The Ten Commandments (1923)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writer:

Jeanie Macpherson (story)

Release Date:

23 November 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The first part tells the story of Moses leading the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, his receipt...

Plot Keywords:

Dead Boy | Adventuress | Moses | Biblical | San Francisco California

Cast

Theodore Roberts	...	Moses, the Lawgiver (prologue)
Charles de Rochefort	...	Rameses, the Magnificent (prologue) (as Charles De Roche)
Estelle Taylor	...	Miriam, the Sister of Moses (prologue)
Julia Faye	...	The Wife of Pharaoh (prologue)
Pat Moore	...	The Son of Pharaoh - prologue (as Terrence Moore)
James Neill	...	Aaron, Brother of Moses (prologue)
Lawson Butt	...	Dathan, The Discontented (prologue)
Clarence Burton	...	The Taskmaster (prologue)
Noble Johnson	...	The Bronze Man (prologue)
Edythe Chapman	...	Mrs. Martha McTavish
Richard Dix	...	John McTavish, her son
Rod La Rocque	...	Dan McTavish, her son
Leatrice Joy	...	Mary Leigh
Nita Naldi	...	Sally Lung, a Eurasian
Robert Edeson	...	Redding, an Inspector

Also Known As:

Dez Mandamentos, Os (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Zehn Gebote, Die (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Dieci comandamenti, I (Italy) [it]
Diez mandamientos, Los (Spain) [es]
Dix commandements, Les (France) [fr]
Kymmenet käskyt (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

UK:U | Canada:G | Finland:K-16 (1925) (second part) | Finland:K-3 (2006) (DVD) | Finland:S (1925) (first part) | South Korea:All

Filming Locations:

Fresno, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Remade as The Ten Commandments (1956), again by Cecil B. DeMille.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The type of staff used by Moses and his followers has a Star of David on the end. The Star of David didn't become a symbol of Judaism until the Middle Ages.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sands of Oblivion (2007) (TV)

not bad for a silent movie made in 1923

this is the first film version of The Ten Commandments.it is directed by Cecil B.Demille,who also directed the 1956 version.this version is very lean,going through the events of that time,very quickly.in 50 minutes,in fact.i'm guessing they just kept the essentials of the story,without anything extra.the special effects are quite something for that day.the film must have been a grand undertaking.the remaining 80 minutes or so is a morality play set in more modern times(around 1923,i'm guessing)concerning how the Ten Commandments relate to modern life,and what happens if we don't obey them.for me,this second half is just way too heavy handed and preachy.the message is a good one,but it feels like you're being hit over the head with sledgehammer.some of the acting may seem a bit exaggerated,but they had to act that way,since they didn't have sound.there is an orchestral accompaniment,that plays through out the film.the only problem is,i found the music too repetitive.it got annoying after awhile.still,considering that this movie was mad in 1923,it's not too bad.my vote for The Ten Commandments(1923)is a 6/10