Tuesday, March 6, 2018

By the Gods!

Lana Turner, as the High Priestess Samarra, in a publicity photo with the statue of Moloch in THE PRODIGAL (1955)

This is one of the more creative renditions of a gaudy statue representing a deity. I used a publicity photo because we really never get a good view of the statue in the movie itself. Personally, I think it looks more Asian than Middle Eastern. This statue was reused more effectively in ATLANTIS - THE LOST CONTINENT (1961). See more here.

4 comments:

Scott Ochiltree said...

THE PRODIGAL was only a C-plus Peplum, but I agree that the statue of Moloch was first class.

It had been located in Delaware and finally in suburban New Jersey. However, it is no longer at that location. Its current whereabouts are unknown (if it still exists intact).

THE PRODIGAL, which was MGM's most expensive movie in 1955, was a box office flop. Dore Schary, then head of production at MGM, is said to have remarked that "I forgot that Cecil B. DeMille had a copyright on the Bible."

Anonymous said...

Scott gave Ruth a B-minus and The Prodigal a C-minus. Why do you think we care how you rate them?
It's all subjective...in the eye of the beholder.

Scott Ochiltree said...

Anonymous's comment would imply that there are no standards for serious reviews of movies, artwork, music, literature, and theater.

Leonard Maltin, for instance, is an outstanding example of first rate movie criticism.

Anonymous said...

I just don't see why you think we readers care about your ratings of these movies. Obviously you aren't Leonard Maltin. And you seem compelled to comment on everything.