Salomé

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.

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.

Banished from Rome by Emperor Tiberius Augustus : Cedric Hardwicke , Salome : Rita Hayworth abandoning her boyfriend : Rex Reason , returns to Jerusalem , there being infatuated by both , a good-looking Roman Centurion : Stewart Granger , and the licentious Herodes : Charles Laughton who is lasciviously after her , while John the Baptist : Alan Badel loses his head .

Spectacular and colorful film , with plenty of some viviv large-scales scenes , certainly , but lacks fidelity to Holy Bible , this is very free and loose rendition based on Ancient Scriptures . Here outstanding Rita Hayworth and her famous dance , as she sinuously shedding her Seven Veils . The best perfomances go to Alan Badel as a fanatic John the Baptist along with Charles Laughton as a lascivious Herodes Antipas and well supported by the usually baddie Judith Anderson as his Queen , Herodias . Including other illustruous secondaries as Sir Cedric Hardwick as emperor Tiberius , Arnold Moss , Maurice Schwarz , Rex Reason, and Basil Sydney as Pontius Pilatos .

It contains a moving and stirring musical score by George Duning , adding some religious and oriental sounds . As well as evocative cinematography in Technicolor by cameraman Charles Lang , though a perfect remastering being really necessary . The picture benefits itself to be shot in location in Israel, though wasted because of no too much exteriors . This Biblic rendition far from faithful to its origin , and according to Columbia Pictures and it was professionally directed by William Dieterle , though it has a few gaps and failures . Dieterle was a good director, making nice films and some masterpieces , as he directed the following ones : "Devil and Daniel Webster" , "Hunchback of Notre Dame" , "Juarez" , "Life of Emile Zola" , "Quick Let's get married" , and his greatest success : "Portrait of Jennie" , among others. Rating : 6/10, acceptable , but neither extraordinary , not notable , but passable . The yarn will appeal to Rita Hayworth , Stewart Granger and Charles Laughton fans .

The reason why you 'd like to sit through this is the four leads:Rita Hayworth ,ideally cast as Salome ,a libidinous Charles Laughton ,a cruel Judith Anderson and a noble Stewart Granger.Plus a stint by Sir Cedric Hardwicke.Plus the director of the best version of "hunchback of Notre -Dame" at his kitchiest.Plus a fabulous dance of the seven veils.Plus gaudy colors and John the Baptist's head of course.

But what remains,eg the essential ,is a really "free' adaptation of the holy writs.The script writers invented a Roman soldier with whom Salome falls in love.BUT what will puzzle the Christians is that Salome dances not to get John's head,but to save him!!!.A happy end which will remind you of your Sunday school days.And that's not all:the plot even involves Pontius Pilate whom Claudius (Granger) urged to become a Christian and to repent so that he would go down in history as a soldier of a brand new religion.Well the man did not wash his hands ,but he did not do what he was told either...which did not prevent him from going down in history anyway..

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