted(Greene at least though had his concluding narration that was mildly powerful). They are hindered by very sketchily written characters and as dreary and stilted a script as you can get where the one memorable line is Nero's "he didn't fly"(for me it is one of, perhaps THE worst script for a biblical film). Victor Saville's direction never comes to life and the story feels overlong, stodgy and over-stretched with scenes that are either stagy, superfluous or unintentionally funny(some also like the fighting over the gown and with the dancers that would be better belonging somewhere else). The costumes are the opposite of lavish, rather a hodge-podge with some not fitting at all with the setting, with Palance donning the weirdest costumes of his whole career(especially the last one, admittedly he does wear them well). The make-up goes well over-the-top, Mayo is caked in it and it cheapens her looks, it's that ridiculous, and while a few sets are amazing most are bizarrely stylised that it gives the film a cheap look.

In conclusion, The Silver Chalice is not a terrible film with the cinematography, score and Palance making it halfway watchable, but as a whole it, like Simon, didn't fly with everybody involved deserving far better than this. 4/10 Bethany Cox

This film is certainly an oddity but deserves some mention for the actors involved, and especially Jack Palance as "Simon the Magician".

I too remember watching this around Easter at around age 10, it could be an interesting film for children who don't understand the historical issues of Emperor Nero,the Romans and conflicts of Christianity etc.

As another reviewer mentioned, it is odd with unusual sets. Virginia Mayo, however, looks lovely as always, even with some over the top eyebrow makeup and gold eyeshadow.

Paul Newman is a slave who must craft a special chalice for Jesus. Mayo, as royalty attempts to rescue him from his chains. Simon the Magician entertains Caesar but loses his mind in the end, building a special tower and wings to prove to Caesar that he can fly. He is just as much a God as any other, he proclaims.

The film is theater and a bit campy as you get older but worth watching as a curiosity. 6/10