Felix Cherniavsky - Depictions of Maud Allan's "Vision of Salome"

Added 19th Mar 2022 by Beth Dobson (Archives and Programming Assistant, DCD) / Last update 19th Mar 2022

Maud Allan 1123 51 2008-2-69.jpg
Maud Allan 1123 51 2008-2-69.jpg
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Felix Cherniavsky - Depictions of Maud Allan's "Vision of Salome"

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Maud Allan Research Collection
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a is likely to be deceived too greatly as to its Biblical authenticity or its calculated provision of intellectual food . The billboard appearances of Miss Hayworth in various attitudes of repose , gowned in diaphanous garments and making with come hither looks , suggest more pro found enthusiasm for the delights of theatrical couture and the well advertised allurements of a famous glamour queen . And those are the dominating elements in this elaborately fanci ful film , which makes its spectacu lar pretensions under the direction of William Dieterle . Although there prevails throughout the pic ture & righteously sanctimonious air , suggesting the whole thing is intended to be taken on a high religious plane , the climate is mainly saturated with the elegance of the heroine and the fascination of her . She is the object of all eyes . In aggrandizing the lady , the gentlemen who wrote the script , Jesse L. Lasky and Harry Kleiner , have taken considerable liberties with the biblical story of the fate of John the Baptist and also with later fables of Salome . Where the Bible's and other ver sions of the story of the dancing girl have her asking for the head of John the Baptist as a reward for her dancing before the King , this Hollywood version has her meaning to ask that the popular prophet be set free . Seems she has taken a strong liking to a Roman captain of Pontius Pilate's entou rage who has himself become vast top palace circles in the land of Galilee , pursued by her handsome Roman captain and by King Herod , who is equally bemused , But her moment of greatest magnificence comes when she dances for the King , in a sort of discreet strip tease version of the Dance of the Seven Veils . In this latter performance , Miss Hayworth does give a lively show --more lively , at least , than the posturing that she does in the earlier parts of the film . And the pop - eyed entrancement of Charles Laughton as Herod in watching her is a pretty fair indication of what her fans are expected to do . Like Miss Hayworth's , Mr. Laugh ton's performance is not impres sive in earlier phases of the film . Where he used to belch when he was sated , now he merely yawns . As for Stewart Granger as the Roman captain , Judith Anderson as Queen Herodias , Alan Badel as John the Baptist , Basil Sydney as Pontius Pilate and many more , they are simply supporting adorn ments for Miss Hayworth's expen sive Salome . Mr 25 , 1953 , 37 : 1 ONE - By BOSLEY CROITHER NE of the silent movies more notorious Tiffany lamps , relic of a style of artsy acting and fancy décor that blazes as present - day camp , is being placed on view today at the Gallery of Mod ern Art as a part of its cur rent exhibition of Aubrey Beardsley drawings and prints . It is Alla Nazimova's famous 1922 film , " Salome , " in which it is wistfully re membered that the distin guished actress , financing the production herself in a splurge of artistic self - promotion , lost more than the seven veils . The justification for its re vival in connection with the Beardsley show is that the sets and costumes were fash ioned by Natasha Rambova , the second wife of Rudolph Valentino , after drawings Beardsley did as illustrations forthe published volume of the play , " Salome , " by Oscar Wilde . Seminta SM year she did this “ Salome . " But she had an extravagant ambition . As Edward Wagen knecht says in " The Movies in the Age of Innocence , " she wanted to be Sarah Bern hardt and Mary Pickford and Mabel Normand , too . She must also have wanted to be Theda Bara , to judge by this pop - eyed Salome . Raymond Rohauer , the film curator and program director at the Gallery of Modern Art found this print of the picture among Nazimova's ef fects , and he has added a score of Richard Strauss music played on an organ in a San Francisco theater . It just makes an interest ing adjunct to the Beardsley show . It is also good for a couple of chuckles . It will be shown at 3 and 5:30 P.M. daily through April 9 . SALOME , screenplay by Harry Kleiner from a story by Jesse L. Lasky Jr .; directed by William Dieterle : produced by Buddy Adler . A Beckworth Corporation presentation re leased by Columbia Pictures . At the Rivoll . Princess Salome Rita Hayworth Commander Claudius Ste art Granger King Herod Charles Laughton Queen Herodias .Judith Anderson Caesar Tiberius Sir Cedric Hardwicke John the Baptist . . Alan Badel Pontius Pilate Basil sydney Ezra .Maurice Schwartz Marcellus Fabius .Pex Reason Micha Arnold MOSS Oriental Dance Team Sujata and Asoka Courier Robert Warwick Salome's servant .Carmen D'Antonio Captain Quintus . Michael Granger Slave Master Karl Killer " Davis F 15 , 1967 , 42 : 4 Rita Hayworth in " Salome " By BOSLEY CROWTHER Considering the popular reputa tion of a girl known as Salome , who had something to do with the unhinging of John the Baptist's head , and considering the wide eyed admiration in which Rita Hayworth is held , it is not sur prising to find the two young ladies brought together and ex ploited in a film . ' umbia's " Salome , " which the barrier at the Rivoli right , is a flamboyant , Tech nicolored romance , based vaguely on a Biblical tale , wherein the high ly regarded Miss Hayworth plays the legendary dancer at Herod's court . It is also a lush conglomer ation of historical pretenses and make - believe , pseudo - religious os tentation and just plain insinuated sex No one of moderate perception , al serving the posters for this film , ly taken with the new philosophy of John and of Christ . And , in order to obtain John's freedom , she dances before the licentious King , but before she has time to make her petition , her mother asks for and receives the prophet's head . This dodge is , of course , an ab solution of Salome of any blame for a bit of biblical intrigue about which historians themselves are rather vague . It is with extreme shock and horror that she beholds John's gory head , resting sublimely on a platter , and she flees from Herod and her mother in utter shame . The last we see of her and her Roman captain , they are lis tening raptly to the Sermon on the Mount . Prior to this amazing climax , the lady is allowed to spend some time charming other highly placed Romans , riding a galley in the Mediterranean Sea and moving in This could be . The flimsy garment and the bubbly head dress that Nazimova wears as the haughty stepdaughter of Herod who dances for him only on condition that he give her Jokanaan's ( John the Baptist's ) head does have some passing resemblance to the airy things the Beardsley ladies wear , and the gaudy Arabian Nights scenery and outfits of the flunkies do look a bit like some of the designs in the drawings up stairs . But , for heavens sake , don't take this old film and its con nection with Beardsley too seriously . It is a preposterous bit of pretense , and even in its day it was regarded by re spectable critics as a limp piece of studio - fashioned Art . Nazimova was a lovely actress --the Greta Garbo , indeed , of the years around 1920 , when she made some interesting films , including one of Ibsen's " A Doll House " in the same