The Queen of Sheba (Gina Lollobrigida) enjoys taking a bath in SOLOMON & SHEBA
This bath scene, a definitive PEPLUM cliché for female stars (male stars have bath scenes but they're rarely opulent), is unusually dark and dreary. Usually, scenes of a Queen luxuriating in a bath are there to showcase the Queen's wealth, prestige and power, with a plethora of Ladies-in-Waiting taking care of her but not this one. It's just Gina and some old lady in a darkly lit space. IMO, it's a misfire certainly when you consider how the name Queen of Sheba evokes so much opulence. I would have went all the way, certainly if you have Gina as the star. As a side note, it's one of the few scenes in the film where Gina seems to have genuine fun. I suspect it was shot before Tyrone Power died on the set.
1 comment:
The only thing I thought of was that she was taking the bath in her tent at the campsite near Jerusalem. She did have many attendants, but I guess the scene only called for her and the older lady who seemed as if she was her most trusted attendant and a mother figure. Who knows what the script called for and how many changes were made before they shot this scene.
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