The Robe (film): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1953 film by Henry Koster}} |
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{{Use American English|date=May 2021}} |
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{{Infobox_Film | |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}} |
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name = The Robe| |
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{{Infobox film |
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image = Therobe1.jpg| |
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| name = The Robe |
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image_size= 200px| |
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| image = Therobe1.jpg |
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| caption = Theatrical release poster |
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| director = [[Henry Koster]] |
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| screenplay = {{unbulleted list|[[Gina Kaus]] (adaptation)|[[Albert Maltz]]|[[Philip Dunne (writer)|Philip Dunne]]}} |
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director = [[Henry Koster]]| |
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| based_on = {{Based on|''[[The Robe]]''|[[Lloyd C. Douglas]]}} |
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| starring = {{Plainlist|<!-- PER POSTER CREDITS BILLING BLOCK ORDER. --> |
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starring = [[Richard Burton]]<br>[[Jean Simmons]]<br>[[Victor Mature]]<br>[[Michael Rennie]]| |
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* [[Richard Burton]] |
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producer = [[Frank Ross]]| |
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* [[Jean Simmons]] |
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music = [[Alfred Newman]]| |
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* [[Victor Mature]] |
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cinematography= [[Leon Shamroy]]| |
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* [[Michael Rennie]] |
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distributor = [[20th Century Fox]] | |
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* [[Jay Robinson]] |
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released = [[1953]]| |
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* [[Dean Jagger]] |
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runtime = 135 min. | |
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* [[Torin Thatcher]] |
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language = [[English language|English]] | |
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* [[Richard Boone]] |
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followed_by = | |
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* [[Betta St. John]] |
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* [[Jeff Morrow]] |
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* [[Ernest Thesiger]] |
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* [[Dawn Addams]] |
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* [[Leon Askin]] |
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}} |
}} |
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| editing = [[Barbara McLean]] |
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[[Image:Robe1.jpg|thumb|200px|A cinema presenting "The Robe"]] |
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| producer = [[Frank Ross (producer)|Frank Ross]] |
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| music = [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]] |
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| color_process = [[Technicolor]] |
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| cinematography = [[Leon Shamroy]] |
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| distributor = [[20th Century Fox]] |
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| released = {{Film date|1953|9|16|Premiere|1953|9|17|New York City opening}} |
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| runtime = 135 minutes |
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| country = United States |
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| language = English |
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| budget = $4.1 million<ref>Aubrey Solomon, ''Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History'', Scarecrow Press, 1989 p248</ref> – $4.6 million<ref>{{Cite news|title=Film Group to Aid State Department: Industry Council Pledges Its Cooperation to De Mille for Overseas Information Work|author=THOMAS M. PRYOR|date=May 1, 1953|work=The New York Times|page=17}}</ref> |
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| gross = $36 million (United States)<ref name="BOM">[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=robe.htm The Robe]. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 20, 2010.</ref> |
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}} |
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'''''The Robe''''' is a 1953 American fictional [[Bible|Biblical]] [[epic film]] that tells the story of a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[military tribune]] who commands the unit that is responsible for the [[crucifixion of Jesus]]. The film was released by [[20th Century Fox]] and was the first film released in the [[widescreen]] process [[CinemaScope]].<ref>[http://www.stanford.edu/~ichriss/ Chrissochoidis, Ilias] (ed.). [https://www.academia.edu/4728298/CinemaScope_Selected_Documents_from_the_Spyros_P._Skouras_Archive ''CinemaScope'':] Selected Documents from the [http://www.stanford.edu/~ichriss/Skouras.htm Spyros P. Skouras] ''Archive''. Stanford, 2013.</ref> Like other early CinemaScope films, ''The Robe'' was shot with [[Henri Chrétien]]'s original Hypergonar [[anamorphic]] lenses. |
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The film was directed by [[Henry Koster]] and produced by [[Frank Ross (producer)|Frank Ross]]. The screenplay was adapted from [[Lloyd C. Douglas]]'s [[The Robe|1942 novel]] by [[Gina Kaus]], [[Albert Maltz]], and [[Philip Dunne (writer)|Philip Dunne]]—although Maltz's place among the [[blacklist]]ed [[Hollywood 10]] led to his being denied his writing credit for many years. The score was composed by [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]], and the cinematography was by [[Leon Shamroy]]. The film stars [[Richard Burton]], [[Jean Simmons]], [[Victor Mature]] and [[Michael Rennie]], and co-stars [[Jay Robinson]], [[Dean Jagger]], [[Torin Thatcher]], [[Richard Boone]], [[Betta St. John]], [[Jeff Morrow]], [[Ernest Thesiger]], and others. |
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'''''The Robe''''' is a [[1953 in film|1953]] [[Bible|Biblical]] [[epic film]] that tells the story of a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] tribune who commands the unit that crucifies [[Jesus]]. The film was made by [[20th Century Fox]] and is notable for being the first film released in [[Cinemascope]]. Although it was the first film with the Cinemascope logo, it did not use the famous opening fanfare heard on all 20th Century-Fox films, but rather a mixed choir chanting a religious theme over the logo. (The fanfare and its musical extension, which was added especially for Cinemascope, are still used on all 20th Century-Fox films today, including [[Fox Searchlight Pictures]], despite the fact that Cinemascope has not been used since 1967.) |
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A sequel, ''[[Demetrius and the Gladiators]]'' (1954), continues from where ''The Robe'' ends.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Random Observations on Pictures and People| work=The New York Times |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1953/09/20/92741654.html?pdf_redirect=true&site=false|language=en|access-date=May 7, 2020}}</ref> |
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It was directed by [[Henry Koster]] and produced by [[Frank Ross]]. The screenplay was adapted by [[Gina Kaus]], [[Albert Maltz]], and [[Philip Dunne (writer)|Philip Dunne]] from the [[Lloyd C. Douglas]] novel. The music score was composed by [[Alfred Newman]] and the cinematography was by [[Leon Shamroy]]. |
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==Plot== |
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It stars [[Richard Burton]], [[Jean Simmons]], [[Victor Mature]], [[Michael Rennie]], [[Dean Jagger]], [[Jay Robinson]], [[Richard Boone]], and [[Jeff Morrow (actor)|Jeff Morrow]]. |
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On the way to a slave auction, Marcellus Gallio, a Roman [[military tribune]] and [[Senate of the Roman Empire|senator]]'s son, helps recapture Demetrius, a defiant Greek slave. At the auction site, Marcellus is reunited with Diana, his childhood love, who is now a ward of Emperor [[Tiberius]] and has been pledged in marriage to the regent [[Caligula]]. Marcellus has a longstanding feud with Caligula, and he outbids Caligula for Demetrius, who does not attempt to escape again, as he feels honor-bound to Marcellus. Demetrius becomes Marcellus' personal servant. |
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That evening, Caligula vengefully transfers Marcellus to far-flung [[Jerusalem]]. Diana goes to the port to say she will appeal to Tiberius on Marcellus' behalf, and the pair pledge their love and reaffirm their youthful promise to marry one day. |
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Accompanied by Demetrius and the [[centurion]] Paulus, Marcellus arrives in Jerusalem on the same day that [[Jesus]], who is being hailed as the Messiah, [[Palm Sunday|enters the city]]. Demetrius feels compelled to follow Jesus and later attempts to warn him of [[Arrest of Jesus|a plot against him]], but [[Judas Iscariot|a distraught man]] tells Demetrius that Jesus has already been arrested. |
