Tag Archives: Biblical epic

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The Bootleg Files: The Big Fisherman

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BOOTLEG FILES 791: “The Big Fisherman” (1959 Biblical epic starring Howard Keel).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No one is rushing to get it into home entertainment release.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

During the 1950s, Biblical epics came back into vogue with a vengeance. Some of these films were monster box office hits – widescreen epics such as “The Robe” (1953), “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and “Ben-Hur” (1959) generated millions of dollars in ticket sales.
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King of Kings (1961)

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It is difficult to view the 1961 version of “King of Kings” without wondering whether the creative talent involved in the production had any familiarity with the inspiration for their work. Although it was not unusual for Biblical epics to take some fanciful liberties with the subject matter, rarely has the sacred text been so wildly rewritten.
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The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille (2017)

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Cecil B. DeMille’s first foray into Biblical spectacle was his 1923 epic “The Ten Commandments,” which features a recreation of ancient Egypt – complete with 20 sphinxes and four massive statues of Ramses – built on the beaches of the town of Guadalupe in California’s Santa Barbara County. When production was completed, DeMille worried that his massive sets would be commandeered by rival filmmakers, so he had them buried in the sands.

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