"Samson and Delilah" is another of Producer/Director's biblical epics with a cast of thousands and impressive set pieces and this time in glorious Technicolor . It tells the story of strong man Samson (Victor Mature) and his betrayal by the seductive Delilah (Hedy Lammar).
Samson is in pursuit of Philistine beauty Semadar (Angela Lansbury). She in turn is the apple of the eye of Ahtur (Henry Wilcoxen) the Philistine governor. Delilah meanwhile has her eye on Samson. Samson wants to impress Semadar by slaying a rogue lion before Ahtur and his men arrive on the scene. With Delilah aiding him, Samson slays the lion with his bare hand. This impresses the Saran of Gaza (George Sanders) who bestows the hand of Semadar to Samson much to the disdain of Ahtur and Delilah.
At the wedding feast, Samson tells a riddle which no one can solve . Ahtur arranges for Semadar to learn the solution of the riddle which angers Samson. He loses the wager with the soldiers and turns away from her in anger. She then marries Ahtur. Samson becomes enraged and a fight erupts during which Semadar is killed causing Samson to flee and go into hiding.
Delilah throws herself at Samson but he has no interest in her. She vows revenge. She becomes the lover of the Saran and plots with him and his council to capture Samson. Samson is captured and while he is being brought to prison escapes his bonds and single handedly decimates Ahtur's army with.........the jaw bone of an ass. He then escapes.
Delilah devises a plan whereby she will lure Samson into a trap during which he will be taken. While robbing what he thinks is a merchant's caravan, Samson discovers that it is the tents of Delilah. At first he is uninterested but later succumbs to her charms. Delilah learns the secret of Samson's strength. She really still loves him and offers to run off to Egypt with him. When Miriam (Olive Dearing) and the young Saul (Russ Tamblyn) beg Samson to return to the hills with them, Delilah becomes enraged and springs the trap she has laid for the now weakened Samson. Ahtur and his soldiers take Samson. Delilah had received assurances from the Saran not to kill Samson but to bring him in unharmed. But the saran has Ahtur put out Samson's eyes leaving him helpless.
Samson is imprisoned but after praying to God regains his strength. Even though the deceitful Delilah offers to help him escape, he goes to the Great Temple and......................................................................................................
It's interesting to note that Angela Lansbury (whose part was all too brief) and who played Hedy Lamarr's older sister was in fact 12 years younger than Hedy. Lamarr was well past her best before date but nevertheless gives the performance of her career here. Victor Mature makes an excellent Samson and was was a better actor than he was give credit for. He would appear as another biblical type character, "Demetrius" in "The Robe" (1953) and "Demetrius and the Gladiators" (1954).
Also in the cast were William Farnum as Delilah's father, and such recognizable faces as Lane Chandler, Francis McDonald, "Wee Willie" Davis, John Miljan, Moroni Olsen, Mike Mazurki, George Reeves, Harry Woods, Ray Teal, John Merton, Tom Tyler and many others.
Samson is in pursuit of Philistine beauty Semadar (Angela Lansbury). She in turn is the apple of the eye of Ahtur (Henry Wilcoxen) the Philistine governor. Delilah meanwhile has her eye on Samson. Samson wants to impress Semadar by slaying a rogue lion before Ahtur and his men arrive on the scene. With Delilah aiding him, Samson slays the lion with his bare hand. This impresses the Saran of Gaza (George Sanders) who bestows the hand of Semadar to Samson much to the disdain of Ahtur and Delilah.
At the wedding feast, Samson tells a riddle which no one can solve . Ahtur arranges for Semadar to learn the solution of the riddle which angers Samson. He loses the wager with the soldiers and turns away from her in anger. She then marries Ahtur. Samson becomes enraged and a fight erupts during which Semadar is killed causing Samson to flee and go into hiding.
Delilah throws herself at Samson but he has no interest in her. She vows revenge. She becomes the lover of the Saran and plots with him and his council to capture Samson. Samson is captured and while he is being brought to prison escapes his bonds and single handedly decimates Ahtur's army with.........the jaw bone of an ass. He then escapes.
Delilah devises a plan whereby she will lure Samson into a trap during which he will be taken. While robbing what he thinks is a merchant's caravan, Samson discovers that it is the tents of Delilah. At first he is uninterested but later succumbs to her charms. Delilah learns the secret of Samson's strength. She really still loves him and offers to run off to Egypt with him. When Miriam (Olive Dearing) and the young Saul (Russ Tamblyn) beg Samson to return to the hills with them, Delilah becomes enraged and springs the trap she has laid for the now weakened Samson. Ahtur and his soldiers take Samson. Delilah had received assurances from the Saran not to kill Samson but to bring him in unharmed. But the saran has Ahtur put out Samson's eyes leaving him helpless.
Samson is imprisoned but after praying to God regains his strength. Even though the deceitful Delilah offers to help him escape, he goes to the Great Temple and......................................................................................................
It's interesting to note that Angela Lansbury (whose part was all too brief) and who played Hedy Lamarr's older sister was in fact 12 years younger than Hedy. Lamarr was well past her best before date but nevertheless gives the performance of her career here. Victor Mature makes an excellent Samson and was was a better actor than he was give credit for. He would appear as another biblical type character, "Demetrius" in "The Robe" (1953) and "Demetrius and the Gladiators" (1954).
Also in the cast were William Farnum as Delilah's father, and such recognizable faces as Lane Chandler, Francis McDonald, "Wee Willie" Davis, John Miljan, Moroni Olsen, Mike Mazurki, George Reeves, Harry Woods, Ray Teal, John Merton, Tom Tyler and many others.