The Sign of the Cross (film)
Encyclopedia
The Sign of the Cross is a pre-Code epic film released by Paramount Pictures
, produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille
from a screenplay by Waldemar Young
and Sidney Buchman
, and based on the original 1895 play
by Wilson Barrett
.
Both play and film have a strong resemblance to the novel Quo Vadis
, and like the novel, take place in ancient Rome
during the reign of Nero
. The art direction and costume design were by Mitchell Leisen
who also acted as assistant director. Karl Struss
was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography
.
The film stars Fredric March
, Elissa Landi
, Claudette Colbert
, and Charles Laughton
, with Ian Keith
and Arthur Hohl
. The film is the third and last in DeMille's biblical trilogy with The Ten Commandments
(1923) and The King of Kings (1927). It was filmed on location in Fresno, California
.
was strictly enforced in 1934, this film has a history of censorship. In the original version, Marcus Superbus (Fredric March) is unsuccessful in his desire to seduce Mercia (Elisa Landi), an innocent Christian girl. He then urges Ancaria (Joyzelle Joyner) to perform the erotic "Dance of the Naked Moon" that will "warm her into life". This "lesbian
dance" was cut
from the negative
for a 1938 reissue, but was restored by MCA-Universal
for its 1993 video release. Some gladiator
ial combat footage was also cut for the 1938 reissue, as were arena sequences involving naked women being attacked by crocodiles and a gorilla. These were also restored in 1993.
DeMille himself supervised a new version for its 1944 rerelease. New footage with a World War II
setting, featuring actor Stanley Ridges
(who did not originally appear in the film) was added to make the film more topical. In the new prologue, a group of planes is seen flying over what was ancient Rome. The conversation of the soldiers in one of the planes leads directly into the film's original opening scene. The last few seconds of the edited version of the film showed the planes flying off into the distance, rather than simply fading out on the original closing scene of the movie.
For many years, this edited version was the only one available. The version now shown on Turner Classic Movies
has been restored to the original 125 minute length by the UCLA Film and Television Archive
with the help of the DeMille estate and Universal Pictures
, which now owns most pre-1950 Paramount sound features.
led to the formation in 1934 of the Catholic Legion of Decency
, an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the church, in motion pictures.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
from a screenplay by Waldemar Young
Waldemar Young
Waldemar Young , was an American screenwriter. He wrote for 81 films between 1917 and 1938.He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and died in Hollywood, California from pneumonia....
and Sidney Buchman
Sidney Buchman
Sidney Robert Buchman was a screenwriter and producer who worked on 38 films from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. He is also sometimes credited as Sydney Buchman.-Career:...
, and based on the original 1895 play
The Sign of the Cross (play)
The Sign of the Cross is a late-1895 four-act historical tragedy, by Wilson Barrett. It is generally conceded that the plot resembles the novel Quo Vadis of those same years, as an unofficial adaptation of it, yet Barrett never acknowledged this...
by Wilson Barrett
Wilson Barrett
Wilson Barrett was an English manager, actor, and playwright.With his company, Barrett is credited with attracting the largest crowds of English theatregoers ever because of his success with melodrama, an instance being his production of The Silver King at the Princess's Theatre of London.The...
.
Both play and film have a strong resemblance to the novel Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis (novel)
Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero, commonly known as Quo Vadis, is a historical novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz in Polish. Quo vadis is Latin for "Where are you going?" and alludes to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, in which Peter flees Rome but on his way meets Jesus and asks him why he...
, and like the novel, take place in ancient Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
during the reign of Nero
Nero
Nero , was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death....
. The art direction and costume design were by Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen
Mitchell Leisen was an American director, art director, and costume designer.-Film career:He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments...
who also acted as assistant director. Karl Struss
Karl Struss
Karl Struss, A.S.C. was a photographer and a cinematographer of the 1920s through the 1950s. He was also one of the earliest pioneers of 3-D films. While he mostly worked on films, he was also one of the cinematographers for the television series Broken Arrow.He was born in New York, New York and...
was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:...
.
The film stars Fredric March
Fredric March
Fredric March was an American stage and film actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1932 for Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
, Elissa Landi
Elissa Landi
Elissa Landi was an Italian born actress who was popular in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. Rumoured to be a descendant of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, she was noted for her aristocratic bearing....
, Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
, and Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton
Charles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
, with Ian Keith
Ian Keith
-Life and career:Born Keith Ross in Boston, Massachusetts, Ian Keith was a veteran character actor of the legitimate theater, and appeared in a variety of colorful roles in silent features of the 1920s. His stage training made him a natural choice for the new "talking pictures"; he played John...
and Arthur Hohl
Arthur Hohl
Arthur Hohl was a stage and motion-picture character actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s...
. The film is the third and last in DeMille's biblical trilogy with The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1923 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1923 American epic silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Theodore Roberts as Moses, Charles de Rochefort as Pharaoh Ramesses, Estelle Taylor as Miriam the sister of Moses, and James Neill as Aaron, the brother of Moses...
(1923) and The King of Kings (1927). It was filmed on location in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
.
