The Robe [Special Edition]

Director: Henry Koster, Henry Coster Henry Koster

Overview

Historically important as the first CinemaScope feature film, 20th Century-Fox's The Robe is fine dramatic entertainment in its own right. Based on the best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Richard Burton as the wastrelly Roman tribune who is assigned by a weary Pontius Pilate (Richard Boone, who spends the whole of his single scene washing his hands) to supervise the crucifixion of Christ. After the Seven Last Words, the jaded Burton wins Christ's robe in a dice game. Gradually, the mystical influence of the holy garment transforms Burton from a roistering cynic into a True Believer--at the cost of his own life, which he willingly gives up in the service of his Lord. Also starring in The Robe are Jean Simmons as Burton's pious childhood sweetheart, Victor Mature as his Christian-convert slave Demetrius (an excellent performance--in fact, Mature is more believable than Burton!), Michael Rennie as the disciple Peter, and Jay Robinson as the raving Emperor Caligula. Mature, Rennie and Robinson would appear in the 1954 sequel to The Robe, the hurriedly assembled Demetrius and the Gladiators. Watch and listen for the unbilled contributions of Michael Ansara as Judas and Cameron Mitchell as the voice of Jesus. The film won three Academy Awards, and a special Oscar bestowed upon Fox for the development of CinemaScope. For many years, the TV prints of the Robe were struck from the "flat," standard-ratio version shot simultaneously with the widescreen version. Only recently has the CinemaScope The Robe been made available to cable TV (shown in "letterbox" format to allow home viewers the full picture).

Product Details

Release Date:	03/17/2009
UPC:	0024543584261
Original Release:	1953
Rating:	NR
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:13:00
Sales rank:	3,433

Special Features

Closed Caption; Introduction by Martin Scorsese; The Making of the Robe featurette; Commentary with film composer David Newman and film historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman; Isolated Score: The Music of the Robe - Alfred Newman's Score; The Cinemascope Story featurette; Still galleries; Interactive pressbook

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Richard Burton	Marcellus Gallio
Jean Simmons	Diana
Victor Mature	Demetrius
Michael Rennie	Peter
Jay Robinson	Caligula,Lucia
Dean Jagger	Justus
Torin Thatcher	Sen. Gallio
Richard Boone	Pilate
Betta St. John	Miriam
Jeff Morrow	Paulus
Ernest Thesiger	Emperor Tiberius,Tiberius
Dawn Addams	Junia
Leon Askin	Abidor
Frank Pulaski	Quintus
David Leonard	Marcipor
Michael Ansara	Judas
Helen Beverly	Rebecca
Nicholas Koster	Jonathan
Francis Pierlot	Dodinius
Thomas Browne Henry	Marius,Marius
Anthony Eustrel	Sarpedon
Jay Novello	Tiro
Emmett Lynn	Nathan
Sally Corner	Cornelia
Rosalind Ivan	Julia
George E. Stone	Gracchus
Marc Snow	Auctioneer
Mae Marsh	Woman
George Keymas	Slave
John Doucette	Ship's Mate
Ford Rainey	Ship's Captain
Sam Gilman	Ship's Captain
Harry Shearer	David
Virginia Lee	Specialty Dancer
Leo Curley	Shalum
Jean Corbett	Slave Girl,Slave Girl
Gloria Saunders	Slave Girl
Percy Helton	Caleb
Roy Gordon	Chamberlain
Ben Astar	Cleander
Albert Cavens	Sword-Fighting Soldier,Sword-Fighting Soldier
Noreen Corcoran	Girl
Walter Bacon	Citizen
Frank DeKova	Slave Dealer
Anne Bancroft	Actor
Anthony Jochim	Actor
George Melford	Actor
Ed Mundy	Actor
Alex Pope	Actor
George Robotham	Actor
Hayden Rorke	Actor
Dan Ferniel	Actor
Van Des Autels	Actor
Cameron Mitchell	Christ
Bella St. John	Actor
Alfred Newman	Composer

Technical Credits

Philip Dunne

Albert Maltz

Gina Kaus

Henry Koster	Director
Philip Dunne	Screenwriter
Albert Maltz	Screenwriter
Ray Kellogg	Special Effects
Frank Ross	Producer
Bernard Freericks	Sound Effects
Clyde Carruth	Sound Effects
Walter Rossi	Sound Effects
Henry Coster	Director
Gina Kaus	Screenwriter
Bernard Freericks	Sound/Sound Designer
Roger Heman	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- The Robe
1. Opening Credits [3:08]
2. Slave Auction [4:57]
3. Caligula [6:03]
4. To Palestine [7:38]
5. Talk of a Messiah [6:41]
6. Pontius Pilate [7:04]
7. The Crucifixion [7:43]
8. The Curse [7:34]
9. An Imperial Commission [3:46]
10. Followers of Jesus [5:00]
11. Miriam [6:04]
12. A Path Good Men Must Take [8:15]
13. The Big Fisherman [7:52]
14. Enlisted in His Service [8:02]
15. At the Catacombs [6:47]
16. Rescue [6:45]
17. Demetrius Healed [5:35]
18. Captured [:38]
19. Before Caligula [5:32]
20. A Better Kingdom [5:17]

Menu

Disc #1 -- The Robe
   Play
   Language Selection
      Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround
      Audio: English 4.0
      Audio: French
      Audio: Commentary With Film Composer David Newman and Film Historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
      Audio: The Music of The Robe: Alfred Newman's Score
      Subtitles: English
      Subtitles: Spanish
      Subtitles: None
   Scene Selection
   Special Features
      Commentary With Film Composer David Newman and Film Historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman: On
      Commentary With Film Composer David Newman and Film Historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman: Off
      The Music of The Robe: Alfred Newman's Score: On
      The Music of The Robe: Alfred Newman's Score: Off
      The Making of the Robe
      Publicity
         Interactive Pressbook
         Poster Gallery
         Lobby Cards
         Publicity Stills

Editorial Reviews

The Robe is best remembered as the first movie shot in CinemaScope, the wide-screen format designed to lure audiences away from the new medium of TV by exaggerating the contrast between the big movie screen and the small TV screen. Even today, the film seems grand and sweeping; the mere spectacle is enough to make it worth seeing. Some of the performances may seem dated today -- particularly Richard Burton's Oscar-nominated turn as the centurion -- but they don't detract from the film's intriguing premise. Best-known for helming 1950's Harvey, the dependable Henry Koster keeps the material in check. The success of The Robe, as well as Quo Vadis? (1951) and Samson and Delilah (1949) before it, helped usher in more than a decade's worth of lavish Biblical epics, including The Ten Commandments (1956) and the multi-Oscar-winning Ben-Hur (1959).

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