Post by Rob W. Case on Dec 3, 2023 21:24:22 GMT -6
It is nothing short of amazing to see how far movies have evolved since their earliest days to today. Movies at their earliest inception were state of the art, impressive spectacles that people dressed up for and flocked to see, for a fraction of the cost of attending performance-based arts like plays, concerts, and vaudeville acts. When silent movies came on the scene, the art of storytelling entered a new age, an age that, if done right, would have an impact that would be frozen in time, and become immortalized. Very few films from the silent era have high profile notoriety today, and that is because in today’s world, it takes a significant amount of attention, tolerance, patience, and broad-mindedness to sit down and watch a full length, black & white, silent feature film. This is where the power of story (in the subject matter’s portrayal) has to captivate its audience enough to make a lasting impact for it to be sought after later on, or looked at in discovery years later.
Cecil B. DeMille:
Cecil B. DeMille was one of the founding fathers of American cinema. As an offspring of playwrights, DeMille’s love for performance arts grew as he grew up, and he had a knack for creativity and imagination. But when he went into producing plays, his plays were struggling and he was poor, while his older brother William, a playwright himself was successful. Provision came by way of his mother, and connections were made that eventually landed him in the new medium of motion pictures. DeMille was fascinated by the limitless freedoms posed by motion pictures. DeMille said the year of his first silent film production in 1914, “Imagine, the horizon is your stage limit and the sky your gridiron. No height limit, no close-fitting exits, no conserving of stage space, just the whole world open to you as a stage; 1000 people in a scene do not crowd your accommodations . . . I felt inspired, I felt that I could do things which the confines of a theater would not permit.” When his brother William was asked by Cecil to go into film, he rejected it, saying that he had no future in motion pictures. When Cecil left theatre for film, William expressed his disappointment with Cecil for being willing to “throw away his future”, but his tune changed over time, when Cecil’s success came in film.
Cecil B. DeMille and the Bible:
When Cecil B. DeMille was a boy, and after his father was finished with work, He would unwind by reading a chapter from the Bible, as well as a piece from world history that accompanied the text. This had a profound influence on Cecil. When he went to church and was taught the lessons of history that the Bible records, DeMille would visualize, in an epic grand scale, the accounts in his mind. This as a filmmaker, would inspire him to take on the visuals of depicting on film, one of the most paramount figures, particularly in Judaism, as well as Christianity; Moses. Moses handed down Ten Commandments sent by God so that mankind could live together peaceably with each other and with order. Cecil B. DeMille, along with Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, the founders of the new Paramount Pictures motion picture studio, decided to take on the project. The project would become so successful, that at 25 cents a ticket, it amassed $4.2 million in revenue, unprecedented at that time period. The film would hold the box-office record for Paramount Pictures for the next 25 years, until it was broken by another DeMille movie.
The Story of The Ten Commandments:
Done in two acts, the prologue of the film takes you into ancient history where the Israelites are slaves to the Egyptians. Pharaoh (Charles DeRoche) is a callous visionary who works the Israelites under brutal conditions, the hot sun, and if you get in his way to slow things down, he tramples over you. The afflictions and cries of the Israelites is seen and heard by God, and He sends Moses (Theodore Roberts) to free the Israelites from bondage. As Moses pleads to let his people go, plagues are sent to Egypt, Pharaoh’s heart grows harder and harder, and he becomes more stubborn, as his pride is on the line in both ruling the most powerful empire in the world, while at the same time, keeping what he believes belongs to him. When God intervenes, and after a series of plagues are sent (which are not, unfortunately, depicted in this film), God promises to take the lives of all the firstborn of Egypt who does not have the blood of a lamb wiped on their doorposts. Pharaoh realizes that he has no power at all over what happens to his family and empire, so he lets the Israelites go. After a mass exodus from Egypt, Pharaoh, insane with rage, pursues the Israelites with his armies. It is at that point, God does the impossible; sending fire to subdue Pharaoh and his armed forces, and parts the Red Sea so that the Israelites can cross it. Once the Israelites are safe and free, they fall to complete and total debauchery, and engrave a golden calf for themselves to worship. God sees that the people he has freed have corrupted themselves, so He engraves ten commandments in stone, for Moses to take to his people. Moses sees how bad his people have become and break the stone tablets. In the chaos and tumult of this event, the story fades into the second act.
