[ April 19, 2024 ]
“Her Salome Will Steal Your Breath Away” was the classic advertising slogan attached to this opulent Rita Hayworth epic (and tonight’s Saturday Night Cinema feature). After her banishment from Rome, Jewish Princess Salome returns to her Roman-ruled native land of Galilee where prophet John the Baptist preaches against Salome’s parents, King Herod and Queen Herodias.
“Hayworth, who has never been better photographed, injects excellent dramatic values and wears the clinging Roman costumes to advantage. Her dance, staged by Valerie Bettis, packs plenty of s.a. Granger gives an easy, assured masculine portrayal to his central role, and when he and Miss Hayworth are on together the picture has a decided lift.”
https://youtu.be/zOd5AjHWZVg
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“Her Salome Will Steal Your Breath Away” was the classic advertising slogan attached to this opulent Rita Hayworth epic — a slogan which became laughable whenever a radio announcer would mispronounce Salome as “salami.” Using the very sketchy Biblical story of the death of John the Baptist as its springboard, Salome depicts its title character, the stepdaughter of King Herod, as a victim of circumstance rather than a wanton temptress. Banished from Rome because of an unfortunate romance with the nephew of Caesar, Salome (Rita Hayworth) declares that all men are her enemies, but her resolve weakens when she falls in love with Claudius (Stewart Granger), the military commander of Galilee. Meanwhile, Salome’s wicked mother, Herodias (Judith Anderson), plots the demise of John the Baptist (Alan Badel), who currently enjoys the protection of the superstitious Herod (Charles Laughton). At this point, the story departs radically from Scripture. Salome is no longer coerced by Herodias to demand the head of John the Baptist; instead, Herodias, on her own, promises Herod that Salome will perform the “Dance of the Seven Veils” for him — but only if he beheads John first (Salome has been misinformed that the dance will save John from the headsman’s sword). Somehow, scriptwriter Jesse Lasky Jr. even manages to concoct a happy ending for poor Salome, which is a lot more than Oscar Wilde or Richard Strauss were able to do. Considered an artistic flop in 1953, Salome seems somewhat better today, if only because of that powerhouse cast.
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17 Comments
4 years ago
“” The Ukrainian prosecutor who Joe Biden bragged about getting fired, Viktor Shokin, has filed a criminal complaint in Kiev against the former Vice President for abusing his power, according to French news outlet Les Crises (confirmed by multiple sources according to PJ Media). “”
4 years ago
Reply to
yeah, okay, OffTopic
Dopey Joe + punk son like to make out like Clintons …..orange jumpsuits await.
4 years ago
So many things wrong with this movie, here are a couple:
-Here’s ONE example of the twisting of scripture to introduce heresies: Salome is made a sympathetic figure by stripping Seven Veils in a dance to manipulate Herod; & by having her mother sell her for John’s head rather than her agreeing to ask for it. (As an aside, I wonder if it is the depiction of John the Baptist in this movie that inspired the artist who drew prophets holding apocalyptic signs in the margins of Mad Magazine).
Matthew 14:8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
-It romanticizes sl avery. Perhaps it’s OK because the soldier & harem s e x sl aves are mostly white Europeans.
“Literally millions of Chr stians were captured into sl avery during the many centuries of Ji had. So pervasive were the incursions by the Turks into Eastern Europe, that the English word for sl ave is based on Slav.
Muslim slave raiders operated as far north as England. In 1631, a French cleric in Algiers observed the sale of nearly 300 men, women and children, taken from a peaceful English fishing village:
‘It was a pitiful sight to see them exposed in the market…Women were separated from their husbands and the children from their fathers…on one side a husband was sold; on the other his wife; and her daughter was torn from her arms without the hope that they’d ever see each other again.’ (from the book, White Gold, which also details the story of English sl ave, Thomas Pellow, who was beaten, starved and tortured into embracing Islam).”
https://islamandwesterncivilisation.com/posts/islamic-slavery/islam-teach-slavery/
4 years ago
Reply to
Grace Joy
I disagree. The movie is only meant as entertainment. I can appreciate any movie with a cast like that, especially Laughton. Although I can see how it would trample a hard line Christian’s core beliefs, to call something like this heresy is to emulate the moslem attitude of taking offense at any slight of THEIR odious beliefs. It’s a slippery slope… I’d be careful. As for slavery, it has always been a little flaw in our species, and tragically will never be eradicated. I despise Rome, even though it is one of the foundations of our civilization. That said, I don’t see how the movie ‘romanticizes’ slavery…just the opposite.
