Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

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The Ten Commandments Paramount-DeMille — At the pinnacle ( Color by Technicolor) Cecil Blount DeMille, surely one of thepfreat figures of the motion picture for a longer activeijeriod than almost any other man alive, in this latest and^freatest of his works has erected a monument to himself y(nd his genius. It is altogether fitting that th worked so well all these years, their ultimate, should here ser From the dawning years of this ing of which he has played s with the memorable and histo far back in 1913, down throug a pace few have found it p approach. For in the handling of the c' within it, the materials which a unbounded sweeping imaginatl power to turn the imaginative living screen entertainment. In ments” of the scientific and tech has without question in this vie screen achievement climaxing a b Down through the years DeMill in the stories of the ancient civi today’s and that interest has give pictures of the past. There have b “The Sign of the Cross” “Cleopatra^ and of course “The Ten Commandin' the fine pictures of the sere ols with which he has w developed perhaps to im so well once again, ’t-lndustry, in the fashionaguiificent a part, starting awing “The Squaw Man,” taeming years, he has set., ble\ to match or even to t, the artisans who work its screes, he is or ques at'*'" ' is. logical yeefrj recKijred jfr illiant career, s found a\ions wh rise to real? jmmj 195p (he maefe oi able ascination eded motior ‘The of Kins ‘lSar Fhich pne of It was perhaps inevitable that he should go back to' that period in biblical history for. this work, bj^kto the sTHTy of Moses and the deliverance of a people fr^»the bondage of dictatorial slavery. It is a theme as unhapm^alive, pertinent and tragically true in today’s “advar£ecT^«&^ilization_ as it was in the time of the pharaohs of /ncier*E!gYpt DeMille points out in a “curtain” speech or/the screen jpfore the film begins. But we are concerned herein with th(/moti0ii prfturA as a piece of entertainment merchandise \W you wfch/lesigmed^ to appeal to the many who seek momentary fese fror their labors. Let it be said at once, then, thaUn^els one of the potentially most successful items of itp^fnd ever to be offered, one to which the public in its rruiltitudes will flock for a long time, one which should establish box office records in all climes, in all areas, appealing to all people. For here is entertainment of the highest order. The authenticity of the source materials which DeMille utilized in the fashioning of the script is in itself of interest. Scientific researchers into ancient times were his guides, and historical works by lay historians and members of the clergy are cited. From all of these sources a superb script was fashioned by Aeneas MacKenzie, Jesse L. Lasky, Jr., Jack Gariss and Fredric M. Frank. The generalship which has come to be known as a hallmark of DeMille’s ability in the handling of masses of people, fashioning his pictures on broad and sweeping canvases come full play here. The movements of hordes of people agaif?S^ast backgrounds, of soldiers and chariots, of pulsating cro^s torn by the stress of mass hysteria are handled with consi\amate skill and breath-taking effect. And today DeMille haoS^iis command the newest techniques of science in the the screen, and he has used Technicolor and VistaVi^ioV^^add immeasurably to the effectiveness of the whole. \ctfloil it may be said that the technical fabriliraVles attributed biblically to Moses in the ?livelance and in his “hearing” the word of !*cea of theatrical presentation, and are so tfe viewer slightly breathless — and peris due those technically responsible ^oyal Griggs was director of photogin, J. Peverall Marley and Wallace [al Pereira, Walter Tyler and Albert for the art direction, while special ted to John P. Fulton, Paul Lerpae In this coni eating of thos^ course of the God are mast^ effective as to haps convinced^ jr these achie\ raphy, with Jof likewise 11 ..were resi ^phy is ' ibt Edol In the selefctiorfcfiiis enormous cast, DeMille, as producerdirector, apa his J^fiociate producer, Henry Wilcoxon, chose wisely and wellMmr here are as fine a set of performances as we beligve w§«creen has seen. Considering the tremendous n/mbl-tfl^ers who might be said to have major roles, the leveWcJ perfH^aceis extremely high. CharltonHa^t/on, in theroi^^i^|es, without question has fashioned t^^reatest performance of^f splendid career and it is ventu»jrhere that the Heston performance will stand as one otMme finest in screen history. He brings to the role of MosejFa quality of calm sincerity, of superb dignity and restrajMu power which is the mark of greatness. fefretiri, beloved of Moses but by stricture the befed of the next pharaoh, Anne Baxter is beautiful and fuctive. Yul Brynner, who claims new triumphs as his ireer goes forward, makes of Rameses, first a rival to Moses 'as prince, then Pharaoh as Moses becomes the deliverer, a magnificent dictator, wholly lacking in the spark of human kindness, caring only for his son, and finally cowed by the power that is God’s, with Moses the medium. Brynner’s performance is brilliant. Of the highest order is the work of Edward G. Robinson, as Dathan the renegade Hebrew who is overseer of the slave laborers; Sir Cedric Hardwicke as Sethi, Pharaoh and father of Rameses, a monarch, yet with some touch of justice; Yvonne de Carlo, as the shepherdess wife of Moses when he finds momentary peace among the flocks; Nina Foch, as the “mother” of Moses who finds him an infant among the bull( Continued on opposite page ) 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 6, 1956