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The Sign of the Cross

  • 19321932
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
  • Drama
  • History
A Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.A Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.A Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Writers
    • Waldemar Young(screen play)
    • Sidney Buchman(screen play)
    • Wilson Barrett(from the play by)
  • Stars
    • Fredric March
    • Claudette Colbert
    • Elissa Landi
Top credits
  • Director
    • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Writers
    • Waldemar Young(screen play)
    • Sidney Buchman(screen play)
    • Wilson Barrett(from the play by)
  • Stars
    • Fredric March
    • Claudette Colbert
    • Elissa Landi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 64User reviews
    • 36Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

    Photos81

    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Claudette Colbert in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton, Elissa Landi, and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Claudette Colbert, Elissa Landi, and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Elissa Landi and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)
    Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton, Elissa Landi, and Fredric March in The Sign of the Cross (1932)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Fredric March
    Fredric March
    • Marcus Superbus, Prefect of Romeas Marcus Superbus, Prefect of Rome
    Claudette Colbert
    Claudette Colbert
    • Empress Poppaeaas Empress Poppaea
    Elissa Landi
    Elissa Landi
    • Merciaas Mercia
    Charles Laughton
    Charles Laughton
    • Emperor Nero Claudius Caesaras Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar
    Ian Keith
    Ian Keith
    • Tigellinusas Tigellinus
    Arthur Hohl
    Arthur Hohl
    • Titusas Titus
    Harry Beresford
    Harry Beresford
    • Favius Fontelasas Favius Fontelas
    Tommy Conlon
    Tommy Conlon
    • Stephanas Stephan
    Ferdinand Gottschalk
    Ferdinand Gottschalk
    • Glabrioas Glabrio
    Vivian Tobin
    Vivian Tobin
    • Daciaas Dacia
    William V. Mong
    William V. Mong
    • Liciniusas Licinius…
    Joyzelle Joyner
    Joyzelle Joyner
    • Ancariaas Ancaria
    • (as Joyzelle)
    Richard Alexander
    Richard Alexander
    • Vituriusas Viturius
    Nat Pendleton
    Nat Pendleton
    • Straboas Strabo
    Clarence Burton
    Clarence Burton
    • Servilliusas Servillius
    Harold Healy
    • Tybulas Tybul
    Robert Seiter
    Robert Seiter
    • Philodemusas Philodemus
    • (as Robert Manning)
    Charles Middleton
    Charles Middleton
    • Tyrosas Tyros
    • Director
      • Cecil B. DeMille
    • Writers
      • Waldemar Young(screen play)
      • Sidney Buchman(screen play)
      • Wilson Barrett(from the play by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    After burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they are all to be caught and sent to the arena. Two old Christians are caught, and about to be hauled off, when Marcus, the highest military official in Rome, comes upon them. When he sees their stepdaughter Mercia, he instantly falls in love with her and frees them. Marcus pursues Mercia, which gets him into trouble with Emperor (for being easy on Christians) and with the Empress, who loves him and is jealous. —John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
    • nero
    • pre code film
    • gold coin
    • wine
    • silver coin
    • 69 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Out of the blazing pyre of Rome comes the love that has outlived 2,000 years! (Print Ad-Syracuse Journal, ((Syracuse NY)) 16 March 1933)
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • History
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Cecil B. DeMille was pressured to drop Ancaria's seductive dance in the orgy scene by Will H. Hays of the Hays Office, but DeMille adamantly refused. Still, censors often cut out gruesome parts of the film, particularly, the cart carrying dead bodies out of the arena, a gorilla dancing around a semi-nude girl, elephants stomping Christians and picking them up with their tusks, crocodiles about to eat a bound girl, etc. These scenes are all in the restored version.
    • Goofs
      In the Coliseum, we see a woman tied up and is at the mercy of a gorilla. Europeans had no knowledge of gorillas' existence until more than 15 centuries later.
    • Quotes

      [the Empress, soaking naked in a tub of ass's milk and calling to a friend]

      Poppaea: Dacia, you're a butterfly with the sting of a wasp. Take off your clothes. Get in here and tell me all about it.

    • Alternate versions
      Re-released in 1944, with some cuts (sex and sadism scenes) and preceded by a nine minute prologue, set in present time with a WWII theme. This re-release version runs 118 minutes.
    • Connections
      Edited into Through the Centuries (1933)
    • Soundtracks
      Christian Hymn No.1
      (1932) (uncredited)

      Music and Lyrics by Rudolph G. Kopp

      Sung a cappella by Christians at the meeting

      Reprised by them after their capture and at the arena

      Sung a cappella by Elissa Landi and Tommy Conlon

      Played and sung offscreen at the end

    User reviews64

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    DeMille At His Most Decadent
    Rome - First Century A. D. Nero, the mad Emperor & Poppaea, his vile Empress, engage in every sort of vice & degradation. Wanton cruelty becomes a spectator sport and virtue & innocence are denigrated. Slowly, however, a new Power is growing. People calling themselves Christians are secretly spreading their Faith ever more widely. They are horribly persecuted, but they continue to multiply. Which will eventually triumph - the might of Imperial Rome, or the gentle ones who follow THE SIGN OF THE CROSS?

    This Cecil B. DeMille epic is a vivid retelling of the struggles of the first Christians. Paramount gave the film a lavish production and DeMille wrings every drop of piety & puerile interest possible from the plot. Fredric March is stalwart as the Roman official who falls in love with a beautiful Christian girl. While his ultimate conversion wouldn't convince the average modern Baptist, he holds his own in scenes with other performers whom are allowed to behave outrageously. Elissa Landi is sweet as the virtuous Believer, effectively underplaying her role.

    `Do you want to play the most wicked woman in the world?' DeMille asked Claudette Colbert one day on the studio lot. She did & she does memorably, from her eye-popping milk bath scene to her revenge on her would-be lover. Sniveling, whining and wearing a huge fake nose, Charles Laughton is pure effeminate evil as Nero (notice his catamite), a foul blot on the face of humanity & stealing all his scenes from everyone else. History tells us that Nero eventually murdered Poppaea by stomping her to death...

    Ian Keith is enjoyable as an unpunished villain. Ferdinand Gottshalk & Vivian Tobin are effectively degraded as Roman bacchants. Film mavens will recognize the voice of John Carradine, calling `We who are about to die, salute you!' out of the arena to Nero; he can later be spotted in the role of a Christian martyr ascending the dungeon stairs to his death.

    DeMille had just returned to Paramount from a 3-year, 3-picture stint at MGM, where he was remarkably subdued. Back at his home studio he was allowed more license. Wrapping a little sermon up in a lot of sin, he filled this pre-Production Code drama with plenty of the latter. When THE SIGN OF THE CROSS was re-released in 1944, many cuts had to be made. The film now having been restored, it's not difficult to guess which sections those were. The Dance of the Naked Moon & much of the antics in the final arena sequence are beyond the bounds of good taste, but certainly not beyond the bounds of Cecil B. DeMille.
    helpful•43
    6
    • Ron Oliver
    • Mar 8, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 10, 1933 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • U znaku krsta
    • Filming locations
      • Fresno, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,971,004
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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