Description: Paul Newman - in his screen debut - plays a 1st century Greek sculptor who is sold into slavery. He escapes harm when his talent is discovered and he is comissioned to create a replica of the chalice Jesus drank from at the Last Supper.
Don't Drink From This Chalice One of the worst films in this genre starring Paul Newman, Virginia Mayo, Jack Palance, Pier Angeli, Joseph Wiseman, Natalie Wood, E.G. Marshall, Lorne Greene and Alexander Scourby. The story follows the life of a Greek slave asked to craft a silver chalice to be used at the Last Supper.
Horrible performances and direction all around except for Jack Palance as Simon the Magician: I would give the film a -100 if Palance weren't in it. Given the dialogue and direction, it's immediately evident that those involved knew little about antiquity or anything about film making in general. The horribly fake backdrops leave the impression of a bad play rather than a movie. This is the film on which Paul Newman commented that it would be his last appearance in sandals and a cocktail dress: I'd be ashamed too if I were in his place.
Rent this trash can film if you must: buy at your own peril. Another bleak example of the worst flops in film history that should never have been brought back from its sealed vaults.
Chalice of Surrealism This is one of the strangest looking films I can remember. The sets make this film look like a biblical soap opera gone futuristic. I am not sure if this was director Victor Saville's intent or not. Filmed in CinemaScope by William V. Skall, it just looks so offbeat. In fact, Skall was nominated for an Academy Award for his Color Cinematography on this film. Based on the novel by Thomas Costain, it deals with the trials and tribulations of a Greek craftsman, portrayed by a very young Paul Newman, who designed the cup used at the Last Supper. The cast includes voluptuous Virginia Mayo, a demented looking Jack Palance, Pier Angeli, Joseph Wiseman, Natalie Wood, E.G. Marshall, Lorne Greene and Alexander Scourby. Faring best is Jack Palance giving a cryptic performance as a master of illusions. Franz Waxman's Academy Award nominated score is excellent, outdoing the script and most of the performances. This was director Victor Saville's second to last film. It is a curious and interesting film, which certainly follows a different path. The cover of this VHS edition is just beautiful.
New-Bayreuth comes to Judea Of all the religious epics of the '50's this is one of the few worthy of repeated viewings. Newman and the lovely Pier Angeli in their first screen roles (and a very brief appearence of Natalie Wood as a blond childhood version of Virginia Mayo!). But it is Jack Palance as Simon that makes this film worth repeated viewings. It is difficult to even contemplate acting on so truely outragious a level-he even makes Nero seem rational. Just as interesting is the Set-Design. A few times in the '50's a film would try to use avant guard theatrical set designers (The 5000 Fingers of Dr.T is another) instead of the usual Hollywood realism. In this case the minimalist surrealism of the Wieland Wagner productions at the Bayreuth Wagner Festival. I enjoyed very much the attempt to try something new and innovative in this bible epic-a genre rarely given to any innovation at all. Why watch The Robe yet again when you could have this in all it's demented glory?
A Curious Old Flick Reviewers are right on.. that the sets are one of the most interesting aspects of this film. However there seem to be some misconceptions about the story. "Basil" (Paul Newman) did not design the cup used at the last supper, but designed a silver chalice to hold the cup, and the plot involves him traveling around as he carves likenesses of the apostles, for a decoration on the silver cup "holder". Palance hams it up as Simon Magnus, a character from the New Testament, who tried to "buy" the religious "powers" of the apostles, giving the name "simony" to related sins. The look of the movie is like watching a play with sets, rather than a realistic movie, but the abstraction of the sets is one of the movie's most interesting aspects, along with the strangely facinating over-the-top performance of Palance.
great film! This is a really well worth seeing. It's not perfection, which makes it even more worth seeing. Virginia Mayo and Paul Newman are great in it. It's romantic, adventurous, and interesting. The theme of using religion in the movie sis wonderful, it should be done more often is today's day and age as well.
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