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[[Pontius Pilate]], the governor of [[Judaea (Roman province)|Judaea]], informs Marcellus that he has been recalled by order of Tiberius, and gives Marcellus his last task, which is to handle the execution of three criminals—one of whom is Jesus. Marcellus wins Jesus' [[Seamless robe of Jesus|robe]] from Paulus in a dice game on [[Calvary]], but when he uses it to shield himself from rain, he feels a sudden, intense pain. Grabbing the robe, Demetrius denounces Marcellus and the Roman Empire and frees himself, leaving a mentally unstable Marcellus, who is haunted by nightmares of the crucifixion, to report to Tiberius at [[Capri]] alone. The emperor's soothsayer says the robe must be cursed, so Tiberius gives Marcellus an imperial commission to find and destroy the robe, as well as identify the followers of Jesus. At Diana's request, Tiberius leaves her free to marry Marcellus once he has successfully completed his mission. |
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Marcellus eventually makes his way to [[Cana]], whose inhabitants experienced Jesus' miracles and believe he rose from the dead. Learning from Justus, a kind weaver, that Demetrius is in the town, Marcellus confronts his former slave at an inn. Demetrius says the robe has no real power, and it is Marcellus' guilt over killing Jesus that is causing his illness. When Marcellus tries to destroy the robe anyway, he is overcome, and finds himself healed. |
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Pilate having ordered the arrest of all of the Christian "fanatics", Paulus sneaks into Cana with his troops. After Justus is killed by a surprise arrow, Marcellus manages to halt the attack, but Paulus informs him that Caligula has succeeded Tiberius as emperor, so Marcellus' commission is no longer valid. Paulus initially refuses Marcellus' order to leave the town, but he complies after Marcellus beats him in a duel. Jesus' [[Apostles in the New Testament|apostle]] [[Saint Peter|Peter]] invites Marcellus to join Demetrius and him as missionaries, and, after confessing his role in Jesus' death, Marcellus pledges his life to Jesus. |
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When Peter's missionary group comes to Rome, Demetrius is captured and tortured for information. Caligula asks Diana if she has heard from Marcellus, and, as she has not, tells her of Marcellus' involvement with the Christians. The Gallios' slave Marcipor, who is secretly a Christian, shows Diana where Marcellus is hiding, shortly before Marcellus leads a raid to rescue Demetrius. Demetrius is brought to the house of Senator Gallio, where Peter miraculously heals his grievous wounds. Marcellus and Demetrius attempt to flee the city, but horsemen dispatched by Caligula pick up their trail, and Marcellus gives himself up so Demetrius can escape. |
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At his trial, Marcellus admits to being a follower of Jesus, but denies that the Christians are plotting against Rome. He is condemned to death, unless he renews his tribune's oath of loyalty to the emperor and renounces his allegiance to Jesus; while he does the former, he refuses to do the latter. Diana stands with Marcellus and denounces Caligula, who declares that the couple will die together. As they depart the courtroom, Diana hands Jesus' robe to Marcipor, telling him to give it to Peter. Marcellus and Diana are led away to begin eternal life together in [[Heaven|the kingdom of their true king]]. |
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==Cast== |
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{{col-begin}}{{col-break}} |
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;Credited |
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* [[Richard Burton]] as Marcellus Gallio |
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* [[Jean Simmons]] as Diana |
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* [[Victor Mature]] as Demetrius |
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* [[Michael Rennie]] as [[Saint Peter|Peter]] |
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* [[Jay Robinson]] as [[Caligula]] |
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* [[Dean Jagger]] as Justus |
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* [[Torin Thatcher]] as Senator Gallio |
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* [[Richard Boone]] as [[Pontius Pilate]] |
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* [[Betta St. John]] as Miriam |
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* [[Jeff Morrow]] as [[Centurion]] Paulus |
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* [[Ernest Thesiger]] as [[Roman emperor|Emperor]] [[Tiberius]] |
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* [[Dawn Addams]] as Junia (called "Livia" by Marcellus) |
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* [[Leon Askin]] as Abidor |
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{{col-break}} |
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;Uncredited |
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<!-- in order of appearance --> |
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* [[Frank de Kova]] as the twins' slave dealer |
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* [[Jay Novello]] as Tiro, Demetrius' slave dealer |
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* Guy Prescott (credited in publicity as Frank Pulaski) as [[Military tribune|Tribune]] Quintus |
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* [[Hayden Rorke]] as Calvus, a bidder at the slave auction |
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* Marc Snow as the auctioneer |
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* David Leonard as Marcipor, the head slave of the Gallio household |
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* Sally Corner as Cornelia Gallio, Marcellus' mother |
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* Pamela Robinson as Lucia Gallio, Marcellus' sister |
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* Donald C. Klune as [[Jesus]] |
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* [[Percy Helton]] as Caleb, a wine merchant |
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* [[Michael Ansara]] as [[Judas Iscariot|Judas]] |
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* [[Cameron Mitchell (actor)|Cameron Mitchell]] as the voice of Jesus |
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* [[John Doucette]] as the ship's mate spooked by Marcellus' nightmares |
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* [[Rosalind Ivan]] as Empress [[Julia the Elder|Julia]] |
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* [[Anthony Eustrel]] as Sarpedon, Tiberius' royal physician |
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* [[Francis Pierlot]] as Dodinius, Tiberius' royal soothsayer |
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* Nicolas Koster as Jonathan, Justus' grandson |
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* [[Harry Shearer]] as David, the crippled boy in [[Cana]] |
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* [[Thomas Browne Henry]] as Marius, Demetrius' physician<ref>Miller, Malcolm (October 30, 1953). [https://www.newspapers.com/image/587988033/?clipping_id=125664651 "Music and Drama"]. ''The Knoxville Journal''. p. 24. Retrieved May 31, 2023.</ref> |
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{{col-end}} |
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==Historical inaccuracies== |
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Despite the careful attention to Roman history and culture displayed in the film, there are some inaccuracies. For example, in reality, Emperor Tiberius' wife, [[Julia the Elder|Julia]], who had been banished from Rome by her father [[Augustus]] years before Tiberius acceded to the imperial throne, was already dead at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. |
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Also, Caligula did not systematically persecute Christians, as depicted in the film. The first persecution of Christians organized by the Roman government was under the emperor [[Nero]] in 64 AD after the [[Great Fire of Rome]] and took place entirely within the city of Rome. |
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==Background and production== |
==Background and production== |
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In 1942, producer [[Frank Ross (producer)|Frank Ross]] acquired the rights to Douglas' novel—before it was completed—for $100,000.<ref name=AFI>{{AFI film|50996}}</ref><ref name=Ross>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Ross' 20%; RKO's 950G|date=September 16, 1953|page=1|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n144/mode/1up|access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref> Development of the film began at [[RKO]] in the 1940s, with [[Mervyn LeRoy]] set to direct,<ref>{{cite magazine|date=April 24, 1944|title=Religion: Celluloid Revival|magazine=TIME|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778109,00.html?promoid=googlep|url-status=dead|access-date=May 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305231051/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778109,00.html?promoid=googlep|archive-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref> but the rights were eventually sold to [[20th Century Studios|Twentieth Century-Fox]] for $300,000, plus $650,000 from future profits;<ref name=Ross/> Ross received $40,000, plus 20% of the profits.<ref name=Ross/> |
