Samson And Delilah (1949)

A Hebrew (Victor Mature) becomes enamored of a Philistine woman (Angela Lansbury) to the disapproval of both their people as the Hebrew population are suppressed by the Philistines. When she betrays him on their wedding night, he destroys the both the grounds and the wedding party and in revenge engages in a one man vendetta against the Philistines. Meanwhile, the bride's sister (Hedy Lamarr) vows that she will destroy him. This is my favorite of Cecil B. DeMille's epics, not because it's a great film but it's simply more fun than his other films including THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. DeMille's direction is pompous but the seriousness of his heavy hand only adds to the kitsch of the whole enterprise and the purple dialogue by Jesse Lasky Jr. and Fredric M. Frank only kicks it to another level. As Samson, Mature doesn't seem to be taking it too seriously (how could he wrestling a lion rug) and the purring Lamarr, slinking around half dressed has never looked more gorgeous actually does some of her best acting (the scene where she realizes Samson is blind is quite good). The stirring score is one of Victor Young's best. With George Sanders doing what he does best as the jaded Saran of Gaza, Henry Wilcoxon, Russ Tamblyn, Olive Deering, George Reeves, Kasey Rogers and Dorothy Adams.