Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Moses: Charlton Heston
- Rameses: Yul Brynner
- Nefretiri: Anne Baxter
- Dathan: Edward G. Robinson
- Sephora: Yvonne De Carlo
- Lilia: Debra Paget
- Joshua: John Derek
- Sethi: Cedric Hardwicke
- Bithiah: Nina Foch
- Yochabel: Martha Scott
- Memnet: Judith Anderson
- Baka: Vincent Price
- Aaron: John Carradine
- Miriam: Olive Deering
- Jannes: Douglass Dumbrille
- Abiram: Frank De Kova
- Pentaur: Henry Wilcoxon
- Jethro: Eduard Franz
- Mered: Donald Curtis
- Hur Ben Caleb: Lawrence Dobkin
- Amminadab: H.B. Warner
- Elisheba: Julia Faye
- Jethro’s Daughter: Lisa Mitchell
- Jethro’s Daughter: Noelle Williams
- Jethro’s Daughter: Joanna Merlin
- Jethro’s Daughter: Pat Richard
- Jethro’s Daughter: Joyce van der Veen
- Jethro’s Daughter: Diane Hall
- Rameses’ Charioteer: Abbas El Boughdadly
- The Infant Moses: Fraser Clarke Heston
- The Blind One: John Miljan
- Simon: Francis McDonald
- Rameses I: Ian Keith
- Eleazar: Paul De Rolf
- King of Ethiopia: Woody Strode
- Gershom: Tommy Duran
- Rameses’ Son: Eugene Mazzola
- Korah: Ramsay Hill
- Korah’s Wife: Joan Woodbury
- Princess Tharbis: Esther Brown
- (as Rushti Abaza): Rushdy Abaza
- Slave Woman / Hebrew at Golden Calf / Hebrew at Rameses’ Gate: Dorothy Adams
- High Ranking Officer / Taskmaster / Slave / Officer: Eric Alden
- Sheik of Hazerath: E.J. André
- Little Miriam: Babette Bain
- Taskmaster: Baynes Barron
- Taskmaster / Red-Bearded Slave: Kay Bell
- Guardian of the Prince / Court Woman / Hebrew at Dathan’s Tent / Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Mother: Mary Benoit
- Commander of the Hosts: Henry Brandon
- Eleazar as an Adult: Robert Carson
- Little Boy in Exodus (as Robert Clark): Bobby Clark
- Whip-Scarred Brick-Carrier / Hebrew at Dathan’s Tent: Rus Conklin
- Amalekite Herder (as Touch Connors): Mike Connors
- Sheik of Sinai: Henry Corden
- Woman of the Court: Edna Mae Cooper
- Corporal: Kem Dibbs
- Slave Woman / Hebrew at Crag and Corridor: Maude Fealy
- The Blind One’s Granddaughter: Mimi Gibson
- Trojan Ambassador (uncredited): Gavin Gordon
- Slave: Diane Gump
- Court Lady in Pool: Nancy Hale
- Court Lady / Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Hebrew at Dathan’s Tent / Wife of Overseer: June Jocelyn
- Old Hebrew at Moses’ House / Hebrew Toward Corridor: Richard Kean
- Pretty Slave Girl: Gail Kobe
- Foreman: Fred Kohler Jr.
- Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Slave: Kenneth MacDonald
- Chief Driver: Peter Mamakos
- Tuya: Irene Martin
- Hebrew at Golden Calf / Nobleman: George Melford
- Architect’s Assistant: John Merton
- Architect’s Assistant: Amena Mohamed
- Hebrew Woman / Slave Woman: Paula Morgan
- Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Slave / Hebrew at Dathan’s Tent: Dorothy Neumann
- Sheik of Rephidim: John Parrish
- Taskmaster / Hebrew at Golden Calf: Rodd Redwing
- Fan Bearer: Addison Richards
- Hebrew at Golden Calf / Courtier / Slave / Hebrew at Dathan’s Tent / Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Overseer: Keith Richards
- Slave (uncredited): Hal Sherman
- Slave / Hebrew at Golden Calf: Marcoreta Starr
- Lugal: Onslow Stevens
- Sardinian Captain: Clint Walker
- Hebrew at Golden Calf / Young Woman / Hebrew in Exodus: Amanda Webb
- Wazir: Frank Wilcox
- Slave / Hebrew at Crag and Corridor / Hebrew at Golden Calf: Jeane Wood
- Old Hebrew at Moses’ House: Luis Alberni
- Slave: Lillian Albertson
- Lady from Edon / Priestess / Hebrew at Golden Calf: Barbara Aler
- Taskmaster: Michael Ansara
- Slave: William Bagdad
- Slave Child: Lesley-Marie Colburn
- Court Lady / Slave: Fairy Cunningham
- Grease Woman: Kay Hammond
- Court Lady in Pool: Mary Ellen Kay
- Spearman / Hebrew at Golden Calf: Robert Vaughn
- Hebrew at Crag and Corridor (uncredited): Alan Wells
- Narrator: Cecil B. DeMille
- Chariot Driver: Richard Farnsworth
Film Crew:
- Assistant Director: Michael D. Moore
- Costume Design: Edith Head
- Art Direction: Hal Pereira
- Music: Elmer Bernstein
- Set Decoration: Sam Comer
- Set Decoration: Ray Moyer
- Makeup Supervisor: Wally Westmore
- Sound Recordist: Harry Lindgren
- Producer: Cecil B. DeMille
- Sound Recordist: Gene Garvin
- Art Direction: Walter H. Tyler
- Director of Photography: Loyal Griggs
- Screenplay: Jesse Lasky Jr.
