Based on three chapters from the Book of Judges, the Hebrews have been enslaved the last forty years by the Philistines. The film opens with DeMille’s voice setting the scene. Strongman Samson (Victor Mature), the Danite son of Manoah, has rejected the love of Miriam (Olive Deering), a sweet, innocent girl from his tribe. Instead, he plans to marry blonde Philistine warrior Semadar (Angela Lansbury, looking surprisingly sexy). On their wedding night, Samson makes a foolish bet involving a riddle that encourages another Semadar suitor Ahtur (Henry Wilcoxon), to team up with Semadar’s sister Delilah (a wonderfully overdone and over the top Hedy Lamarr) to trick Semadar into revealing the answer to the riddle. When Samson finds out about Semadar’s betrayal, he takes off to settle the bet, only to discover that Semadar has just married Ahtur. In the ensuing mêlée, Semadar ends up dead, and Samson spurns Delilah’s attempts to become his betrothed. Samson goes on the lam, as Delilah vows her revenge…
Shot in glorious Technicolor, and featuring spectacular sets and costumes, Samson and Delilah is the kind of overblown, extravagant epic critics regularly derided DeMille for creating, while at the same time begrudgingly acknowledging his ability to create compulsively entertaining product. Personally, I’ve always loved DeMille’s work; it seems like he had a great time making movies. Samson and Delilah is highly enjoyable, bordering on campy. Victor Mature’s grand theatrical gestures, or Heddy Lamarr flicking a plum pit to get a man’s attention, are just a couple examples of the sheer ridiculousness of it all. It’s like a comic book come to life!
This 1.37:1, full screen transfer looks absolutely fabulous. The colors are surprisingly deep and vibrant, and the image surprisingly sharp. Blacks are solid, and grain is minimal. It is by far the best I’ve ever seen this film look.
The Dolby Digital English split mono audio track sounds sharp, with little if any hiss and a decent re-recording level. French and Spanish mono tracks are available, as are English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
No special features are included.
