Samson and Delilah (1949)

VHS CASE/SIDE

MPPA Certifcate Number: 13447

Length of film:  134 Minutes

Rated: Approved

Genre: Family Drama, History

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Starring: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders, Angela Lansbury, Henry Wilcoxon, Olive Deering, Fay Holden, Julia Faye

IMDB Rank: 6.8/10

Part 1 Time:  74 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  60 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Samson (Victor Mature) and Delilah (Hedy Lamarr) speak in Delilah’s tent quarters.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “You… daughter of hell.” Samson replies to Delilah.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Seven green witches for our seven days, Samson.” Delilah speaks to Samson in the pool garden.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Delilah is cunning and deceitful towards Samson but has still not found the secret to Samson’s godlike strength. Will she be able to convince Samson to divulge his secret?

Which part is better?  Part two is given the advantage as Samson is faced with the betrayal of Delilah and endures various forms of torture at the hands of the Saran (George Sanders). However, Samson does get his retribution.

Academy Awards: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Colour, Best Costume Design Colour, Best Cinematography Colour (Nominated), Best Effects-Special Effects (Nominated), Best Music Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Nominated)