It’s Biblical! It’s bitchy Roman! It’s got Rita Hayworth and Stewart Granger! It’s Salome (1953), a typical mid-century technicolor historical epic that’s flashy as hell and makes little sense. Not everything has to be literary genius around here, folks. Sometimes we just kick back with popcorn and watch something silly. This sure fits the bill.
Set sometime around the years 20-30 C.E. (since the movie culminates with the beheading of John the Baptist; no spoilers in history or ancient literature, remember!), the story starts with Salome (Rita Hayworth) being forced to return to her homeland of Galilee after having spent most of her life in Rome.
That’s where she has already hooked up with this fella, Marcellus Fabius. He asks his uncle, Tiberius Caesar, for permission to marry Salome, but is denied because the lady isn’t a real Roman.
Thus, Salome heads back to her mom and step-father, and she’s none too thrilled about.
Commander Claudius (Granger) is part of the ship’s contingent and starts flirting madly with her. She puts up the obligatory token resistance.
After a surprisingly quick sea voyage, they trek overland to Galilee. That gives an excuse for Claudius to be revealed (to the movie audience, at least) as a follower of John the Baptist. That’s some convenient Christian white-washing for ya.
Queen Herodias (Judith Anderson) is thrilled to see her daughter, though she knows she has to watch out for her second husband King Herod, who’ll undoubtedly get lecherous on Salome. Still, she can’t be too upset when she gets to wear ALL THE BLING, ALL THE TIME. Her wardrobe is worth watching this movie for, at least if, like me, you’re a fan of loose caftan-like garments covered with oodles of shiny stuff and worn with absolute pounds of jewelry and wild headgear!
Charles Laughton was a great actor, but unfortunately his performance as skeevy characters like this and Henry VIII always stand out to me.
While I don’t want to victim-blame, Salome wearing this nearly naked “pearl” beaded gown to dinner with her step-father just doesn’t seem like a great idea.
It’s all leading up to the legendary Dance of the Seven Veils, and Herodias sets things in motion. But, because this movie wants to make nicey-nice happy Christian BS, Salome has learned of her now-boyfriend Claudius’ Christianity and intends her dance as a trade for John the Baptist’s freedom.
The dance is pretty good, starting with Salome fully veiled, including this little hat. Apparently the routine was quite demanding to learn and required multiple takes to film.
The final costume is very naked, especially for the 1950s! Look up the clip on YouTube if nothing else.
When she sees the head of John the Baptist on a platter, Salome freaks out and runs away. She goes off with Claudius to be a modest little Christian lady, and together they listen to Jesus give the “Sermon on the Mount.” As if!
Have you seen Salome?
Find this frock flick at:
I’d have thought, by the looks of things, that no bra was involved in that particular picture/costume attached.
Jean Louis did the costumes for this film and used the same “illusion” construction (form-fitting flesh-toned underlayer covered with strategically beaded sheer fabric) he did for Marlene Dietrich’s Las Vegas stage costumes.
Between the eye makeup, those arch expressions and the OTT outfits, Judith Anderson reminds me of Agnes Moorehead as Endora on BEWITCHED.
So true!
I love Agnes Moorehead…I wonder if she has a track record in historical flicks
While this is a typical Hollywood “Biblical” extravaganza, there might be a really slight semi-justification for that ending.
In addition to the daughter of Herodias– Salome III, though she isn’t actually named in the scriptural accounts of the beheading of John the Baptist– there’s another “Salome” among the women “followers” named elsewhere in scriptural accounts as present at the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The identity of this “Salome” is a matter of debate, and a few sources erroneously conflated her with the daughter of Herodias at one point.
SALOME was the final project of Rita Hayworth’s own production company, which makes me wonder whether she or someone in Columbia’s front office wanted to “redeem” the character to that extent.
This one’s enjoyable on its own merits, but I prefer the SALOME of Wilde, Beardsley, Strauss, Alla Nazimova– and even Carmelo Bene’s 1972 freakout with Veruschka and Donyale Luna.
I would wear the shit out of that blue outfit Queen Herodias has on! Fabulous. :)
Herodias’ wardrobe is the best thing about this movie :)
Maybe take it easy on Christians for a breath. What I learned in my very secular college career was that production companies overemphasized moral and biblical aspects to offset the salacious elements that sold the tickets. Hence all the biblical movies of that era – Hollywood could get away with murder, nudity, sadism, etc. in a movie under the Hays code, provided it was the “bad guys” doing the deed, the perpetrator paid for what they did, or it was a Bible story (however loosely). Very little of these films – and movies in general – have much to do with biblical text or concepts.
It’s called pandering & Hollywood has always been super fond of it.
The problem with being a Sex Symbol is that your characters will almost always be more symbolic than characterful.
In any case, for my money it’s KING OF KINGS fist and nobody second when it comes to Salome – that one is just delightfully wicked in a way that suits the House of Herod, popcorn-style.