50 minutes into the film, we are taken into modern times (1923), where our second act begins with a woman by the name of Martha McTavish (Edythe Chapman), reading from the book of Exodus in the company of her two sons, John (Richard Dix) and Danny (Rod LaRocque). John is a carpenter who earns an honest living, but does not make much money. He is also of an open mind and teachable in regarding the wisdom embedded in the ten commandments, though he does not always agree with his mother’s overly strict zeal in enforcing them. Danny is an avowed atheist who believes that the ten commandments are a bunch of old, outdated ideas that do nothing for him. He mocks God, and is convinced that they hinder instead of help one’s ambitions and success. His mother is so angry at her son’s attitude, that she tells Danny to leave her house. Upon leaving, he meets a girl by the name of Mary Leigh (Leatrice Joy). Mary’s mindset is very much like Danny’s, but it stems more from ignorance than it does contempt. It is in this state that life will be a harsh teacher for her.
Danny’s resistance towards the ten commandments and his amoral business practices has over time, made him corrupt, but very successful, reaping rewards from his own cleverness. Moreover, Danny earns a contract to build a huge cathedral, but cuts the amount of cement in the concrete mix, so that he can build the building cheaper, so he can pocket the rest of the money. The next thing you know, Danny is lavishing it up. With that money, he cheats on Mary for a prostitute named Sally (Nita Naldi) in a brothel, and buys her expensive pearls. He tries to buy gifts for his mother, but she won’t accept them from him. He places his brother John in charge of the construction. As one of the walls of the cathedral becomes brittle, due to the insufficient materials required to keep the construction of it solid, it collapses over someone Danny and Johnny both love, killing that person in the process. Then things really hit the fan when a muckraker tabloid, which exposes corruption and wrongdoing in business institutions, gets wind of Danny’s business practices, and threatens to go public with it. Danny’s business partner tries to bribe the paper, but fearing that he can’t afford it, Danny tries to commit suicide. His partner stops Danny because he doesn’t want to go down alone. Danny tries to retrieve the pearls he bought for the prostitute, but she does not give them up. She reveals that she is infected with a life-threatening disease, and that he could have it now too. In a fit of rage, he “deals with her” and tries to flee to Mexico where his fate awaits him. Mary is beside herself in regards to everything regarding Danny and all of the drama that cast a shadow over his life, and has affected hers. Seeing Mary desperate, John takes it upon himself to be a sensible friend to her and tells her about Jesus.
My Take:
For a silent film, this movie is potent, and far ahead of its time. When you view it in light of its time, and compare it to 100 years later, you see that this world, in its politics, its business practices, and everything else that shapes its direction is filled more with “Dannys” and “Marys” than it is with “Johnnys” or even “Marthas”. The thing that cuts so distinctly is that through the effective power of story, even 100 years ago, it makes you think, and it intrigues you enough to follow along to the very end. One of the things I loved about this movie is that the sets are very grand and impressive, as they all had to be physically constructed. Another aspect that I liked, that is a unique feature to this project, is that screenwriter Jeanie MacPhearson used scripture (with some of the biblical references listed on screen) for the historical scenes and narrative “summaries” which adequately conveys dialogue between persons, and/or describes an event or action, portrayed on film.
At the very beginning of the film, Cecil B. DeMille asserts a very powerful, thought-provoking message across the screen. At the time this film was originally released, it was not long after World War I. As we sit on the brink of another World War today, the same message applies to a new generation.
Our modern world defined God as a ‘religious complex’ and laughed at the Ten Commandments as OLD FASHIONED. Then, through the laughter came the shattering thunder of the World War. And now a blood-drenched, bitter world — no longer laughing — cries for a way out. There is but one way out. It existed before it was engraven upon Tablets of Stone. It will exist when stone has crumbled. The Ten Commandments are not rules to obey as a personal favor to God. They are the fundamental principles without which mankind cannot live together.
--Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille’s depiction of The Ten Commandments would become so successful, that over 30 years later, he would be asked to remake the picture in the widescreen format, filmed in technicolor, with state-of-the-art special effects and sound. Such an undertaking has been both unprecedented and an honor as it is in itself a unique tribute to the artistry, craft, and vision of storytelling of Cecil B. DeMille under his direction. That version would be the most popular version of The Ten Commandments to date, and it starred Charlton Heston. That version would entirely take place within the ancient time period that Moses lived, and would remain a profitable classic for Paramount Pictures for decades following its release. What’s interesting is that the first time I discovered this 1923 version of The Ten Commandments was as a special feature on the 50th anniversary multidisc DVD release of the 1956 film.