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[[Jeff Chandler]] was originally announced for the role of Demetrius.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jeff Chandler Likely for Demetrius; 'Highest Mountain' New Purchase |author=Schallert, Edwin|work=Los Angeles Times|date= August 1, 1952|page=B7}}</ref> [[Victor Mature]] signed in December 1952<ref>{{Cite news|title=Mature About to Sign as Demetrius in 'Robe|author=Hopper, Hedda|date=December 19, 1952|work=Los Angeles Times|page=B8}}</ref> to make both ''The Robe'' and [[Demetrius and the Gladiators|a sequel about Demetrius]].<ref>{{Cite news|title=Victor Mature to Do 'Story of Demetrius'|author=Hopper, Hedda|date=January 10, 1953|work=Los Angeles Times|page=14}}</ref> [[John R. Buckmaster|John Buckmaster]] tested for the role of Caligula.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Art of Dali Will Spur Three-D; Buckmaster Flying In for Caligula|author=Schallert, Edwin|date=February 5, 1953|work=Los Angeles Times|page=A9}}</ref> [[Jean Peters]] was originally cast as Diana, but she became pregnant, and was replaced by [[Jean Simmons]]. Interestingly, the film's poster, which had already been designed, was not changed, and, therefore, shows the wrong "Jean" between the likenesses of Burton and Mature.<ref name= poster>[http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingcs3.htm The Robe poster at the Wide Screen Museum]</ref> |
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''The Robe'' was originally announced for filming by [[RKO]] in the 1940's, and was set to be directed by [[Mervyn LeRoy]][[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,778109,00.html?promoid=googlep]], but the rights were eventually sold to Twentieth Century Fox. |
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Filming finished on April 30, 1953, two weeks ahead of schedule.<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 1, 1953|title=FOX COMPLETES 'ROBE': $4,600,000 Film in CinemaScope Was 10 Years in Making|page=16|work=The ew York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/01/archives/fox-completes-robe-4600000-film-in-cinemascope-was-10-years-in.html}}</ref> Since many theaters were not equipped to screen films shot in the new [[CinemaScope]] process, each scene of ''The Robe'' was shot both with and without CinemaScope's [[Anamorphic format|anamorphic lenses]], resulting in there being two versions of the film: a "scope" version, and a "flat" version. Setups and some dialogue differ between the versions, as the takes for each process were filmed back-to-back, rather than simultaneously.<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 27, 2009|title=The Robe: The Birth of Cinemascope|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/movies/29kehr.html |last1=Kehr |first1=Dave }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=The Robe: Alternate Versions|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/alternateversions/}}</ref> For decades, the flat version of the film was the one typically shown on television, as its 1.33:1 [[aspect ratio (image)|aspect ratio]] would fill the then-standard television screens. [[American Movie Classics]] may have been the first channel to broadcast the scope version of the film. Recent DVDs and Blu-ray discs of the film present it in the 2.55:1 widescreen format, and also feature the original multitrack stereophonic soundtrack. |
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The film was advertised as "the modern entertainment miracle you can see without the use of glasses", a dig at the [[3D movie]]s of the day. Since many theaters of the day were not equipped to show a CinemaScope film, two versions of ''The Robe'' were made: one in the standard screen ratio of the day, the other in the widescreen process. Setups and some dialogue differ between the versions. |
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The film was advertised as "The modern miracle you see without glasses!", a dig at the [[3D film]]s of the day. |
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The film was usually shown on television using the standard version, common for the televising of widescreen films, that filled the television screen rather than show the proper dimensions of the CinemaScope projection. American Movie Classics may have been the first to offer telecasts of the widescreen version. Recent DVDs of the film, however, present the film in the original widescreen format, as well as the multitrack stereophonic soundtrack. When the original soundtrack album was issued on LP it used a remix for only monaural sound rather than the stereo sound that was originally recorded. |
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===Preservation=== |
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The film had one sequel, ''[[Demetrius and the Gladiators]]'' ([[1954 in film|1954]]), which featured [[Victor Mature]] in the title-role, making ''The Robe'' the only Biblical epic with a sequel. |
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The [[Academy Film Archive]] preserved ''The Robe'' in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=http://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=The+Robe&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref> |
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==Release== |
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''The Robe'' was due to open at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York City, but the Hall would not drop its stage show for the film's planned run, so the film premiered, instead, at the [[Roxy Theatre (New York City)|Roxy Theatre]] in New York City on September 16, 1953.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Variety|title=Radio City Music Hall Wouldn't Drop Stageshow So It Lost Out On 'Robe'|date=September 2, 1953|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/variety191-1953-09/page/n2/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=February 24, 2024|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> It opened to the public at the Roxy the following day. |
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===First telecast=== |
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The action takes place in [[Ancient Rome]], [[Capri]] and [[Judaea]] in 32 AD. |
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[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] paid a record $2 million to screen the film on television in the United States four times.<ref name=tv>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|date=July 28, 1967|page=1|title='Bounty' Nicks Ford $2.3 Mil; A TV Record}}</ref> Sponsored by [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], ''The Robe'' was first telecast on Sunday, March 26, 1967 ([[Easter]]), at the relatively early hour of 7:00 P.M., [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]], to allow for family viewing. It was shown with only one commercial break, a luxury not even granted to the then-annual telecasts of ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' (1939),<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 24, 1967|title=Television: Mar. 24, 1967|magazine=Time|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,836861,00.html|url-status=dead|access-date=May 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305232919/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,836861,00.html|archive-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref> and received a [[Nielsen rating]] of 31.0 and an audience share of 53%,<ref name=rating>{{cite magazine|title=Hit Movies on U.S. TV Since 1961|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 24, 1990|page=160}}</ref> which translated to 60 million viewers, the second largest TV audience for a film, behind ''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'' (1957).<ref name=tv/> |
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===Home media=== |
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The film was released on VHS and DVD on October 16, 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hive4media.com/buying_guide/scripts/bg_matrix.cfm?studiosort=14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010908065704/http://hive4media.com/buying_guide/scripts/bg_matrix.cfm?studiosort=14|title=Announcements|website=hive4media.com|archive-date=September 8, 2001|access-date=September 14, 2019}}</ref> It was released on Blu-ray on March 17, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://smile.amazon.com/Robe-Blu-ray-Richard-Burton/dp/B001NSLE4Y/ref=tmm_mfc_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1607145152&sr=1-2 |title= The Robe [Blu-ray] |website=smile.amazon.com |date= March 17, 2009 |access-date=December 4, 2020}}</ref> |
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Marcellus Gallio ([[Richard Burton]]) is a Roman military tribune who antagonises [[Caligula]] ([[Jay Robinson]]), nephew to the emperor [[Tiberius]] ([[Ernest Thesiger]]), and his rival for the love of Diana ([[Jean Simmons]]) by buying the defiant Greek slave Demetrius ([[Victor Mature]]) on whom Caligula had set his sights. To punish him, Caligula sends him to [[Jerusalem]]. Before Marcellus’ ship sails, Diana comes to pledge her love and state that she will intercede on his behalf with Tiberius. Much to his surprise, Marcellus returns her feelings and asks her to wait for him. |
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===Soundtrack=== |
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Marcellus arrives in Judaea where he serves under [[Pontius Pilate]] ([[Richard Boone]]). He is assigned to lead the soldiers responsible for the crucifixion of Christ. He wins Christ's robe at dice and takes it with him. A rainstorm begins and Marcellus orders Demetrius to cover him with the robe but, as soon as the cloth touches him, Marcellus cries in agony that it is burning him. Taking back the robe, Demetrius calls Marcellus a murderer and curses him, then runs away. |
