Monday, October 6, 2014

By the Gods!

Marcus (Fredric March) requests an audience with Nero (Charles Laughton) and Poppaea (Claudette Colbert) in SIGN OF THE CROSS

Such an odd film. Definitely not Biblical even if it's a Cecil B. DeMille film. It's definitely more PEPLUM in tone than Biblical but it's definitely set in the period it was made, the 1930s, a period with few genre films. The near naked man (True Boardman) next to Nero is his slave. It's something you don't see in any other PEPLUM film which gives the film a unique quality.


2 comments:

  1. orsh549October 7, 2014 at 3:19 PM

    This a typical DeMille movie. It is very period made in early 30's with very good cast. Ancient Rome DeMille style, and entertaining as all his movies were even if the Bible or Ancient History took a back seat.

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  2. Scott OchiltreeOctober 7, 2014 at 7:14 PM

    Good fun, and an interesting example of what DeMille could get away with pre-Code.

    Some scenes had to be cut when film was re=released after the Code became effective.

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