Samson and Delilah

Released Oct 31, 1949

2h 8m

Drama

List

56%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Samson (Victor Mature), the hero of the Israelites, wins the hand of a Philistine woman, Semadar (Angela Lansbury), in a contest of strength. When she is killed during a conflict on her wedding night, however, Samson becomes a hunted man whom the Philistines, including Semadar's sister, Delilah (Hedy Lamarr), want to punish. This becomes complicated, however, when Samson suddenly acquires God-given superpowers, and Delilah's true feelings for Samson surface.

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Matthew D

A Biblical epic as grand as The Ten Commandments or Ben Hur. Director Cecil B. DeMille's religious romance drama epic Samson and Delilah (1949) is pretty fantastic. I have no love of Cecil B. DeMille, but The Ten Commandments has its moments. Samson and Delilah's more grounded romance story. DeMille takes each moment as important in his tale of Philistines and Danites. Writers Jesse Lasky Jr. and Fredric M. Frank adapted Vladimir Jabotinsky's version of The Bible tales of Samson and Delilah. Their clever wit makes Delilah into a neat femme fatale and Samson a poor fool of a strong hero. Editor Anne Bauchens has slick cuts that keep this massive 134 minute movie from feeling too long. Cinematographer George Barnes uses huge wide shots and sweeping panning shots around art directors Hans Dreier and Walter H. Tyler's magnificent sets. All the vivid colors are wondrous with extravagant furnishings from set decorators Sam Comer and Ray Moyer. Composer Victor Young's whimsical and sweeping film score has an air of romance and neat playfulness to his old sonic splendor. Sound designers Harry Lingren and John Cope capture crisp and clear voice recordings. Elaine Ramsey's curly hairstyles are as amazing as Edith Head and Gwen Wakeling's lavish dresses. Hedy Lamarr is gorgeous and captivating as the flirtatious and jealous Delilah. Her conniving schemes make her Delilah a fun romantic villainess. She's as great as Anne Baxter in The Ten Commandments. Victor Mature is touching and strong as the romantic hero Samson. He foolishly loves Semadar instead of Delilah and finds his ruin. Mature looks like an old cross of Dean Martin and Sylvester Stallone. George Sanders' pompous antagonist The Saran of Gaza is amusing with his usual posh air and casual cruelty that Sanders does so well. Angela Lansbury is pretty and charming as the javelin throwing lady Semadar, whom Samson adores. She's very fun in her brief appearance. Henry Wilcoxon is mean and arrogant as Prince Ahtur. Olive Deering is really lovely and charming as the smart and caring Miriam. Cecil B. DeMille's narration is laughable and overbearing and he cannot even pronounce Philistine correctly. Tanner the Lion is very cute and fuzzy as the massive beastly lion that Samson must wrestle. In conclusion, Hedy Lamarr steals Samson and Delilah as the mischievous and bitterly jealous Delilah.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/23

Full Review

milo v

One of the best movies ever made. Being made just few years after the war it was made with the heart and soul, in times when the moral of the story was more important than the effects.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Tom P

Good early biblical epic. Fun watching Victor Mature act his way out of a paper bag. Cool special effects, violent as hell for 1949

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/22

Full Review

lanfranco c

The terrific power of love

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

william k

Archetypal DeMille biblical spectacle as usual simplifies its source's tale to a child-friendly level, but offers colorful entertainment and some memorable scenes, and there's a subliminal undertone in the love-hate relationship between Samson and Delilah, which is irritating and fascinating; Hedy Lamarr makes it work.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

charles f

A magnificent triumph.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Cecil B. DeMille

Director

Hedy Lamarr

Delilah

Victor Mature

Samson

George Sanders

The Saran of Gaza

Angela Lansbury

Semadar

Henry Wilcoxon

Prince Ahtur

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

It's Cecil B. DeMille at his most lavish, with a screenful of sets, costumes and dramatic effects.

Jun 19, 2019

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Cecil B. DeMille has again dipped into the Bible for his material, made appropriately dramatic revisions in the original, and turned up with a DeMille-size smash.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Derek Adams

Time Out

Wonderfully chintzy and hokey Bible epic once described as the only film in which the hero had bigger tits than the heroine.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

It has DeMille's usual touch for the big Technicolor sword-and-sandals extravaganza, but it loses its strength until there's nothing left but a cheesy-thumbed biblical love epic. Full review in Spanish

Rated: 5/10

Apr 10, 2022

Full Review

TV Guide

Here DeMille, the master of the crowd scene, is in top form managing thousands of extras, particularly in the savage battle scenes in which Samson destroys the Philistine army with the jawbone of an ass.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 5, 2014

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Lavishly produced, this Oscar nominated epic is a good example of DeMille's type of spectacles.

Rated: C+

Apr 27, 2011

Full Review

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Synopsis

Samson (Victor Mature), the hero of the Israelites, wins the hand of a Philistine woman, Semadar (Angela Lansbury), in a contest of strength. When she is killed during a conflict on her wedding night, however, Samson becomes a hunted man whom the Philistines, including Semadar's sister, Delilah (Hedy Lamarr), want to punish. This becomes complicated, however, when Samson suddenly acquires God-given superpowers, and Delilah's true feelings for Samson surface.

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Screenwriter: Fredric M. Frank, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Harold Lamb, Jesse Lasky Jr.
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, CIC Video
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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