Biblical-Roman-Egyptian epics not yet on Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Capt D McMars]

I got the HD Digital version of Salome (1953) View attachment 176051 with Rita Hayworth and Stewart Granger the other day. It looks Great. Never owned it before. I Love the Roman Epic films of the 1950's !

I love Lovely Rita, she did great, But...she was far to old for the part. Salome was in here teens and not her 40s. But then again, In Sodom and Gamora Granger is playing aclean shaved Jew ( that would never be, for the period ), it's just the movies, right?

 

[Ed Lachmann]

How about The Egyptian?
It's a movie I shouldn't really like, never being a fan of Victor Mature, and Edmund Purdom couldn't act for toffee, but the director was Michael Curtis and the production design and costumes of ancient Egypt are amazing, and the reign of Ahkenaten is rarely seen in any movie. There's also Jean Simmonds and Peter Ustinov. The plot is pretty melodramatic at times with Purdom doing all he can to bed a particular woman, played by another of Zanuck's protogee mistresses Bella Darvi. I have a pretty good Blu Ray from Sweden and one from Twilight Time which isn't as good. But it is a film I've enjoyed more than once.

TELL US MORE about that Swedish blu-ray. Dear God, I'd search for and buy that disc at the drop of a hat! I had great hopes for that Disney/Fox/Mill Creek deal including The Egyptian, but seems that some beloved titles like this may be off the table. Same with Sandpiper, no dice there either. Now that my TT disc has gone bad as Bob Hope once said "I'll take Sweden"!

 

[Capt D McMars]

TELL US MORE about that Swedish blu-ray. Dear God, I'd search for and buy that disc at the drop of a hat! I had great hopes for that Disney/Fox/Mill Creek deal including The Egyptian, but seems that some beloved titles like this may be off the table. Same with Sandpiper, no dice there either. Now that my TT disc has gone bad as Bob Hope once said "I'll take Sweden"!

Ed, I bought the French release and I'm quite happy with it. Here is the link on Amazon for you. Let me know what you think?
See on Amazon

 

[RobertMG]

How about The Egyptian?
It's a movie I shouldn't really like, never being a fan of Victor Mature, and Edmund Purdom couldn't act for toffee, but the director was Michael Curtis and the production design and costumes of ancient Egypt are amazing, and the reign of Ahkenaten is rarely seen in any movie. There's also Jean Simmonds and Peter Ustinov. The plot is pretty melodramatic at times with Purdom doing all he can to bed a particular woman, played by another of Zanuck's protogee mistresses Bella Darvi. I have a pretty good Blu Ray from Sweden and one from Twilight Time which isn't as good. But it is a film I've enjoyed more than once.

I love Lovely Rita, she did great, But...she was far to old for the part. Salome was in here teens and not her 40s. But then again, In Sodom and Gamora Granger is playing aclean shaved Jew ( that would never be, for the period ), it's just the movies, right?

Bazlen was the best Salome

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Ed, I bought the French release and I'm quite happy with it. Here is the link on Amazon for you. Let me know what you think?

Whew! I guess that Swedish Sinuhe Der Agypter blu-ray is now OOP as well. Am so glad to hear the French one has nice PQ as well. Thanks for the contact info!

​

 

[Capt D McMars]

Whew! I guess that Swedish Sinuhe Der Agypter blu-ray is now OOP as well. Am so glad to hear the French one has nice PQ as well. Thanks for the contact info!

​

you bet, anytime!!

 

[richardburton84]

Bazlen was the best Salome

While Hayworth was the better dancer, I have to agree with this statement. Bazlen was more aligned with the Salome of Oscar Wilde and Richard Strauss (the scene after the dance even borrows a few lines from the Wilde play, which also as the libretto for Strauss). Also, in terms of music, while Danielle Amfitheatrof provided a good dance cue for Hayworth’s film, it can’t compare to the Stravinskian dance Rózsa provided (truncated as it was in the film).

 

[RobertMG]

While Hayworth was the better dancer, I have to agree with this statement. Bazlen was more aligned with the Salome of Oscar Wilde and Richard Strauss (the scene after the dance even borrows a few lines from the Wilde play, which also as the libretto for Strauss). Also, in terms of music, while Danielle Amfitheatrof provided a good dance cue for Hayworth’s film, it can’t compare to the Stravinskian dance Rózsa provided (truncated as it was in the film).

Wonderful post! KOK's gets better every year -I was shocked Kargar really goofed on his info on Quo Vadis claiming Schary wanted a big epic - nope that was Mayer Scharys vision was a dud and cost 2 million and they started all over again ON Salome watched it once - never since

 

[OliverK]

With regard to Salome, this is still available on Blu-ray in the Mill Creek boxset with 12 Rita Hayworth movies.

