The Prodigal

Released May 6, 1955

1 hr. 54 min.

History

Drama

List

Reviews

36%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

The son (Edmund Purdom) of a Hebrew farmer wastes his fortune on a Damascus love goddess (Lana Turner), then is thrown into a pit of vultures.

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Jeff S

This film featuring stars like Lana Turner, Neville Brand, John Dehner, Audrey Dalton, and others will undoubtedly resonate much louder with believers than with cynics.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

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Audience Member

Well appointed but plodding biblical spectacle with Lana looking beautiful in some eye popping and for the period very revealing costumes. A high quality cast is trapped in this junior league Sunday school lesson. Still if you're a fan of "The Robe", "The Ten Commandments" and so forth then there are things to enjoy herein.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Opulent, high-budget film based on the biblical tale "The Prodigal Son" is basically a vehicle for Lana Turner to strut her stuff. Worth seeing for its camp value and the fight with the rubber mechanical vulture at the end.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

Rather lackluster Biblical spectacle based on the parable of "The Prodigal Son". Not much here other than a scantily-clad Lana Turner as the High Priestess of Astarte.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

A sadly boring spectacle of a film, even though almost all the production values are of a high quality (except that special effect vulture). The script and direction of it are simply too bland for the story and the characters all rather unsympathetic. The one redeeming performance is that of Frances L. Sullivan -and this was his last film.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

This was just really really bad. Like, boring bad. But it has the funniest/crap vulture attack that really has to be seen to be believed.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Richard Thorpe

Director

Lana Turner

Samarra

Edmund Purdom

Micah

Louis Calhern

Nahreeb

Audrey Dalton

Ruth

James Mitchell

Asham

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A dumb and unconvincing Bible flick

Rated: C+

Jan 9, 2018

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John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

...a lavish MGM spectacle of the era, with the movie's costume and set designers the real stars of the show.

Rated: 4/10

Jun 24, 2007

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Synopsis

The son (Edmund Purdom) of a Hebrew farmer wastes his fortune on a Damascus love goddess (Lana Turner), then is thrown into a pit of vultures.

Director: Richard Thorpe
Screenwriter: Maurice Zimm
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 6, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2009

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