The Sign of the Cross (1932 film)
| The Sign of the Cross | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Cecil B. DeMille |
| Produced by | Cecil B. DeMille |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on |
The Sign of the Cross by Wilson Barrett |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Rudolph G. Kopp |
| Cinematography | Karl Struss |
| Edited by | Anne Bauchens |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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125 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $650,000 |
The Sign of the Cross is a 1932 Pre-Code Hollywood 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).
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
As with many other pre-Code films that were reissued after the Motion Picture Production Code 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 gladiatorial 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.
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