Salome

In the reign of emperor Tiberius, Gallilean prophet John the Baptist preaches against King Herod and Queen Herodias…

• Director: William Dieterle
• Genre:Drama / History
• Runtime:99 minutes

Cast

Rita Hayworth : Princess Salome
Stewart Granger : Commander Claudius
Charles Laughton: King Herod
Judith Anderson : Queen Herodias
Cedric Hardwicke: Tiberius Caesar (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)

Although based on the New Testament story, the film does not follow the biblical text. In Galilee, during the rule of Rome’s Tiberius Caesar, King Herod (Charles Laughton) and Queen Herodias (Judith Anderson) sit on the throne and are condemned by a prophet known as John the Baptist (Alan Badel). Herodias resents John’s denunciation of her marriage to the king, her former husband’s brother, and the Baptist’s claim that she is an adulteress.

Salome falls in love with a heroic Roman soldier (Granger) who converts to Christianity. In a direct reversal of the Biblical text, she dances for Herod to save John the Baptist from being beheaded, but is unsuccessful. Horrified, she renounces her mother Herodias, who planned and ordered the execution, and also becomes a Christian convert. The last scene shows Hayworth and Granger listening to Christ (whose face is not shown) delivering the Sermon on the Mount. Read more