To view the full movie, please click on the "Play" button below:
“The Ten Commandments” (1923) is also available on VHS, Betamax, DVD, and on streaming services as well. For more information on those services, you can access it HERE.
Cecil B. DeMille:
Cecil B. DeMille was one of the founding fathers of American cinema. As an offspring of playwrights, DeMille’s love for performance arts grew as he grew up, and he had a knack for creativity and imagination. But when he went into producing plays, his plays were struggling and he was poor, while his older brother William, a playwright himself was successful. Provision came by way of his mother, and connections were made that eventually landed him in the new medium of motion pictures. DeMille was fascinated by the limitless freedoms posed by motion pictures. DeMille said the year of his first silent film production in 1914, “Imagine, the horizon is your stage limit and the sky your gridiron. No height limit, no close-fitting exits, no conserving of stage space, just the whole world open to you as a stage; 1000 people in a scene do not crowd your accommodations . . . I felt inspired, I felt that I could do things which the confines of a theater would not permit.” When his brother William was asked by Cecil to go into film, he rejected it, saying that he had no future in motion pictures. When Cecil left theatre for film, William expressed his disappointment with Cecil for being willing to “throw away his future”, but his tune changed over time, when Cecil’s success came in film.
Cecil B. DeMille and the Bible:
When Cecil B. DeMille was a boy, and after his father was finished with work, He would unwind by reading a chapter from the Bible, as well as a piece from world history that accompanied the text. This had a profound influence on Cecil. When he went to church and was taught the lessons of history that the Bible records, DeMille would visualize, in an epic grand scale, the accounts in his mind. This as a filmmaker, would inspire him to take on the visuals of depicting on film, one of the most paramount figures, particularly in Judaism, as well as Christianity; Moses. Moses handed down Ten Commandments sent by God so that mankind could live together peaceably with each other and with order. Cecil B. DeMille, along with Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky, the founders of the new Paramount Pictures motion picture studio, decided to take on the project. The project would become so successful, that at 25 cents a ticket, it amassed $4.2 million in revenue, unprecedented at that time period. The film would hold the box-office record for Paramount Pictures for the next 25 years, until it was broken by another DeMille movie.
The Story of The Ten Commandments:
Done in two acts, the prologue of the film takes you into ancient history where the Israelites are slaves to the Egyptians. Pharaoh (Charles DeRoche) is a callous visionary who works the Israelites under brutal conditions, the hot sun, and if you get in his way to slow things down, he tramples over you. The afflictions and cries of the Israelites is seen and heard by God, and He sends Moses (Theodore Roberts) to free the Israelites from bondage. As Moses pleads to let his people go, plagues are sent to Egypt, Pharaoh’s heart grows harder and harder, and he becomes more stubborn, as his pride is on the line in both ruling the most powerful empire in the world, while at the same time, keeping what he believes belongs to him. When God intervenes, and after a series of plagues are sent (which are not, unfortunately, depicted in this film), God promises to take the lives of all the firstborn of Egypt who does not have the blood of a lamb wiped on their doorposts. Pharaoh realizes that he has no power at all over what happens to his family and empire, so he lets the Israelites go. After a mass exodus from Egypt, Pharaoh, insane with rage, pursues the Israelites with his armies. It is at that point, God does the impossible; sending fire to subdue Pharaoh and his armed forces, and parts the Red Sea so that the Israelites can cross it. Once the Israelites are safe and free, they fall to complete and total debauchery, and engrave a golden calf for themselves to worship. God sees that the people he has freed have corrupted themselves, so He engraves ten commandments in stone, for Moses to take to his people. Moses sees how bad his people have become and break the stone tablets. In the chaos and tumult of this event, the story fades into the second act.