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When the film's original soundtrack album was issued on LP by [[Decca Records]], it featured a monaural remix of the score, rather than the stereo sound that was originally recorded.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} [[MCA Records|MCA]], which acquired the rights to the American Decca recordings, later issued an electronic stereo version of the mono tape.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} In 2003, [[Varèse Sarabande]] released a two-CD set of the film's original stereophonic score on its club label. |
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[[RCA Victor]] included a suite from the film—recorded in Dolby surround sound—on its 1973 album ''Captain from Castile'', which honored the film's composer, longtime Fox musical director [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]]. [[Charles Gerhardt (conductor)|Charles Gerhardt]] conducted London's National Philharmonic Chorus for the recording.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} |
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Marcellus is consumed with guilt and is haunted by the dreams and mental instability that come from that event. He returns to Italy and visits the old Emperor Tiberius in Capri and tells him of his ordeal. The soothsayer Dodinius (Francis Pierlot) theorizes that Marcellus has been bewitched by the robe, and that only by destroying it will he be freed. Moved by his affection for Diana, Tiberius gives Marcellus an imperial commission to find the robe and destroy it. Marcellus returns to Galilee as a merchant and searches in vain for Demetrius, who has become a Christian, and the robe. In the village of Cana, he begins to see the gentle ways that Christ's followers have adopted and learns about the miracles that Christ performed. While staying at the house of Justus, who knew Christ, he is introduced to the disciple Peter (Michael Rennie)AKA the fisherman and becomes himself a Christian, a follower of Christ. |
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==Reception== |
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Meanwhile, Tiberius dies and Caligula is the new emperor. Diana, who has loved Marcellus since childhood, is taken by the emperor to see Demetrius being tortured in the palace. She learns from her servant Marcipor ([[David Leonard]]) that Marcellus is back in Rome and goes to warn him of this. Marcellus gets a group of his followers together to enter the palace by stealth to free Demetrius. They are caught and an angry Caligula gives Marcellus and Diana the choice to renounce their God or to die. They choose death rather than deny Christ and live under the rule of Caligula and at the film's close, they walk together in a state of bliss to their death. |
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===Box office=== |
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''The Robe'' set a record one-day gross (for a single theatre) of $36,000 at the Roxy,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Motion Picture Daily]]|title=Record $36,000 Gross for 'Robe' Opening|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai74unse#page/n384/mode/1up|date=September 18, 1953|page=1|access-date=September 22, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> on its way to a record one-week gross (for a single theatre)<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Motion Picture Daily]]|title=World Record Set by 'Robe' In 1st Week|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai74unse#page/n398/mode/1up|date=September 22, 1953|page=1|access-date=September 22, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> of $264,427.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Motion Picture Daily]]|title=See $225,000 for 2nd 'Robe' Week|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/motionpicturedai74unse#page/n418/mode/1up|date=September 25, 1953|page=1|access-date=September 22, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> In its second week of release, it expanded to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia and grossed $490,000, placing it at [[List of 1953 box office number-one films in the United States|number one at the US box office]], setting box office records at each location; it more than doubled the previous record at [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] in LA, with a gross of $80,000.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=National Boxoffice Survey|date=September 30, 1953|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/variety191-1953-09/page/n282/mode/1up|access-date=May 13, 2023|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Picture Grosses|date=September 30, 1953|page=10|url=https://archive.org/details/variety191-1953-09/page/n289/mode/1up|access-date=May 13, 2023|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> The film gradually expanded to 44 locations by the end of October, and it remained number one at the box office for nine straight weeks.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title='Robe' in 44 Locations in October|date=September 30, 1953|page=4|url=https://archive.org/details/variety191-1953-09/page/n283/mode/1up|access-date=May 13, 2023|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=National Boxoffice Survey|date=October 28, 1953|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/variety192-1953-10/page/n254/mode/1up|access-date=May 13, 2023|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> Its fourth week of release, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that the film had a weekly gross of $1,026,000 from 16 cities that it sampled, a record gross for a week.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=National Boxoffice Survey|date=October 14, 1953|page=3|url=https://archive.org/details/variety192-1953-10/page/n82/mode/1up|access-date=May 13, 2023|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> |
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The film earned an estimated $17.5 million in [[theatrical rental]]s in the United States and Canada during its initial theatrical release.<ref>{{cite news|title=All Time Domestic Champs|work=Variety|date= January 6, 1960 |page= 34}}</ref> Its worldwide rentals were estimated at $32 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=20th's Global C'Scope Jackpot|work=[[Daily Variety]]|date= November 9, 1955 |page= 1}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=20th Counts C'Scope Blessing|date=November 9, 1955|page=5|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety200-1955-11#page/n88/mode/1up|access-date=April 24, 2019}}</ref> |
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==Cast== |
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<div style="float:left; width:48%;"> |
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* [[Richard Burton]] - Marcellus Gallio |
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* [[Jean Simmons]] - Diana |
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* [[Victor Mature]] - Demetrius |
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* [[Michael Rennie]] - [[Saint Peter|Peter]] |
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* [[Jay Robinson]] - [[Caligula]] |
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* [[Dean Jagger]] - Justus |
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* [[Torin Thatcher]] - Sen. Gallio |
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* [[Richard Boone]] - [[Pontius Pilate]] |
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* [[Jeff Morrow (actor)|Jeff Morrow]] - Paulus |
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* [[Ernest Thesiger]] - [[Tiberius]] |
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* [[Dawn Addams]] - Junia |
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* [[Leon Askin]] - Abidor |
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* Helen Beverly - Rebecca |
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* Frank Pulaski - Quintus |
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* David Leonard - Marcipor |
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* [[Michael Ansara]] - [[Judas Iscariot|Judas]] |
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* [[Jay Novello]] - Tiro |
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* Nicholas Koster - Jonathan |
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* Frank de Kova - Slave Dealer |
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* [[Harry Shearer]] - David |
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* Francis Pierlot - Dodinius |
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* Thomas Brown Henry - Marius |
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* Sally Corner - Cornelia |
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* Rosalind Ivan - Julia |
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* Anthony Eustrel - Sarpedon |
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</div><div style="float:right; width:48%;"> |
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* Dan Ferniel |
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* Van Des Autels |
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* George E. Stone - Gracchus |
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* [[Betta St. John]] - Miriam |
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* [[Anne Bancroft]] |
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* George Robotham |
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* Leo Curley - Shalum |
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* George Melford |
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* Ed Mundy |
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* Sam Gilman - Ship's Captain |