Lastly, this movie has utterly nothing to do with Islam.
4 years ago
Reply to
Don Spilman
Please realize that statement is directed at Islam, no other belief system. Mine are mostly Christian. I’m a rare bird known as an ‘agnostic deist’…yes, there is such a thing.
But I despise Islam to the core of my being. It offends me by merely existing.
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
A lot of people like being esoteric or I should say participating in esoteric ventures. It makes them feel special! It’s also called cultic mentality. What you call a hard line Christian is probably one who simply believes what the Bible says and seeks to live it!
4 years ago
Reply to
Don Spilman
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say although I have a feeling you shouldn’t say it if you want to get along with me, but as for ‘esoteric’, not hardly. I don’t feel ‘special’, I feel confused and awestruck when I look at the universe. I just don’t buy into the arrogant side of Christianity, that all the answers are in the Bible. To me they very obviously are NOT. I’ve known many Christians of whom I have felt somewhat envious of their ability to deal with life and it’s ups and downs. What I AM is very honest. If I can’t or won’t commit to it I won’t give it lip service. It’s called integrity…and no, I’m not saying hard liners are dishonest. Maybe the best word for true believers in the arcane aspects (ie miracles, literal interpretation etc.) is simply lucky. That they (you?) have such a source of comfort. I have a skeptical nature and very little faith in much of anything, much less any God. And I try to always be honest with my own feelings and what I tend to believe and accept…which I won’t indulge you with because you come off as hostile to my viewpoint. Don’t attack me, I won’t attack you. As for islam…mutual enemy, please do.
What I call a ‘hardline Christian’ is a devout Catholic, OR a Protestant sect member, or just an ordinary bible thumper who thinks he has a hot line to heaven. Hey, my best friend is a born again evangelical who won’t celebrate Christmas except for the Nativity. Which one are you?
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
Well I respect your honesty here, in the little blurb above I detected perhaps you had a problem with Christians in general, that is o k too. But I was just responding to what seemed like you were believing you had found some perfect small group with all the answers. So let me ask you a question I’m not asking to attack you I am asking because you seem to be a reasoning person. Do you believe there is an absolute truth? And if you do not why do you attack someone who does believe there is an absolute truth and has found it? What do you think of this: “Love Without Truth Is Just Another Lie”
4 years ago
Reply to
Don Spilman
I assure you I am not a part of some crackpot group or cult…I try to think for myself and sometimes discuss these things with a few select individuals, mostly my wife and the aforesaid evangelical friend.
And absolute truth? Heh. If there is I don’t have enough time in one lifetime to discover it…and maybe I’m not supposed to. It’s above my paygrade, and I think it’s one of Christianity’s strongest points to basically say so. Your faith shields you from certain things like despair and surrender. But it takes a strong faith. I don’t attack people over religion (I don’t consider islam a religion, but a sort of political cult, all about power and death) although yes I am sometimes critical of Christianity, but I avoid attacking it. I just thought the poster who was wailing on the movie was a little overboard. Shrug, most nights I would pass something like that up. My post was a simple disagreement, not an attack. She has a right to hate on the movie, but the part about slavery just seemed so far off base from what I saw in the movie I felt it needed a counterpoint. It is an entertaining if corny flick.
Actually I’m happy for anyone who has their absolute truth, as long as it isn’t forced on me. Per that best friend, again.
As for your statement, taken in simplest terms I’d disagree. I value both, but I think love can exist separately from truth without the love being a lie. Love is complex. I can think of all sorts of scenarios in which love exists without any sort of truth. Everything except the love can be illusion, falsification, outright lies…and the love is still there. It’s the most powerful force in human relationships and can thrive in very hostile environments. However,
the crux of Christianity, in my opinion, is not really love or truth at all…it’s far and away faith. Then love, and truth who knows…without faith.
Your story about the church. I had an experience that was sort of similar. I was looking for a church to go to a while back (surprised?) and wanted to check out a local Methodist church, beautiful old church built of river rock with a steeple and ivy covered walls…and going up the stairs in the front noticed a sign in the window that read ‘We welcome our new Muslim neighbors’. I scooted. I sort of doubt those folks have any sort of connection with the truth, although that may just be me…
My actual beliefs are somewhat private, but what I call myself should give a good base idea, as I wrote above I am an ‘agnostic deist’.
