The Robe (1953)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers (WGA):

Philip Dunne (screenplay) and
Gina Kaus (adaptation)

Release Date:

4 December 1953 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The First Picture on the New Miracle Curved Screen !

Plot:

Marcellus is a tribune in the time of Christ. He is in charge of the group that is assigned to crucify Jesus...

Plot Keywords:

Crucifixion | Ancient Rome | Beautiful Woman | Blockbuster | Religion

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Marcellus Gallio
Jean Simmons	...	Diana
Victor Mature	...	Demetrius
Michael Rennie	...	Peter
Jay Robinson	...	Caligula
Dean Jagger	...	Justus
Torin Thatcher	...	Sen. Gallio
Richard Boone	...	Pontius Pilate
Betta St. John	...	Miriam
Jeff Morrow	...	Paulus
Ernest Thesiger	...	Emperor Tiberius
Dawn Addams	...	Junia
Leon Askin	...	Abidor

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (CinemaScope version) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (re-release) | Mono (Academy ratio version)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:All | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16441) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Corriganville, Ray Corrigan Ranch, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

This film contains approximately 517 transitions (edits, dissolves etc) in about 131 minutes of action. This equates to an average shot length of about 15 seconds.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Emperor Tiberius' wife, Julia, puts in an appearance complaining about Diana being considered "too good for Caligula" and Tiberius mentions his "30 years with Julia". Actually, his wife, Julia, the daughter of his predecessor, the Emperor Augustus, had been permanently exiled by her father for lewd behavior long before Tiberius even became Emperor. By the time "The Robe" opens, in the last years of Tiberius' reign, Julia had been dead and forgotten for decades.

Quotes:

Demetrius: [to Marcellus] You crucified him. You, my master. Yet you freed me. I'll never serve you again, you Roman pig. Masters of the world, you call yourselves. Thieves! Murderers! Jungle animals! A curse on you! A curse on your empire!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "American Masters: None Without Sin" (2003)

Another Biblical Tale Around a Peripheral Character

The Robe comes from a tradition of historical biblical fiction about a peripheral incident and/or character. It is in the same vein as Ben-Hur and Barabbas, films adapted from a similar source.

In this case it is Jesus's robe that he wore to the crucifixion. It is recorded that while He was on the cross waiting to die, Roman soldiers idled their time away by casting dice for the only possession He took to his death, his robe. The lucky winner turned out to be Richard Burton, a tribune recently sent on assignment because of a running feud with the Emperor to be.

The run in with Caligula was over a slave purchased by Burton, a Greek named Demetrius played by Victor Mature. Both Burton and Mature are exiled to Judea and they arrive just in time to see Jesus enter Jerusalem. Mature becomes converted to Jesus's teachings and Burton is driven mad by the enormity of what he has participated in.

The Robe was written by Lloyd C. Douglas who was an ordained Lutheran minister and who turned to writing at the age of 50 with his first best seller Magnificent Obsession. His writings were of the Christian inspirational variety and he was a very popular American writer right up to his death in 1951.

Richard Burton got one of his Academy Award nominations for his role. Jean Simmons as Diana who was the main source of his rivalry with Caligula gives a good understated performance of the woman who stood by the man she loved and his fate and passed up a chance to be an Empress.

Jay Robinson as Caligula got most of the notice. Although John Hurt in the I Claudius series is probably now the definitive Caligula, Robinson's performance holds up very well indeed. A substance abuse problem curtailed a promising career and though he did come back it was not the same.

The Robe was 20th Century Fox's first film in its new wide screen process of Cinemascope and really should be seen in a letter box version at home. Richard Burton is always good and elevates whatever film he's in.

Though in this case the subject matter is elevated just about as high as it can get.