The Sword and the Cross
| The Sword and the Cross | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
La spada e la croce (Italy, 1958) Mary Magdalene (U.S., 1960) | |
| Directed by | Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia |
| Produced by | Ottavio Poggi |
| Screenplay by | Sandro Continenza |
| Story by | Ottavio Poggi |
| Starring | Yvonne De Carlo |
| Music by | Roberto Nicolosi |
| Cinematography | Raffaele Masciocchi |
| Edited by | Renato Cinquini |
Production companies |
Liber Film |
| Distributed by | Amex (U.S.) |
Release date |
1958 (Italy) 1960 (U.S.) |
Running time | 1:45:00 |
| Country | Italy |
| Language |
English Italian |
The Sword and the Cross (Italian: La spada e la croce) is a 1958 Italian religious drama film directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and starring Yvonne De Carlo as Mary Magdalene.[1] Shot in English and later dubbed in Italian,[2] the film was released in the United States in 1960 as Mary Magdalene.[3]
Cast
- Yvonne De Carlo as Mary Magdalene
- Jorge Mistral as Gaius Marcellus
- Rossana Podestà as Martha
- Massimo Serato as Anan
- Andrea Aureli as Barabbas
- Mario Girotti as Lazarus
- Nando Tamberlani as Caiaphas
- Philippe Hersent as Pontius Pilate
- Rossana Rory as Claudia
Production
De Carlo was signed for the film in May 1958.[4] The film's director, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, later remembered that the "producer, Ottavio Poggi, had sent the provisional script to America, so Yvonne De Carlo could read it and decide on her participation in the film. She read it and got very excited, agreeing to play the role of Magdalene."[5]
Critical reception
Gary Allen Smith, in his book Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on More Than 350 Historical Spectacle Movies, described the film as "above average."[3]
References
- ↑ Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano: I film. Gremese, 1991. ISBN 8876055487.
- ↑ "Hard Work Pays Off For Yvonne". The Deseret News. July 18, 1958. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- 1 2 Smith, Gary Allen (2004). Epic Films: Casts, Credits and Commentary on More Than 350 Historical Spectacle Movies, 2d ed. McFarland. pp. 164–165. ISBN 1476604185. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
- ↑ "De Carlo Signed for Italian 'Magdalene'". Variety. May 20, 1958.
- ↑ Antonelli, Lamberto; Laura, Ernesto G. (1992). Nato col cinema: Carlo Ludovico Braggalia: cent'anni tra arti e cinema. A.N.C.C.I. p. 101. Retrieved December 27, 2016.