The Robe

1953
Approved
2h 15m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

12K

YOUR RATING

Richard Burton, Victor Mature, and Jean Simmons in The Robe (1953)

Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Play trailer0:33

1 Video

99+ Photos

Epic Period Drama Political Drama Sword & Sandal Drama History Romance

In the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth but is tormented by his guilty conscience afterwards.In the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth but is tormented by his guilty conscience afterwards.In the Roman province of Judea during the 1st century, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio is ordered to crucify Jesus of Nazareth but is tormented by his guilty conscience afterwards.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

12K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 6 wins & 5 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 0:33

The Robe

Photos126

+ 119

More like this

6.6

Demetrius and the Gladiators

7.1

Quo Vadis

7.0

King of Kings

6.9

Barabbas

6.5

The Greatest Story Ever Told

7.2

El Cid

6.5

The Egyptian

6.7

The Fall of the Roman Empire

5.4

The Big Fisherman

7.6

The Song of Bernadette

7.0

Cleopatra

6.7

Ivanhoe

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Richard Burton was once threatened with a gun by Stewart Granger because of the affair he was having with Granger's wife Jean Simmons during filming.

Goofs
Caligula is depicted here and in the sequel Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) as persecuting Christians. However, he reigned from 37 to 41, while Christianity was still a nascent religion with most of its followers in the eastern Mediterranean. The first mention of Christians from the perspective of the Roman government, according to the Roman historian Suetonius, wasn't until the reign of his successor Claudius (reigned 41-54). The first major incidents of persecution of Christians did not occur until the reign of Nero (54 to 68).

Quotes
Diana: [Marcellus has just been sentenced to execution; Diana leaves the podium to stand at his side] Sire, Marcellus is my chosen husband. I wish to go with him.
Caligula: Stand back! You're not on trial! There's no evidence against you!
Diana: Then if it please you, sire, I'll provide evidence. I have no wish to live another hour in an empire ruled by *you*! You dare to call yourself a Caesar. Once the Caesars of Rome were noble, but in you, noble blood has turned to poison. You corrupt Rome with your spite and malice.
Caligula: Stop! Stop it!
Diana: That *you* should be Caesar, vicious, treacherous, drunk with power, an evil, insane monster posing as emperor.
Caligula: STOP IT!
Diana: As for me, I have found another king. I want to go with my husband into his kingdom.
Caligula: Then, by the gods, you shall! Go, both of you, into your kingdom!

Alternate versions
In 1997 the opening credits were altered to give top writing credit to Albert Maltz. Maltz had written the initial screenplay when the project was at R.K.O. Maltz's credit did not appear on prior prints because he was one of the "Hollywood Ten" who was blacklisted.

Connections
Featured in Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954)

User reviews110

Review

Featured review

9/10

'There's only one man at whose side I pray to sit.'

The film opens in Rome in the 18th year of the emperor Tiberius (Ernest Thesiger). Rome's legions stand guard on the boundaries of civilization from the foggy coasts of the northern seas to the ancient rivers of Babylon

Today the slave market is crowded because the emperor's heir and regent, the young Caligula (Jay Robinson) is coming to buy gladiators He probably will not be pleased to see Tribune Marcellus Gallio

Marcellus (Richard Burton) forgot the promise he made to Diana (Jean Simmons) to marry her when they grew up They were friends many years ago when they were children Now, since her father death, Diana has been the ward of the emperor and his wife Empress Julia (Rosalind Ivan) thinks she could be good for Caligula

At the auction, Caligula leaves the place very angry Marcellus buys a rebellious Greek with the name of Demetrius (Victor Mature) to be his personal attendant

Few hours later, Marcellus pays the consequences for humiliating Caligula, and is ordered to the garrison at Jerusalem, the worst pest-hole in the empire where the people are always on the verge of rebellion Caligula hoped by this order to give Marcellus his death sentence Senator Gallio (Torin Thatcher) asks his son Marcellus to be above all a Roman and a man of honor

On the deck before the galley set sail to Palestine, Diana appears to tell Marcellus that she's going back to Capri to ask the emperor to intercede for him Marcellus didn't believe that a girl of 11 could fall in love and stay in love all these years

All the spirit of the age is present in Koster's epic: The wilderness of the land of Galilee; the massage relaxing area; the terrifying meeting of Demetrius with one of Jesus' disciples; the Roman procurator of Judea asking to wash his hands more than once; the tribune's first battle trophy, for victory over the king of the Jews; the spectacular sword fight between two officers of the empire; and a lost robe in the hands of a runaway slave...

Richard Burton is the brave Tribune who renews his pledge of loyalty to his emperor and to Rome; Jean Simmons is lovely as the exquisite maiden who stands firmly besides her love; Victor Mature is brave and spirited as the Greek slave; Michael Rennie is serious and profound in thoughts and manners as Simon the Galilean; Jay Robinson is terrific as the vicious, treacherous young Caligula drunk with power; Dean Jagger is full of devotion and reverence as the humble and honest Justus; Ernest Thesiger is efficient enough as the austere Tiberius; Betta St. John is so sweet as the disabled believer Miriam; and Torin Thatcher is too helpless as the proud Senator

It is notable that Jesus of Nazareth is seen from far away riding a white donkey with all the people around carrying palms and as a tortured figure, impossible to discern lying beneath the heavy cross... Henry Koster restraints with dignity the recreation of the execution carried out at Calvary, outside Jerusalem...