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* Virginia Lee - Specialty Dancer |
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* Percy Helton - Caleb |
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* Roy Gordon - Chamberlain |
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* Anthony Jochim |
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* George Keymas - Slave |
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* Ben A. Astar - Cleander |
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* [[John Doucette]] - Ship's Mate |
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* Jean Corbett |
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* Marc Snow - Auctioneer |
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* Hayden Rorke |
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* Ford Rainey |
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* Gloria Saunders - Slave Girl |
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* Emmett Lynn - Nathan |
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* [[Mae Marsh]] - Woman |
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* Alex Pope |
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* [[Cameron Mitchell]] - Christ [Voice] |
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</div><br clear="all"> |
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===Critical reception=== |
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==Awards and nominations== |
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Critical reaction of the film and CinemaScope following the premiere in New York was generally favorable.<ref name=NYCrix>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=New York Critics Generally; Favorable; 'The Robe' Into 100 Spots Next Month|date=September 23, 1953|page=4|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n211/mode/1up|access-date=October 7, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> In his review of the film, Frank Quinn of the ''[[New York Daily Mirror]]'' called CinemaScope "a new realistic and phenomenal concept of the art of motion picture production."<ref name=NYCrix/> Kate Cameron of the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' claimed, in an eight-star review (four stars for the film and four for CinemaScope), that "any picture projected on a flat screen...is going to seem dull" after ''The Robe''.<ref name=NYCrix/> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote: "It is a 'big' picture in every sense of the word. One magnificent scene after another, under the anamorphic technique, unveils the splendor that was Rome and the turbulence that was Jerusalem at the time of Christ on Calvary."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Film Reviews: The Robe|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 23, 1953|page=6|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/variety191-1953-09#page/n213/mode/1up|access-date=October 7, 2019|via=[[Archive.org]]}}</ref> [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' was more critical, writing: "The human drama of this story of Christian conversion occurs amid sumptuous and scenic surroundings and are mighty impressive to see. But the mightiness of surroundings—the spectacle of settings and costumes—is meaningful only in relation to the story that is being told. And the story in this instance is not spectacular, so that the amplitude of its surroundings does not enhance its scope."<ref>Crowther, Bosley (September 27, 1953). "Now Cinemascope! A Look at 'The Robe' and the New System in Which It Is Put On". ''[[The New York Times]]''. Section 2, p. 1.</ref> |
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*The film won [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Art Direction|Best Art Direction–Set Decoration, Color]] ([[Lyle R. Wheeler]]), and the [[Academy Award for Costume Design|Best Costume Design, Color]]. It was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor in a Leading Role]] (Richard Burton), [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography, Color]], and [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. |
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*The film also won the [[Golden Globe Award]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama|Best Picture]] |
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Edwin Schallert of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' stated that the film was in "a class that is unique, deeply spiritual and even awe-inspiring,"<ref>Schallert, Edwin (September 25, 1953)."'[https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=48492905&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjM4NjIwMTk5MSwiaWF0IjoxNTkzMTAyNTc3LCJleHAiOjE1OTMxODg5Nzd9.c9kPyENx4dCFGPKel_z3eECUZBoX-g_8taM04O6zWgw The Robe' Hailed as Epochal Film]". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part 2, p. 1.</ref> though [[Richard L. Coe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that, "Partly through the writing, partly through the variety of acting styles, this reverence does not stir the emotions. It is very hard to take seriously a film which presents so petulantly obvious a performance as Jay Robinson's sophomoric Caligula or a script which early observes: 'You have made me the laughing stock of Rome.' These and matters like them are not aspects of fine motion picture making."<ref>Coe, Richard L. (October 2, 1953). "'The Robe' Reveals Cinema Scope". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. 55.</ref> ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' called the film "Excellent!" It continues: "Even if it had been produced in the conventional 2-D form, Lloyd C. Douglas' powerful novel of the birth of Christianity in the days of ancient Rome would have made a great picture, but having been produced in the revolutionary CinemaScope process, it emerges as not only a superior dramatic achievement but also as a spectacle that will electrify audiences with its overpowering scope and magnitude."<ref>"'The Robe' with Richard Burton, Victor Mature and Jean Simmons." ''[[Harrison's Reports]]''. September 19, 1953. 152.</ref> ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' called the film "a routine addition to the numerous Hollywood Biblical films," which presents "a characteristically distorted and simplified view of Imperial Rome, with a ranting Caligula, a doddering Tiberius, and the customary scenes of 'spectacle' in the palace, the marketplace and the torture chamber. The performances lack enthusiasm, and Richard Burton in particular seems ill at ease as the morose Marcellus."<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 1954 |title=The Robe |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=21 |issue=240 |page=5 }}</ref> [[Basil Wright]] wrote in ''[[Sight & Sound]]'': "As a film on a religious subject, Henry Koster's ''The Robe'' has rather fewer lapses in taste than most of its predecessors. If the actual speaking of Christ's cry from the Cross is a major error, it is not multiplied. In general, the subject is treated with reasonable reverence and is a deal better than ''[[Quo Vadis (1951 film)|Quo Vadis]]'', which was a perfect illustration of Aristotle's remark about the ludicrous being merely a sub-division of the ugly."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wright |first=Basil |date=January–March 1954 |title=The Robe |journal=[[Sight & Sound]] |volume=23 |issue=3 |page=143 }}</ref> |
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==External links== |
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* {{imdb title|id=0046247|title=The Robe}} |
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On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 38% of 21 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/robe |title=The Robe |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 14, 2022 }}</ref> |
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===Awards and honors=== |
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'''[[26th Academy Awards]]:''' |
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;Wins<ref>[http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1389345219128 "Oscars.org – The Robe"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140110232254/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1389345219128 |date=January 10, 2014 }}. [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]. Retrieved January 10, 2014.</ref> |
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* [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction (Color)]] – Art Direction: [[Lyle R. Wheeler]], [[George Davis (art director)|George Davis]]; Set Decoration: [[Walter M. Scott]], [[Paul S. Fox]] |
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* [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design (Color)]] – [[Charles LeMaire]], [[Emile Santiago]] |
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;Nominations |
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* [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Motion Picture]] – Producer: [[Frank Ross (producer)|Frank Ross]] |
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* [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] – Richard Burton |
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* [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography (Color)]] – [[Leon Shamroy]] |
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'''[[11th Golden Globe Awards]]:''' |
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;Wins |
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* [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]] |
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==Sequel== |