Cast (in credits order)
- Fredric MarchFredric MarchFredric March was an American stage and film actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1932 for Dr. Jekyll and Mr...
as Marcus Superbus — Prefect of Rome - Elissa LandiElissa LandiElissa Landi was an Italian born actress who was popular in Hollywood films of the 1920s and 1930s. Rumoured to be a descendant of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria, she was noted for her aristocratic bearing....
as Mercia - Claudette ColbertClaudette ColbertClaudette Colbert was a French-born American-based actress of stage and film.Born in Paris, France and raised in New York City, Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the 1920s, progressing to film with the advent of talking pictures...
as Empress Poppaea - Charles LaughtonCharles LaughtonCharles Laughton was an English-American stage and film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.-Early life and career:...
as Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar - Ian KeithIan Keith-Life and career:Born Keith Ross in Boston, Massachusetts, Ian Keith was a veteran character actor of the legitimate theater, and appeared in a variety of colorful roles in silent features of the 1920s. His stage training made him a natural choice for the new "talking pictures"; he played John...
as Tigellinus - Arthur HohlArthur HohlArthur Hohl was a stage and motion-picture character actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s...
as Titus - Harry BeresfordHarry BeresfordHarry Beresford was a stage actor in London and New York before going on the screen. He was also a screen writer and novelist.He was married to actress Kitty Gordon and their child was actress Vera Beresford....
as Favius Fontelas - Tommy Conlon as Stephan
- Ferdinand GottschalkFerdinand GottschalkFerdinand Gottschalk was an English film actor. He appeared in 76 films between 1917 and 1938. He was born and died in London, England....
as Glabrio - Vivian Tobin as Dacia
- William V. MongWilliam V. MongWilliam V. Mong was an American film actor, screenwriter and director. He appeared in 195 films between 1910 and 1939.He was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and died in Studio City, California.-Selected filmography:...
as Licinius - Joyzelle Joyner as Ancaria
- Richard AlexanderRichard AlexanderRichard Thain Alexander was a British politician. He was Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Newark until losing his seat in the landslide of the 1997 general election....
as Viturius - Nat PendletonNat PendletonNathaniel Greene "Nat" Pendleton was an American Olympic wrestler and film actor.-Early life:Pendleton was born in Davenport, Iowa to Adelaide E. and Nathaniel G. Pendleton. He studied at Columbia University where he began his wrestling career. He was twice Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling...
as Strabo - Clarence BurtonClarence BurtonClarence Burton was an American silent film actor....
as Servillius - Harold Healy as Tybul
- Robert Seiter as Philodemus
- Charles MiddletonCharles B. MiddletonCharles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
as Tyros
Production notes
- The famous scene in which Poppaea (Claudette Colbert) bathes in asses' milk took several days to shoot. DeMille announced to the press that real asses' milk was used; however, it was actually powdered cow's milk. After a few days under the hot lights, the milk turned sour, making it very unpleasant for Colbert to work in the stench.
- To save production expense during the Great DepressionGreat DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, existing sets were reused as well as costumes left over from the making of The Ten Commandments. DeMille also attempted to provide out-of-work actors jobs as extras such as the crowd arena scenes.
Editing for reissue after enforcement of the production code
As with many other Pre-Code films that were reissued after the Production CodeProduction Code
The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral censorship guidelines that governed the production of the vast majority of United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the Hays Code, after Hollywood's chief censor of the...
was strictly enforced in 1934, this film has a history of censorship. In the original version, Marcus Superbus (Fredric March) is unsuccessful in his desire to seduce Mercia (Elisa Landi), an innocent Christian girl. He then urges Ancaria (Joyzelle Joyner) to perform the erotic "Dance of the Naked Moon" that will "warm her into life". This "lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
dance" was cut
Re-edited film
A re-edited film is a film that has been edited from the original theatrical release.-Types of re-editing:Films edited for format, length, and content....
from the negative
Negative (photography)
In photography, a negative may refer to three different things, although they are all related.-A negative:Film for 35 mm cameras comes in long narrow strips of chemical-coated plastic or cellulose acetate. As each image is captured by the camera onto the film strip, the film strip advances so that...
for a 1938 reissue, but was restored by MCA-Universal
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
for its 1993 video release. Some gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
ial combat footage was also cut for the 1938 reissue, as were arena sequences involving naked women being attacked by crocodiles and a gorilla. These were also restored in 1993.
DeMille himself supervised a new version for its 1944 rerelease. New footage with a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
setting, featuring actor Stanley Ridges
Stanley Ridges
Stanley Ridges was a British-born actor who made his mark in films by playing a wide assortment of character parts...
(who did not originally appear in the film) was added to make the film more topical. In the new prologue, a group of planes is seen flying over what was ancient Rome. The conversation of the soldiers in one of the planes leads directly into the film's original opening scene. The last few seconds of the edited version of the film showed the planes flying off into the distance, rather than simply fading out on the original closing scene of the movie.
For many years, this edited version was the only one available. The version now shown on Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
has been restored to the original 125 minute length by the UCLA Film and Television Archive
UCLA Film and Television Archive
The UCLA Film and Television Archive is an internationally renowned visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles. It holds more than 220,000 film and television titles and 27 million feet of...
with the help of the DeMille estate and Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, which now owns most pre-1950 Paramount sound features.
Catholic Legion of Decency
The reaction of the Catholic Church in the United States to the content in this film and in Ann VickersAnn Vickers
Ann Vickers is a 1933 novel by Sinclair Lewis.It is also a 1933 drama film directed by John Cromwell, adapted by Jane Murfin from Lewis's novel, and starring Irene Dunne, Bruce Cabot, Walter Huston, and Conrad Nagel...
led to the formation in 1934 of the Catholic Legion of Decency
National Legion of Decency
The National Legion of Decency was an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, in motion pictures...
, an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the church, in motion pictures.