KING OF KINGS
Starring H.B. Warner, Ernest Torrence, Joseph Schildkraut, Rudolph
Schildkraut, William Boyd, Dorothy Cumming and Jacqueline Logan
MOTION PICTURE MAGAZINE
July 1927
No Biblical subject has been quite so magnificently treated on the screen as "The King of Kings," and Cecil B. DeMille deserves an everlasting tribute for the triumph of his achievement in so reverently transcribing the life of Jesus of Nazareth. As a production, "The King of Kings" equals anything that has been done on the screen. The story has been told with a deep appreciation of the subject. The large cast, composed of many of the leading cinema artists, portrays the various roles with exceptional merit. H.B. Warner as The Christ rises to the heights in his conception of The Nazarene. Ernest Torrence as Peter, Joseph Schildkraut as Judas, Rudolph Schildkraut as Caiaphas, Jacqueline Logan as Mary Magdalene, Dorothy Cummings as Mary, mother of Christ, and Victor Varconi as Pilate, deserve the highest praise. "The King of Kings " will always be remembered as one of the outstanding contributions to the screen.
KING OF KINGS
Starring H.B. Warner, Ernest Torrence, Joseph Schildkraut, Rudolph
Schildkraut, William Boyd, Dorothy Cumming and Jacqueline Logan
SCREENLAND
July 1927
"The King of Kings" is the picture, of all pictures, that you must see; and, having seen, you will never forget. It is Spirit on the screen. No matter who or what you are, "The King of Kings" has a message for you. You may come into the theatre scoffing or merely curious. You will leave infinitely richer for the experience.
The first-night audience on Broadway was like that. It was the usual gay, curious, wise-cracking, chattering opening night crowd -- until the picture began to unfold. Then -- it may not have been until the second half -- that audience stopped whispering and shuffling, and literally leaned forward. The film proceeded in the most absolute silence I have ever heard in a theatre. "The King of Kings" impressed the hardest-boiled crowd in the world -- in spite of itself.
Cecil B. DeMille has done a most daring thing in filming the last years of the life of Jesus Christ. And he has done it magnificently. Approaching his great subject in a humble spirit, discarding all movie notions and Hollywood traditions, he has achieved a masterpiece -- a picture that, to my mind at least, is worth more than all the sermons ever preached. The whole world should see "The King of Kings" -- and be a little better for it.
Pictorially, it sets a new standard in beauty. Many of the scenes are museum pieces. The cleansing of Mary Magdalene, the healing of the blind and the sick, the visit to the Temple, the judgment before Pilate, the betrayal by Judas, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection -- the sacred story is told with tenderness and imagination. The climax is reached in the rending of the earth following the Crucifixion -- and awe-inspiring spectacle, one of the most masterly conceptions the screen has seen.
The figure of the Christ moves through the scenes with incomparable dignity. With all due reverence, he is shown not only as the Savior of mankind, but also as the most lovable of Men -- mending a child's broken doll. H.B. Warner's conception must inevitably rank first among great screen performances. No other actor could have contributed the essential grace, poise and nobility.
"The King of Kings," in fact, has the most amazing cast any director ever assembled. Ernest Torrence, a hearty, human Peter; Joseph Schildkraut, a handsome storm-swept Judas; Rudolph Schildkraut as the scheming High Priest; Victor Varconi, a stalwart Pontius Pilate; William Boyd as Simon the Cyrene -- all are splendid. Dorothy Cumming, as Mary the Mother, is moving and lovely. Jacqueline Logan's Mary of Magdalene is a sincere portrayal. Robert Edeson, Sam de Grasse, James Neill and many others make lasting impressions. The Spirit which inspired this picture shines through all the technique.
There can be no criticism of such a picture as this -- only appreciation.