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The film's successful and highly praised sequel, ''[[Demetrius and the Gladiators]]'' (1954), featured [[Victor Mature]] in the title role; [[Michael Rennie]], [[Jay Robinson]], and David Leonard also reprise their roles from ''The Robe''. Filming of the sequel was completed before ''The Robe'' was released, and it begins with Caligula's challenge to Marcellus and Diana as they climb the stairs to their execution at the end of this film.<ref name=":0" /> |
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==Popular culture references== |
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In the first episode of the 2020 miniseries ''[[The Queen's Gambit (miniseries)|The Queen's Gambit]]'', ''The Robe'' is playing for the staff and wards of the Mathuen orphanage, and the film's final chorus of "Alleluia" provides a [[Diegesis#In_film|diegetic]] source of music while Beth breaks into the dispensary and overdoses.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nguyen|first=Hanh|date=October 23, 2020|title="The Queen's Gambit" is the sexiest and most thrilling TV show about chess you'll ever watch|work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]|url=https://www.salon.com/2020/10/23/the-queens-gambit-netflix-anya-taylor-joy-william-horberg/|access-date=November 30, 2020}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[ |
* [[List of Easter films]] |
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*[[Sword and sandal]] |
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*''[[Demetrius and the Gladiators]]'' |
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==References== |
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<!-- Richard Burton --> |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Wikiquote}} |
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{{Commons category}} |
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* {{AFI film|50996|The Robe}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0046247|The Robe}} |
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* {{AllMovie title|41635}} |
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* {{TCMDb title|id=88469}} |
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* {{Rotten Tomatoes|robe}} |
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{{Henry Koster}} |
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[[Category:1953 films|Robe, The]] |
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{{GoldenGlobeBestMotionPictureDrama 1951–1960}} |
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[[Category:American films|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:20th Century Fox films|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:Christian films|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:Films based on the Bible|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:Religion films|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:Films shot in CinemaScope|Robe, The]] |
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[[Category:Films shot in Technicolor|Robe, The]] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robe (film), The}} |
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[[de:Das Gewand]] |
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[[ |
[[Category:1953 films]] |
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[[Category:20th Century Fox films]] |
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[[it:La tunica]] |
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[[Category:American religious epic films]] |
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[[ja:聖衣]] |
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[[Category:Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners]] |
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[[sv:Den purpurröda manteln]] |
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[[Category:CinemaScope films]] |
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[[Category:Films about Christianity]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Tiberius]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Judas Iscariot]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Pontius Pilate]] |
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[[Category:Depictions of Caligula on film]] |
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[[Category:Film portrayals of Jesus' death and resurrection]] |
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[[Category:Films based on American novels]] |
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[[Category:Films directed by Henry Koster]] |
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[[Category:Films scored by Alfred Newman]] |
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[[Category:Films set in Rome]] |
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[[Category:Films that won the Best Costume Design Academy Award]] |
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[[Category:Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award]] |
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[[Category:Films with screenplays by Philip Dunne]] |
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[[Category:1950s English-language films]] |
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[[Category:1950s American films]] |
Latest revision as of 23:37, 5 November 2024
The Robe | |
---|---|
Directed by | Henry Koster |
Screenplay by |
|
Based on | The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas |
Produced by | Frank Ross |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
Edited by | Barbara McLean |
Music by | Alfred Newman |
Color process | Technicolor |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $4.1 million[1] – $4.6 million[2] |
Box office | $36 million (United States)[3] |
The Robe is a 1953 American fictional Biblical epic film that tells the story of a Roman military tribune who commands the unit that is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus. The film was released by 20th Century Fox and was the first film released in the widescreen process CinemaScope.[4] Like other early CinemaScope films, The Robe was shot with Henri Chrétien's original Hypergonar anamorphic lenses.
The film was directed by Henry Koster and produced by Frank Ross. The screenplay was adapted from Lloyd C. Douglas's 1942 novel by Gina Kaus, Albert Maltz, and Philip Dunne—although Maltz's place among the blacklisted Hollywood 10 led to his being denied his writing credit for many years. The score was composed by Alfred Newman, and the cinematography was by Leon Shamroy. The film stars Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature and Michael Rennie, and co-stars Jay Robinson, Dean Jagger, Torin Thatcher, Richard Boone, Betta St. John, Jeff Morrow, Ernest Thesiger, and others.
A sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954), continues from where The Robe ends.[5]
Plot
[edit]On the way to a slave auction, Marcellus Gallio, a Roman military tribune and senator's son, helps recapture Demetrius, a defiant Greek slave. At the auction site, Marcellus is reunited with Diana, his childhood love, who is now a ward of Emperor Tiberius and has been pledged in marriage to the regent Caligula. Marcellus has a longstanding feud with Caligula, and he outbids Caligula for Demetrius, who does not attempt to escape again, as he feels honor-bound to Marcellus. Demetrius becomes Marcellus' personal servant.
That evening, Caligula vengefully transfers Marcellus to far-flung Jerusalem. Diana goes to the port to say she will appeal to Tiberius on Marcellus' behalf, and the pair pledge their love and reaffirm their youthful promise to marry one day.
Accompanied by Demetrius and the centurion Paulus, Marcellus arrives in Jerusalem on the same day that Jesus, who is being hailed as the Messiah, enters the city. Demetrius feels compelled to follow Jesus and later attempts to warn him of a plot against him, but a distraught man tells Demetrius that Jesus has already been arrested.
Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judaea, informs Marcellus that he has been recalled by order of Tiberius, and gives Marcellus his last task, which is to handle the execution of three criminals—one of whom is Jesus. Marcellus wins Jesus' robe from Paulus in a dice game on Calvary, but when he uses it to shield himself from rain, he feels a sudden, intense pain. Grabbing the robe, Demetrius denounces Marcellus and the Roman Empire and frees himself, leaving a mentally unstable Marcellus, who is haunted by nightmares of the crucifixion, to report to Tiberius at Capri alone. The emperor's soothsayer says the robe must be cursed, so Tiberius gives Marcellus an imperial commission to find and destroy the robe, as well as identify the followers of Jesus. At Diana's request, Tiberius leaves her free to marry Marcellus once he has successfully completed his mission.
Marcellus eventually makes his way to Cana, whose inhabitants experienced Jesus' miracles and believe he rose from the dead. Learning from Justus, a kind weaver, that Demetrius is in the town, Marcellus confronts his former slave at an inn. Demetrius says the robe has no real power, and it is Marcellus' guilt over killing Jesus that is causing his illness. When Marcellus tries to destroy the robe anyway, he is overcome, and finds himself healed.
Pilate having ordered the arrest of all of the Christian "fanatics", Paulus sneaks into Cana with his troops. After Justus is killed by a surprise arrow, Marcellus manages to halt the attack, but Paulus informs him that Caligula has succeeded Tiberius as emperor, so Marcellus' commission is no longer valid. Paulus initially refuses Marcellus' order to leave the town, but he complies after Marcellus beats him in a duel. Jesus' apostle Peter invites Marcellus to join Demetrius and him as missionaries, and, after confessing his role in Jesus' death, Marcellus pledges his life to Jesus.