I bought it some time ago when I believe @Robin9 mentioned it and it was very much worth the 20 something dollars I paid for it.
Still available on Amazon and I highly recommend a purchase:

See on Amazon

 

[Henry Gondorff]

Ed, I bought the French release and I'm quite happy with it. Here is the link on Amazon for you. Let me know what you think?
See on Amazon

Can the subtitles (only French it seems) be shut off?

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Get the Rita Hayworth Mill Creek set, you won't be disappointed! I'm just praying for more like it.

 

[OliverK]

While Hayworth was the better dancer, I have to agree with this statement. Bazlen was more aligned with the Salome of Oscar Wilde and Richard Strauss (the scene after the dance even borrows a few lines from the Wilde play, which also as the libretto for Strauss). Also, in terms of music, while Danielle Amfitheatrof provided a good dance cue for Hayworth’s film, it can’t compare to the Stravinskian dance Rózsa provided (truncated as it was in the film).

I have read criticism about Bazlen but I always thought she was as sexy, evil and young as the role requires and therefore a very good Salome.

 

[OliverK]

Wonderful post! KOK's gets better every year -I was shocked Kargar really goofed on his info on Quo Vadis claiming Schary wanted a big epic - nope that was Mayer Scharys vision was a dud and cost 2 million and they started all over again ON Salome watched it once - never since

I would not be that hard on Salome but I also regard KOK as a better film and it has a truly epic scope that Salome is lacking.
It is among the best looking and sounding biblical epics for me and always a pleasure to watch the excellent Blu-ray.

 

[willyTass]

TELL US MORE about that Swedish blu-ray. Dear God, I'd search for and buy that disc at the drop of a hat! I had great hopes for that Disney/Fox/Mill Creek deal including The Egyptian, but seems that some beloved titles like this may be off the table. Same with Sandpiper, no dice there either. Now that my TT disc has gone bad as Bob Hope once said "I'll take Sweden"!

what happened?

 

[Konstantinos]

what happened?

I'm wondering too. I haven't checked my disc lately!

 

[ptb2017fr]

Yeah, I love The Egyptian, it has a really unique vibe to it & a fantastic score (Bernard Herrmann & Alfred Newman), in fact all those fifties epics have great scores. The TT release was my most expensive Blu-ray (with p&p to the UK), but well worth it...& it still works! I ran it only a few weeks ago. If we get Land Of The Pharaohs from WAC, then I'll have the ancient Egypt trilogy: The Ten Commandments, The Egyptian & Land Of The Pharaohs.

Have to admit to loving Ten Commandments when seeing it originally, but once i saw how illogical the story was, and how ridiculous Moses beard was towards the end, it became harder and harder to watch, once he has been thrown out of Egypt. I mean the pharoah sees the column of fire and loses his army in the Red Sea (why were the Hebrews going across that sea to get to Judea anyway, completely the wrong way) goes back to his queen, tells her their god is god, then carries on worshipping the same gods until the final collapse of the empire at the time of Cleopatra centuries later. But then the story is just that, a story.

 

[ptb2017fr]

Whew! I guess that Swedish Sinuhe Der Agypter blu-ray is now OOP as well. Am so glad to hear the French one has nice PQ as well. Thanks for the contact info!

​

French tv broadcast a superb HD transfer a couple of years ago with the best colour I've seen. Saved it onto a Blu Ray disc.

 

[Alan Tully]

Have to admit to loving Ten Commandments when seeing it originally, but once i saw how illogical the story was, and how ridiculous Moses beard was towards the end, it became harder and harder to watch, once he has been thrown out of Egypt. I mean the pharoah sees the column of fire and loses his army in the Red Sea (why were the Hebrews going across that sea to get to Judea anyway, completely the wrong way) goes back to his queen, tells her their god is god, then carries on worshipping the same gods until the final collapse of the empire at the time of Cleopatra centuries later. But then the story is just that, a story.

Yup, a clean shaven Moses is a lot more fun that a bearded Moses speaking in stentorian tones (you wouldn't invite the latter Moses to a dinner party, would you). I haven't seen it for a while & I'm sure the story doesn't make sense for all sorts of reasons (I mean 40 years to reach the promised land, were they walking around in circles "Haven't we seen that sand dune before?"). It's the colour & the score & the epicness (& no CGI).

 

[Capt D McMars]

Can the subtitles (only French it seems) be shut off?

it did on my Sony, just an adjustment in settings.

 

[Ed Lachmann]

I always loved The Egyptian since late childhood but only recently actually read the Mika Waltari novel, which was certainly controversial "in the day" but not so much for the Nefer seduction material. Rather, most of the novel involves Sinhue and Kaptah's travels after banishment to foreign lands, which is dealt with only slightly in the movie. They team up with a sultry Minoan girl who famously "danced on the horns of bulls" in her early youth. She accompanies the two Egyptians and helps feed their survival kitty by performing Minoan dances in the nude for wealthy dignitaries. They end up in Crete and in the caves and grotto of the minotaur where things really take off. The movie is about a third of the book, which would make one hell of a mini-series. After reading it I find I appreciate the film even more.