Thursday, August 15, 2019

By the Gods!

Jezebel (Paulette Goddard) is greeted by Jehu (George Nader) in SINS OF JEZEBEL (1953)

If there's one story that deserves a major big budget production, it's this one. Jezebel, King Ahab and Elijah. The only film made was this one. It's okay but not really impressive. Production values are low and the acting is stiff, delivery stilted dialogue. Paulette is actually good (if a bit too old) and gives her all but the rest of the cast is not adequate. Eduard Franz is miscast as Ahab who should have been way more sinister. And Nader is stiff. There is an elaborate dance number to the pagan god. The film is not dark enough and key events of the story are wrong or not well thought out (Jezebel and Jehu falling for each other, the ending, etc). It comes across more like a community theatre production shot on film than anything else. Passable but underwhelming. Obviously shot in California. In ANSCO color!

3 comments:

Scott Ochiltree said...



Thanks for your interesting comments. I would like to see this Biblical Peplum as much out of curiosity as for any other reason.

Your reference to ANSCO color was interesting. I never knew that Hollywood ever used this film stock.

Anonymous said...

Paulette Goddard in her day was considered the most beautiful woman in Hollywood.

Anonymous said...

Actually, there was a Brazilian miniseries about Jezebel that aired this year on Record Tv. Jezebel was played by a black actress.