When Peter's missionary group comes to Rome, Demetrius is captured and tortured for information. Caligula asks Diana if she has heard from Marcellus, and, as she has not, tells her of Marcellus' involvement with the Christians. The Gallios' slave Marcipor, who is secretly a Christian, shows Diana where Marcellus is hiding, shortly before Marcellus leads a raid to rescue Demetrius. Demetrius is brought to the house of Senator Gallio, where Peter miraculously heals his grievous wounds. Marcellus and Demetrius attempt to flee the city, but horsemen dispatched by Caligula pick up their trail, and Marcellus gives himself up so Demetrius can escape.
At his trial, Marcellus admits to being a follower of Jesus, but denies that the Christians are plotting against Rome. He is condemned to death, unless he renews his tribune's oath of loyalty to the emperor and renounces his allegiance to Jesus; while he does the former, he refuses to do the latter. Diana stands with Marcellus and denounces Caligula, who declares that the couple will die together. As they depart the courtroom, Diana hands Jesus' robe to Marcipor, telling him to give it to Peter. Marcellus and Diana are led away to begin eternal life together in the kingdom of their true king.
Cast
[edit]
|
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Historical inaccuracies
[edit]Despite the careful attention to Roman history and culture displayed in the film, there are some inaccuracies. For example, in reality, Emperor Tiberius' wife, Julia, who had been banished from Rome by her father Augustus years before Tiberius acceded to the imperial throne, was already dead at the time of Jesus' crucifixion.
Also, Caligula did not systematically persecute Christians, as depicted in the film. The first persecution of Christians organized by the Roman government was under the emperor Nero in 64 AD after the Great Fire of Rome and took place entirely within the city of Rome.
Background and production
[edit]In 1942, producer Frank Ross acquired the rights to Douglas' novel—before it was completed—for $100,000.[7][8] Development of the film began at RKO in the 1940s, with Mervyn LeRoy set to direct,[9] but the rights were eventually sold to Twentieth Century-Fox for $300,000, plus $650,000 from future profits;[8] Ross received $40,000, plus 20% of the profits.[8]
Jeff Chandler was originally announced for the role of Demetrius.[10] Victor Mature signed in December 1952[11] to make both The Robe and a sequel about Demetrius.[12] John Buckmaster tested for the role of Caligula.[13] Jean Peters was originally cast as Diana, but she became pregnant, and was replaced by Jean Simmons. Interestingly, the film's poster, which had already been designed, was not changed, and, therefore, shows the wrong "Jean" between the likenesses of Burton and Mature.[14]
Filming finished on April 30, 1953, two weeks ahead of schedule.[15] Since many theaters were not equipped to screen films shot in the new CinemaScope process, each scene of The Robe was shot both with and without CinemaScope's anamorphic lenses, resulting in there being two versions of the film: a "scope" version, and a "flat" version. Setups and some dialogue differ between the versions, as the takes for each process were filmed back-to-back, rather than simultaneously.[16][17] For decades, the flat version of the film was the one typically shown on television, as its 1.33:1 aspect ratio would fill the then-standard television screens. American Movie Classics may have been the first channel to broadcast the scope version of the film. Recent DVDs and Blu-ray discs of the film present it in the 2.55:1 widescreen format, and also feature the original multitrack stereophonic soundtrack.
The film was advertised as "The modern miracle you see without glasses!", a dig at the 3D films of the day.
Preservation
[edit]The Academy Film Archive preserved The Robe in 2008.[18]
Release
[edit]The Robe was due to open at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, but the Hall would not drop its stage show for the film's planned run, so the film premiered, instead, at the Roxy Theatre in New York City on September 16, 1953.[19] It opened to the public at the Roxy the following day.
First telecast
[edit]ABC paid a record $2 million to screen the film on television in the United States four times.[20] Sponsored by Ford, The Robe was first telecast on Sunday, March 26, 1967 (Easter), at the relatively early hour of 7:00 P.M., EST, to allow for family viewing. It was shown with only one commercial break, a luxury not even granted to the then-annual telecasts of The Wizard of Oz (1939),[21] and received a Nielsen rating of 31.0 and an audience share of 53%,[22] which translated to 60 million viewers, the second largest TV audience for a film, behind The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).[20]
Home media
[edit]The film was released on VHS and DVD on October 16, 2001.[23] It was released on Blu-ray on March 17, 2009.[24]
Soundtrack
[edit]When the film's original soundtrack album was issued on LP by Decca Records, it featured a monaural remix of the score, rather than the stereo sound that was originally recorded.[citation needed] MCA, which acquired the rights to the American Decca recordings, later issued an electronic stereo version of the mono tape.[citation needed] In 2003, Varèse Sarabande released a two-CD set of the film's original stereophonic score on its club label.
RCA Victor included a suite from the film—recorded in Dolby surround sound—on its 1973 album Captain from Castile, which honored the film's composer, longtime Fox musical director Alfred Newman. Charles Gerhardt conducted London's National Philharmonic Chorus for the recording.[citation needed]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]The Robe set a record one-day gross (for a single theatre) of $36,000 at the Roxy,[25] on its way to a record one-week gross (for a single theatre)[26] of $264,427.[27] In its second week of release, it expanded to Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia and grossed $490,000, placing it at number one at the US box office, setting box office records at each location; it more than doubled the previous record at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in LA, with a gross of $80,000.[28][29] The film gradually expanded to 44 locations by the end of October, and it remained number one at the box office for nine straight weeks.[30][31] Its fourth week of release, Variety reported that the film had a weekly gross of $1,026,000 from 16 cities that it sampled, a record gross for a week.[32]
The film earned an estimated $17.5 million in theatrical rentals in the United States and Canada during its initial theatrical release.[33] Its worldwide rentals were estimated at $32 million.[34][35]
Critical reception
[edit]Critical reaction of the film and CinemaScope following the premiere in New York was generally favorable.[36] In his review of the film, Frank Quinn of the New York Daily Mirror called CinemaScope "a new realistic and phenomenal concept of the art of motion picture production."[36] Kate Cameron of the New York Daily News claimed, in an eight-star review (four stars for the film and four for CinemaScope), that "any picture projected on a flat screen...is going to seem dull" after The Robe.[36] Variety wrote: "It is a 'big' picture in every sense of the word. One magnificent scene after another, under the anamorphic technique, unveils the splendor that was Rome and the turbulence that was Jerusalem at the time of Christ on Calvary."[37] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times was more critical, writing: "The human drama of this story of Christian conversion occurs amid sumptuous and scenic surroundings and are mighty impressive to see. But the mightiness of surroundings—the spectacle of settings and costumes—is meaningful only in relation to the story that is being told. And the story in this instance is not spectacular, so that the amplitude of its surroundings does not enhance its scope."[38]
