David and Bathsheba [Blu-ray]

Overview

David and Bathsheba is a respectable, slightly stodgy cinematic adaptation of the Old Testament story. King David (Gregory Peck), much beloved by his subjects and a war hero of long standing, falls victim to the sins of the flesh when he falls in love with Bathsheba (Susan Hayward), the wife of Uriah (Kieron Moore), one of David's most trusted soldiers. His downfall begins when David orders Uriah into a suicidal battle, knowing that this will clear the way for his relationship with Bathsheba. His infatuation leads him to neglect his kingdom and his people, and invokes the wrath of God. Only after his land has been devastated by God's hand does David offer atonement. The film's lavish production values compensate ever so slightly for the long-winded script. David and Bathsheba was the last major "flat-screen" Biblical epic; it was filmed in 1951 B.C. -- Before Cinemascope.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/10/2017
UPC:	0738329211707
Original Release:	1951
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gregory Peck	King David
Susan Hayward	Bathsheba
Raymond Massey	Nathan
Jayne Meadows	Michal
Kieron Moore	Uriah
James Robertson Justice	Abishai
John Sutton	Ira
Dennis Hoey	Joab
Walter Talun	Goliath
Paula Morgan	Adulteress
Francis X. Bushman	King Saul
Teddy Infuhr	Jonathan
Leo B. Pessin	David as Boy
Gwen Verdon	Specialty Dancer
Gilbert Barnett	Absalom
John Burton	Priest
Lumsden Hare	Old Shepherd
George Zucco	Egyptian Ambassador
Allan Stone	Amnon
Paul 'Tiny' Newlan	Samuel,Samuel
Holmes Herbert	Jesse
Robert Stephenson	Executioner
Harry Carter	Executioner
Richard Michelson	Jesse's 1st Son
Dick Winters	Jesse's 2nd Son
Johnny Duncan	Jesse's 3rd Son
James Craven	Court Announcer
Helena Benda	Attendant
Mildred Brown	Wife
Kay Buckley	Minor Role
Ann Cameron	Wife
Cyril Delevanti	Undetermined Minor Role
John Dodsworth	Ahithophel
Mary Ellen Gleason	Wife
Shirley Karnes	Wife
Art Loeb	Minor Role
Carmen López	Wife
John Marshall	Court Announcer
Sean McClory	Aide to King David
Shepard Menken	Police Guard
Alfred Newman	Composer

Technical Credits

Philip Dunne

Henry King	Director
Fred Sersen	Special Effects
Darryl F. Zanuck	Producer
Philip Dunne	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Fans of Biblical epics will find a lot to like in David and Bathsheba; although there's little here that will appeal to those who don't look favorably upon the genre. The script is predictably overblown, filled with the kind of bombast and stilted melodrama that is to be expected. It's ridiculous, yet in its own strange way, it works. It is also, typically, both too reverent and too "Hollywood"-ized; also like most Biblical epics of the period, it takes advantage of its religious underpinnings to indulge in some lurid sensuality. The direction is big and broad, filling the screen appropriately yet ultimately rather sterile. But there's plenty of spectacle to fill the eyes, with gorgeous costumes, delicious Leon Shamroy cinematography, and fabulous sets -- and these things count for a great deal. David also has a stellar cast; if Gregory Peck is a trifle stiff, he still supplies the requisite power and charisma, and Susan Hayward is a delight as the luscious adulteress. (Stage fans will want to keep a sharp eye out for future musical theater star Gwen Verdon, who has a few moments in the spotlight as a specialty dancer.) Throw in a grand Alfred Newman score and some nifty battle scenes, and the result is a good, if occasionally dawdling, Hollywood excursion into the Good Book.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler