King of Kings **** (1961, Jeffrey Hunter, Robert Ryan, Siobhan McKenna, Hurd Hatfield, Harry Guardino, Frank Thring, Rip Torn, Viveca Lindfors, Rita Gam, Ron Randell) – Classic Movie Review 348

Nicholas Ray’s fine 1961 Biblical epic movie about life of Christ is everything it should be: straightforward, devout and affecting. Jeffrey Hunter defies his odd casting and gives a surprisingly effective performance as Jesus.

Though much derided at the time, mostly by people who hadn’t seen it, producer Samuel Bronston and director Nicholas Ray’s 1961 Biblical epic movie about life of Christ is everything it should be: straightforward, devout and affecting. This fine film is sympathetically directed by Ray, reverentially written by Philip Yordan and very decently acted by Jeffrey Hunter as Jesus, who defies his odd casting and gives a surprisingly effective performance.

King of Kings (1961) tells the whole story from Christ’s birth in Bethlehem to his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection. In a comprehensive sweep, it also takes in the Roman invasion by Pompey in 65 BC, the Romans’ appointment of King Herod the Great and the crowning of Herod Antipas after he murders his father. And you get Barabbas’s revolt plus John the Baptist’s beheading as Salome’s price for dancing for Herod. Not bad in 168 minutes!

They have assembled a very interesting, if eccentric cast. Robert Ryan as John the Baptist, Siobhan McKenna as Mary, Harry Guardino as Barabbas, Frank Thring as Herod Antipas, Hurd Hatfield as Pontius Pilate and Rip Torn as Judas are not the most obvious choices, either, but they too are all outstanding in star support.

It also stars Rita Gam as Herodias, Viveca Lindfors as Claudia, Ron Randell as Lucius, Carmen Sevilla as Mary Magdalene, Brigid Bazlen as Salome, Guy Rolfe as Caiaphas, Royal Dano as Peter, Edric Connor as Balthazar and George Coulouris.

It is made on the grandest scale possible back in 1961. Bronston’s production was extremely costly for its day, costing more than $5 million back then. It is a particularly glorious looking movie, thanks to the marvellous sets and production designs by Enrique Alarcon and Georges Wakhévitch and the remarkable Technicolor cinematography by Franz Planer in Super Technirama 70 on striking Spanish locations, as well in two different Madrid studios.

Plus a there is a stirring score by Miklos Rozsa as well as Orson Welles’s unmistakable, inimitable narration (written by sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury). All are quality components.

Rita Gam in 1960.

Also in the cast are Maurice Marsac as Nicodemus, Grégoire Aslan as Herod, Conrado San Martin as General Pompey, Gérard Tichy as Joseph, José Antonio, José Nieto, Luis Prendes, David Davies, Rûben Rojo as Matthew, Fernando Sancho, Michael Wager as Thomas, Félix de Pomés as Joseph of Arimathea, Adriano Rimoldi as Melchior, Barry Keegan, Tino Barrero and Francisco Moran [Paco Morán].

After the original shoot when Hunter’s armpits were shaved, they later quickly shaved Hunter’s chest too so that the crucifixion scene could be re-shot because a preview audience was offended at Jesus having a hairy chest.

Agnes Moorehead was Hunter’s dialogue coach in post-dubbing. Hunter’s real name was Henry Herman McKinnies Jr. He died of a stroke in 1969, aged only 42. His career went into a downward spiral after King of Kings.

The film was derided as ‘I Was a Teenage Jesus’ because of Hunter’s youth appeal but he was actually 34 at the time of filming, near Jesus’s real age of 33 at the time of the story. Richard Burton turned down the role of Jesus.

There is also a 1927 silent movie version by Cecil B DeMille, in which H B Warner gives a sincere and thoughtful performance as Christ. In 1928 DeMille prepared and released a sound version with a score by Hugo Riesenfeld and added sound effects. After many years of incomplete versions circulating, the restored 2004 DVD reveals the movie in its full, great majesty, with a new score by Donald Sosin.

George Stevens Productions filmed a rival Jesus Christ epic, The Greatest Story Ever Told (1961), which opened a couple of years or so later and was over an hour longer at 260 minutes. Max von Sydow stars.

Rita Gam died on 22 March 2016, aged 88.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 348

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