- Costume Design: Dorothy Jeakins
- Assistant Director: Arthur Rosson
- Additional Photography: John F. Warren
- Hairstylist: Nellie Manley
- Assistant Director: Daniel McCauley
- Novel: J.H. Ingraham
- Novel: A.E. Southon
- Novel: Dorothy Clarke Wilson
- Screenplay: Æneas MacKenzie
- Screenplay: Jack Gariss
- Associate Producer: Henry Wilcoxon
- Editor: Anne Bauchens
- Art Direction: Albert Nozaki
- Special Effects: John P. Fulton
- Production Manager: C. Kenneth Deland
- Screenplay: Fredric M. Frank
- Additional Photography: J. Peverell Marley
- Additional Photography: W. Wallace Kelley
- Assistant Director: Francisco Day
- Production Manager: Frank Caffey
- Choreographer: LeRoy Prinz
- Special Effects: Farciot Edouart
- Choreographer: Ruth Godfrey
- Property Master: Robert Goodstein
- Makeup Artist: Frank Westmore
- Recording Supervision: Louis Mesenkop
- Makeup Artist: Frank McCoy
- Assistant Director: Edward Salven
- Special Effects: Paul K. Lerpae
- Other: Richard Mueller
- Thanks: William C. Hayes
- Thanks: Labib Habachi
- Thanks: Keith C. Seele
- Thanks: Ralph Marcus
- Thanks: George R. Hughes
- Thanks: Rudolph Lupo
- Construction Coordinator: Jerry Cook
- Property Master: Gordon Cole
- Other: Frances Dawson
- Other: Donald MacLean
- Costume Design: Ralph Jester
- Costume Design: John Jensen
- Costume Design: Arnold Friberg
- Researcher: Henry Noerdlinger
- Researcher: Gladys Percey
- Assistant Director: Fouad Aref
- Production Manager: Donald Robb
- Matte Painter: Albert Simpson
- Grip: Norbert Haring
- Assistant Camera: Albert Scheving
- Makeup Artist: Bud Bashaw Jr.
- Key Grip: Murray Young
- Production Secretary: Doris Turner
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Loren L. Ryder
- Hairstylist: Helen Lierly
- Sound Effects Designer: George Dutton
- Hairstylist: Vera Tomei
- Still Photographer: Glen E. Richardson
Movie Reviews:
- Cat Ellington: (The King of Egypt – with his sword drawn – and his Queen, together, converse about killing Moses, servant of the Most High God) …
Queen Nefretiri: ‘Bring it back to me, stained with his blood!’
Pharoah Rameses: ‘I will… to mingle with your own!’
Inspired by the Book of Exodus, this Cecil B. DeMille-directed, Academy Award-winning biblical epic, the seventh most successful film of all-time, needs no further analysis.
Among the undisputed, where exceptionally classic one-liners are concerned, The Ten Commandments is a timeless generational masterpiece, and a National Film Registry-honored landmark of the Hollywood cinema industry … Period.
Five out of five glittering stars.
- John Chard: His God “is” God!
The Ten Commandments is at the top end of Hollywood historical epics. It was to be Cecil B. DeMille’s last ever directing assignment and he bows out with a gargantuan epic that to this day stands as a testament to his brilliant talent as one of the masters of epic film making.
The story cribs from a number of biblical sources, some of which are hokum and not to be taken as a religio lesson, but basically it tells the tale of Moses (Charlton Heston) and how he came to lead the Israelites to their exodus from Egypt – culminating in his delivering of God’s own Ten Commandments to the people.
No expense is spared, with a top line ensemble cast being joined by over 25,000 extras. The wide-screen special effects work dazzles the eyes, the direction of ginormous crowd sequences impressive, and an ebullient spectacle is never far away in what is a picture running at three hours thirty minutes (add ten for the glory of an intermission).
It would have been easy for the cast to get lost amongst such a large scale production, but the principals shine bright and make telling characteristic marks. Heston was born for the Moses role, Yul Brynner absolutely excels as Moses’ silky and sulky nemesis – Rameses, Anne Baxter gives Nefretiri a beauteous and villainous twin arc, which in turn is counterpointed by Yvonne De Carlo’s sultry yet homely Sephora (wife of Moses).
Elsewhere we get Debra Paget filling out a trio of gorgeous lady stars, where as Lilia she does determined and heartfelt oomph as a woman yearning to be freed from male dominance. Edward G. Robinson (Dathan) and Vincent Price (Baka) camp it up and have a good time, while Cedric Hardwicke (Sethi) turns in a heartfelt old Pharaoh and John Derek as Joshua, Moses’ underling, does surprisingly well given the enormity of the character trajectory.
As the music (Elmer Bernstein) swirls and thunders we are treated to Loyal Griggs’ colour photography that pings out the screen and brings to life expert costuming. John Fulton’s special effects work won him the Academy Award, and even though a couple look creaky these days, they all still today hold great entertaining spectacle worth. While the sheer gusto of the performances overcomes some less than stellar dialogue.
Lavish yet vulgar, hokey yet magnificent, this maty not be the greatest historical epic ever made, but it booms loud and proud and is an utter joy for like minded fans of the genre’s output. 9/10