SALOME

US, 1953, 103 minutes, Colour.
Rita Hayworth, Stewart Granger, Charles Laughton, Alan Badel, Judith Anderson, Cedric Hardwicke, Basil Sidney.
Directed by William Diertele.

Salome was considered ‘hot stuff’ in the early 1950s. Rita Hayworth was probably twice the age that the real Salome was at the time of the Dance of the Seven Veils (Rita Hayworth was thirty-five). However, she lives up to expectations with the dance – echoes of her famous roles like that of Gilda and her musicals including Cover Girl with Gene Kelly and You Were Never Lovelier with Fred Astaire.

Stewart Granger is a stolid Roman commander whereas Charles Laughton is all lechery as King Herod and Judith Anderson acid as his wife. Cedric Hardwicke appears as Tiberius Caesar. It is the first film of Alan Badel as John the Baptist.

The film bears little relationship to history, or even the biblical narratives. However, it is tongue-in-cheek entertainment of the 1950s.

The film was directed by William Dieterle who had a strong career at Warner Bros in the 1930s directing such interesting films as The Life of Emile Zola and Juarez as well as directing Charles Laughton in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

1. The quality of this biblical spectacular, audience appeal and interest? The general style? Its reputation in the fifties, the theme and Rita Hayworth as Salome, sensational overtones then? Impact now?

2. The quality of the colour, the sets of Rome and Palestine, costumes? Authentic looking locations, especially for Palestine? The atmosphere of the Roman Empire, of Palestine at the time of Christ? The contribution of the music, the Hollywood celestial style, melodramatic and ancient style music? The holiness aspects with John the Baptist, the Sermon on the Mount, the ending?

3. The impact of the stars, Rita Hayworth and her impact in the fifties, anticipation of the Dance of the Seven Veils? Stewart Granger, Charles Laughton and his Nero-like style, Judith Anderson and bringing Lady Macbeth and her characterizations to Herodius?

4. The film's use of the meagre information from the Gospels, a fundamentallstic interpretation of events and characters? How credible was the using of small biblical texts for this kind of biblical spectacular? Screenwriters from Hollywood In the fifties delineating characters, getting motivations? Situating these events within the history of the Roman Empire? Religious drama? The observation on the political side of things, the psychological implications? The twisting of Cospel texts as regards Salome's motivation and behaviour in John the Baptist's death? A shock for the audience who know their scriptures?

5. The film's focussing on Salome herself, Rita Hayworth and her personality and style? Picturing her in Rome, her Roman education, the accusation of being a barbarian, her disillusionment with the Roman and his love for her? Situating Salome In the Palestinian background, as the daughter of Herodias, the initial impact of Herodias and applying her character to her daughter? Tempestuous, arrogant? Her attitude in leaving Rome and returning home? The initial confrontation with Claudius and her arrogance towards him? Towards Pillate? Her behaviour on the return journey? The importance dramatically of the initial encounter with John theaBaptist, her hostility and her love for her mother? The importance of the challenge that John the Baptist offered? The reasons for her change? Her relationship with Herod, with Herodius? Her love for Claudius? The dance, the dilemma, the good motivation for her dancing in order to save John the Baptist and the ironic twist? Her final conversion to Christianity, the Sermon on the Mount? How well did the screenwriters delineate her character and give her motivation and choices?

6. Claudius as the typical Roman hero of such spectacular films, his war background, knowledge of Palestine. status in Rome, relationship with Pilate, guiding and advising Pilate, saying and warning John the Baptist? His place in the court of Herod, his love for Salome, his concern about John the Baptist? His being demoted, the importAnce of rescuing John the Baptist, the conversion at the end? The importance of the Roman being a Christian?

7. The portrait of Tiberius and his calculated rule of the Empire, Influence on Salome and returning her to Palestine, choice of Pilate and giving him a mandate for his governorship? Pilate as a typical Roman official, his
attitude towards the Jews, his behaviour on the journey? His highhanded attitude towards Herod, the Jews? The Ironic dialogue given him about his being remembered? His attitude to John the Baptist, the dinner sequences with Herod, Jerusalem?

8. How much like the biblical presenation of Herod was Charles Laughton's performance? The historical background, the knowledge of his father and reference to the murder of the Innocents, a weak man, a lewd man, his love for Herodias and being separated from her? His moral dilemmas? His fear of John the Baptist, his also wishing to protect him? His behaviour at the trial and the various points of view about John the Baptist? The build-up to his birthday, his reaction to the dance, his reaction to John the Baptist's death? Did this characterization present Herod as a credible king of that place and time?

9. Herodias as a Lady Macbeth type of person, her ambition, her power over Herod, separation from him, the people that she used, Micah, the various plots, the build-up to the death of John the Baptist? Her love and ambitions for her daughter inheriting the kingdom, her daughter's disillusionment with her? How much psychological observation of this kind of powerful woman?

10. The portrayal of John the Baptists the biblical information, his character, as a religious man, his attitude towards the Romans in the Initial preaching and condemnigg them, the threats of death, his imprisonment and disciples, sermons, support from Claudius? The way that he faced his death?

11. The portrayal of Herod's court, the various officials, the style, paganism, and worldliness? Context for the preaching of Christianity?

12. The atmosphere of pageantry, the re-creation of the Roman court, the galley and the ships, the journey through the desert to Galilee, Herod’s court, the tribunal, the build?up to the birthday party, the dramatic impact and choreography of Salome’s dance?

13. Could this film be described as religious?

14. The overall entertainment value of this kind of film, for Christians for non-Christians?