50 minutes into the film, we are taken into modern times (1923), where our second act begins with a woman by the name of Martha McTavish (Edythe Chapman), reading from the book of Exodus in the company of her two sons, John (Richard Dix) and Danny (Rod LaRocque). John is a carpenter who earns an honest living, but does not make much money. He is also of an open mind and teachable in regarding the wisdom embedded in the ten commandments, though he does not always agree with his mother’s overly strict zeal in enforcing them. Danny is an avowed atheist who believes that the ten commandments are a bunch of old, outdated ideas that do nothing for him. He mocks God, and is convinced that they hinder instead of help one’s ambitions and success. His mother is so angry at her son’s attitude, that she tells Danny to leave her house. Upon leaving, he meets a girl by the name of Mary Leigh (Leatrice Joy). Mary’s mindset is very much like Danny’s, but it stems more from ignorance than it does contempt. It is in this state that life will be a harsh teacher for her.
Danny’s resistance towards the ten commandments and his amoral business practices has over time, made him corrupt, but very successful, reaping rewards from his own cleverness. Moreover, Danny earns a contract to build a huge cathedral, but cuts the amount of cement in the concrete mix, so that he can build the building cheaper, so he can pocket the rest of the money. The next thing you know, Danny is lavishing it up. With that money, he cheats on Mary for a prostitute named Sally (Nita Naldi) in a brothel, and buys her expensive pearls. He tries to buy gifts for his mother, but she won’t accept them from him. He places his brother John in charge of the construction. As one of the walls of the cathedral becomes brittle, due to the insufficient materials required to keep the construction of it solid, it collapses over someone Danny and Johnny both love, killing that person in the process. Then things really hit the fan when a muckraker tabloid, which exposes corruption and wrongdoing in business institutions, gets wind of Danny’s business practices, and threatens to go public with it. Danny’s business partner tries to bribe the paper, but fearing that he can’t afford it, Danny tries to commit suicide. His partner stops Danny because he doesn’t want to go down alone. Danny tries to retrieve the pearls he bought for the prostitute, but she does not give them up. She reveals that she is infected with a life-threatening disease, and that he could have it now too. In a fit of rage, he “deals with her” and tries to flee to Mexico where his fate awaits him. Mary is beside herself in regards to everything regarding Danny and all of the drama that cast a shadow over his life, and has affected hers. Seeing Mary desperate, John takes it upon himself to be a sensible friend to her and tells her about Jesus.
My Take:
For a silent film, this movie is potent, and far ahead of its time. When you view it in light of its time, and compare it to 100 years later, you see that this world, in its politics, its business practices, and everything else that shapes its direction is filled more with “Dannys” and “Marys” than it is with “Johnnys” or even “Marthas”. The thing that cuts so distinctly is that through the effective power of story, even 100 years ago, it makes you think, and it intrigues you enough to follow along to the very end. One of the things I loved about this movie is that the sets are very grand and impressive, as they all had to be physically constructed. Another aspect that I liked, that is a unique feature to this project, is that screenwriter Jeanie MacPhearson used scripture (with some of the biblical references listed on screen) for the historical scenes and narrative “summaries” which adequately conveys dialogue between persons, and/or describes an event or action, portrayed on film.
At the very beginning of the film, Cecil B. DeMille asserts a very powerful, thought-provoking message across the screen. At the time this film was originally released, it was not long after World War I. As we sit on the brink of another World War today, the same message applies to a new generation.
Our modern world defined God as a ‘religious complex’ and laughed at the Ten Commandments as OLD FASHIONED. Then, through the laughter came the shattering thunder of the World War. And now a blood-drenched, bitter world — no longer laughing — cries for a way out. There is but one way out. It existed before it was engraven upon Tablets of Stone. It will exist when stone has crumbled. The Ten Commandments are not rules to obey as a personal favor to God. They are the fundamental principles without which mankind cannot live together.
--Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille’s depiction of The Ten Commandments would become so successful, that over 30 years later, he would be asked to remake the picture in the widescreen format, filmed in technicolor, with state-of-the-art special effects and sound. Such an undertaking has been both unprecedented and an honor as it is in itself a unique tribute to the artistry, craft, and vision of storytelling of Cecil B. DeMille under his direction. That version would be the most popular version of The Ten Commandments to date, and it starred Charlton Heston. That version would entirely take place within the ancient time period that Moses lived, and would remain a profitable classic for Paramount Pictures for decades following its release. What’s interesting is that the first time I discovered this 1923 version of The Ten Commandments was as a special feature on the 50th anniversary multidisc DVD release of the 1956 film.
To view the full movie, please click on the "Play" button below:
“The Ten Commandments” (1923) is also available on VHS, Betamax, DVD, and on streaming services as well. For more information on those services, you can access it HERE.