Edwin Schallert of the Los Angeles Times stated that the film was in "a class that is unique, deeply spiritual and even awe-inspiring,"[39] though Richard L. Coe of The Washington Post wrote that, "Partly through the writing, partly through the variety of acting styles, this reverence does not stir the emotions. It is very hard to take seriously a film which presents so petulantly obvious a performance as Jay Robinson's sophomoric Caligula or a script which early observes: 'You have made me the laughing stock of Rome.' These and matters like them are not aspects of fine motion picture making."[40] Harrison's Reports called the film "Excellent!" It continues: "Even if it had been produced in the conventional 2-D form, Lloyd C. Douglas' powerful novel of the birth of Christianity in the days of ancient Rome would have made a great picture, but having been produced in the revolutionary CinemaScope process, it emerges as not only a superior dramatic achievement but also as a spectacle that will electrify audiences with its overpowering scope and magnitude."[41] The Monthly Film Bulletin called the film "a routine addition to the numerous Hollywood Biblical films," which presents "a characteristically distorted and simplified view of Imperial Rome, with a ranting Caligula, a doddering Tiberius, and the customary scenes of 'spectacle' in the palace, the marketplace and the torture chamber. The performances lack enthusiasm, and Richard Burton in particular seems ill at ease as the morose Marcellus."[42] Basil Wright wrote in Sight & Sound: "As a film on a religious subject, Henry Koster's The Robe has rather fewer lapses in taste than most of its predecessors. If the actual speaking of Christ's cry from the Cross is a major error, it is not multiplied. In general, the subject is treated with reasonable reverence and is a deal better than Quo Vadis, which was a perfect illustration of Aristotle's remark about the ludicrous being merely a sub-division of the ugly."[43]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of 21 critics' reviews of the film are positive, with an average rating of 5.5/10.[44]
Awards and honors
[edit]- Wins[45]
- Best Art Direction (Color) – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox
- Best Costume Design (Color) – Charles LeMaire, Emile Santiago
- Nominations
- Best Motion Picture – Producer: Frank Ross
- Best Actor – Richard Burton
- Best Cinematography (Color) – Leon Shamroy
- Wins
Sequel
[edit]The film's successful and highly praised sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954), featured Victor Mature in the title role; Michael Rennie, Jay Robinson, and David Leonard also reprise their roles from The Robe. Filming of the sequel was completed before The Robe was released, and it begins with Caligula's challenge to Marcellus and Diana as they climb the stairs to their execution at the end of this film.[5]
Popular culture references
[edit]In the first episode of the 2020 miniseries The Queen's Gambit, The Robe is playing for the staff and wards of the Mathuen orphanage, and the film's final chorus of "Alleluia" provides a diegetic source of music while Beth breaks into the dispensary and overdoses.[46]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p248
- ^ THOMAS M. PRYOR (May 1, 1953). "Film Group to Aid State Department: Industry Council Pledges Its Cooperation to De Mille for Overseas Information Work". The New York Times. p. 17.
- ^ The Robe. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ Chrissochoidis, Ilias (ed.). CinemaScope: Selected Documents from the Spyros P. Skouras Archive. Stanford, 2013.
- ^ a b "Random Observations on Pictures and People". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Malcolm (October 30, 1953). "Music and Drama". The Knoxville Journal. p. 24. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ^ The Robe at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ a b c "Ross' 20%; RKO's 950G". Variety. September 16, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "Religion: Celluloid Revival". TIME. April 24, 1944. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (August 1, 1952). "Jeff Chandler Likely for Demetrius; 'Highest Mountain' New Purchase". Los Angeles Times. p. B7.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (December 19, 1952). "Mature About to Sign as Demetrius in 'Robe". Los Angeles Times. p. B8.
- ^ Hopper, Hedda (January 10, 1953). "Victor Mature to Do 'Story of Demetrius'". Los Angeles Times. p. 14.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (February 5, 1953). "Art of Dali Will Spur Three-D; Buckmaster Flying In for Caligula". Los Angeles Times. p. A9.
- ^ The Robe poster at the Wide Screen Museum
- ^ "FOX COMPLETES 'ROBE': $4,600,000 Film in CinemaScope Was 10 Years in Making". The ew York Times. May 1, 1953. p. 16.
- ^ Kehr, Dave (March 27, 2009). "The Robe: The Birth of Cinemascope". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Robe: Alternate Versions".
- ^ "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.
- ^ "Radio City Music Hall Wouldn't Drop Stageshow So It Lost Out On 'Robe'". Variety. September 2, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via Archive.org.
- ^ a b "'Bounty' Nicks Ford $2.3 Mil; A TV Record". Daily Variety. July 28, 1967. p. 1.
- ^ "Television: Mar. 24, 1967". Time. March 24, 1967. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ^ "Hit Movies on U.S. TV Since 1961". Variety. January 24, 1990. p. 160.
- ^ "Announcements". hive4media.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2001. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ "The Robe [Blu-ray]". smile.amazon.com. March 17, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Record $36,000 Gross for 'Robe' Opening". Motion Picture Daily. September 18, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "World Record Set by 'Robe' In 1st Week". Motion Picture Daily. September 22, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "See $225,000 for 2nd 'Robe' Week". Motion Picture Daily. September 25, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved September 22, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "National Boxoffice Survey". Variety. September 30, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "Picture Grosses". Variety. September 30, 1953. p. 10. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "'Robe' in 44 Locations in October". Variety. September 30, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "National Boxoffice Survey". Variety. October 28, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "National Boxoffice Survey". Variety. October 14, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "All Time Domestic Champs". Variety. January 6, 1960. p. 34.
- ^ "20th's Global C'Scope Jackpot". Daily Variety. November 9, 1955. p. 1.
- ^ "20th Counts C'Scope Blessing". Variety. November 9, 1955. p. 5. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^ a b c "New York Critics Generally; Favorable; 'The Robe' Into 100 Spots Next Month". Variety. September 23, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved October 7, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "Film Reviews: The Robe". Variety. September 23, 1953. p. 6. Retrieved October 7, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (September 27, 1953). "Now Cinemascope! A Look at 'The Robe' and the New System in Which It Is Put On". The New York Times. Section 2, p. 1.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (September 25, 1953)."'The Robe' Hailed as Epochal Film". Los Angeles Times. Part 2, p. 1.
- ^ Coe, Richard L. (October 2, 1953). "'The Robe' Reveals Cinema Scope". The Washington Post. 55.
- ^ "'The Robe' with Richard Burton, Victor Mature and Jean Simmons." Harrison's Reports. September 19, 1953. 152.
- ^ "The Robe". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 21 (240): 5. January 1954.
- ^ Wright, Basil (January–March 1954). "The Robe". Sight & Sound. 23 (3): 143.
- ^ "The Robe". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "Oscars.org – The Robe" Archived January 10, 2014, at archive.today. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Nguyen, Hanh (October 23, 2020). ""The Queen's Gambit" is the sexiest and most thrilling TV show about chess you'll ever watch". Salon. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
External links
[edit]- The Robe at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Robe at IMDb
- ‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› The Robe at AllMovie
- The Robe at the TCM Movie Database
- The Robe at Rotten Tomatoes
- 1953 films
- 20th Century Fox films
- American religious epic films
- Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners
- CinemaScope films
- Films about Christianity
- Cultural depictions of Tiberius
- Cultural depictions of Judas Iscariot
- Cultural depictions of Pontius Pilate
- Depictions of Caligula on film
- Film portrayals of Jesus' death and resurrection
- Films based on American novels
- Films directed by Henry Koster
- Films scored by Alfred Newman
- Films set in Rome
- Films that won the Best Costume Design Academy Award
- Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award
- Films with screenplays by Philip Dunne
- 1950s English-language films
- 1950s American films