Pretty much a one man band about it, too.
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
You’re a thoughtful person. A lot of insightful observations and I loved what you said about the “we love our muzzie neighbors” episode !! … The ‘religion of peace’ indeed !
With respect to the movie I have a question…. it might not rise to the level of deep discourse or even pithy perception. But don’t you think Rita Hayworth’s legs look fabulous here !!! …. and her tatas ain’t bad eiither. Just an observation mind you…. :- )
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
Where did I say I “h a t e” the movie? The “Crux of Chr stianity” is Jesus’ Word. Your being an “agnositc deist” doesn’t diminish Jesus’ Word. You can believe or not what you like; but to demand others follow what you say instead of Jesus is what I would call “overboard.”
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
You are inconsistent.
-You say twice that you don’t “attack Chr stianity,” yet you describe me as “wailing on, h a t i n g on, wailing, & overboard” for objecting to Hollywood twisting scripture for story line & ratings; & for not dismissing sl avery as “a little flaw.” Because you disagreed with me.
-You say “I value both, but I think love can exist separately from truth without the love being a lie” on the one hand; & on the other you “doubt those folks have any sort of connection with the truth” because they welcome (love) Muslims. Seems you play fast & loose with Truth as much as you do with scripture.
Absolute Truth: How is love OK in one situation; but not the other, especially when you value “Love” equally, whether it be of Lies or of Truth? It may be your “opinion” that the most important part of Chr stianity “is not really love or truth at all…it’s far & away faith,” but it’s not the “absolute truth,” which is Jesus’ Word. It was written down for us.
1 Corinthias 13:13 The three most i mportant things to have are faith, hope, & love. But the greatest of them is love.
As I said, you can believe or disbelieve anything you like; but don’t expect to force your “mostly Chr stian belief system” as more righteous than Jesus’ Word while claiming to have “Chr stian beliefs” that are opposed to scripture. You won’t commit to Jesus because you don’t want to repent of your sins as per scripture. that’s fine; but don’t expect to convert others to you, or to silence them from speaking the Truth.
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
Also totally with you on the universe. I went to a church for a while and after a while I noticed the never ever mentioned heaven or the second coming of the Christ. I asked some guy with a leadership badge pinned to him why they didn’t talk about these things. He actual flinched like I had pinged him with a spit wad or something. He said oh those things scare our young people. Well I went home and asked my twenty five year old Christian grandson if heaven and the second coming scared him. He said no not at all but the universe and eternity scare the heck out of me I thought that was pretty good stuff and sincere honesty, I’m with him. The Bible doesn’t alleviate those concerns very much.
4 years ago
Reply to
famouswolf
Your belief that my objecting to changing the Word of the bible to make a movie more entertaining is “hard line Chr stian’s core beliefs” only means you don’t care about the Word.
You’re entitled to disagree with me; but to conflate my right to object to said twisting of the Word with Islam’s D eath Penalty for Blasphemy sounds a bit like “hard line atheism” to me. Why should I “be careful” of my speech; & why should Don, below, “not say things” if he wants to “get along with” you? Do atheists like yourself decide who can speak?
You believe Sl avery is just a “little flaw in our species?” You think we should accept it? Of course it “tragically will never be eradicated” if people dismiss it as normal to be accepted.
Girls (sl aves) happily throwing a ball back & forth with their mistress Salome, well-fed sl aves carrying wondrous gifts off boats, etc., is “romanticized’ sl avery.
Did you even look at the link I left?
4 years ago
Reply to
Grace Joy
Yeah, you should definitely be careful, because your rant reminds of islamic doctrine, how they attack and kill over the least perceived insults to their ‘religion’.
I’m not an atheist by a long shot, not that it’s any of your damn business.
I don’t accept slavery, it’s just something that has plagued mankind since the beginning of our awareness and before. I’m afraid it is ‘normal’ to our species, like hunting birds is to cats.
You apparently didn’t pay too much attention to the movie. LOL
No, I have no intention of looking at your link.
Have a nice day with your Word. Just don’t try to force it on me…you’d get the same reaction as that to a moslem.
You have a poor knowledge of history.
Now, that is all I have for you. Good day.
