Friday, 25 June 2021

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – THE ROBE (1953)

 

The Robe, Directed by Henry Koster, is set in the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, where Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth, but is tormented by his guilty conscience in the aftermath.

After the Crucifixion he gets drunk and wins Jesus' homespun robe and suffers nightmares and delusions after the event.

After a period of time in Rome he hopes to find a way to live with what he has done, and although still not believing in Jesus as a Messiah, he returns to Palestine to try and learn what he can of the man he killed. 

It’s a poignant script powerfully acted by Burton, while the lovely Jean Simmons is incredible as the young woman he loves, Diana. Michael Rennie is a quiet but forceful Peter, but Jay Robinson steals the picture as the depraved Emperor Caligula, and as he normally did Victor Mature played himself as Demetrius and there were a host of competent performances in the minor roles.

The cinematography is quite magnificent filmed in Cinemascope, while the film is graced by Alfred Newman beautifully and eerily haunting musical score.

A very watchable movie that stands the test of time but is not given the exposure it so richly deserves, perhaps because programmers are of a more secular bent.

MAKE UP MAN

 

Men are like Mascara

That’s my notion

Because they usually run

At the first sign of emotion

DAREDEVIL # 2

 

Some activities in life

Since time began

Build your self esteem

Like no others can

One such activity

Of which I’m a fan

Prodding a fire with a stick

As it makes you feel like a man

THE WISDOM OF MY YOUTH # 2

 

When I was a child 

I found out that Barney 

Our family dog,

Also didn’t like broccoli for tea

WISHING WELL

An old married couple came upon a wishing well

The wife thought shall I make a wish? Oh what the hell

She leaned over, made a wish and threw in a pound

The husband decided to make a wish with his pound

But he leaned over too far with both feet off the ground

Fell into the wishing well and then the old man drowned

The wife was shocked and stared straight ahead

Then she smiled “Wow it really does work!” she said

PICK ME UP TOMMY

 

When I was getting into my car,

A man came running up to me

And said “Can you Give me a lift?”

My reply left him a little miffed

“Sure, you look great, you look fit

The world's your oyster, go for it.”

BUILDING ENQUIRY

 

I rang up a local building company

With an enquiry like you do

'I want a skip outside my house.'

He said 'well I'm not stopping you.'