Samson et Delila
(Samson and Delilah)
(1903) France
B&W : Short film
Directed by Ferdinand Zecca
Cast: (unknown)
Compagnie Genérale des Établissements Pathé Frères Phonographes & Cinématographes production; distributed by Compagnie Genérale des Établissements Pathé Frères Phonographes & Cinématographes. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. Pathécolor hand-tinted color process. / [?] Website-IMDb lists the release year as 1902. The film was released in the USA by Lubin Manufacturing Company (perhaps illegally duplicated) on 25 April 1904.
Drama: Historical.
Synopsis: [From Lubin promotional materials] This picture describes the well-known biblical story of Samson and Delila. The picture commences with Samson’s visit to Gaza, a city of the Philistines. While there they closed the gates upon him and set watchmen to defend them, intending to put him to death on the following day. Samson slept until midnight, and then arose. Upon reaching the gates, he slew the watchman, pulled down the gates and carried them to the top of an adjoining hill, where he left them to the confusion and disappointment of the Philistines. After many feats of this kind, Samson permitted himself to become infatuated with a treacherous woman among the Philistines, named Delila. He revealed to her that the secret of his strength lay in the fact that, being a Nazarite, he never had cut his hair. After hearing this, she waited until Samson was asleep, and then having cut off his seven locks, called out that the Philistines were coming. Samson, on awakening, found his strength gone, and Delila, having called in the Philistines, they came in and put out her eyes. They then throw him into prison.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: (unknown) [France]; Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 11 October 2023.
References: Website-IMDb.
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