The Prodigal (1955)

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Joseph Breen (adaptation) and
Samuel James Larsen (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 May 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A wealthy young Hebrew traveling in Damascus renounces his faith after is seduced by an alluring pagan priestess and cheated of his fortune by the High Priest as well.

Plot Keywords:

Faith | Pagan | Priestess | Hebrew | Inheritance

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Samarra
Edmund Purdom	...	Micah
Louis Calhern	...	Nahreeb
Audrey Dalton	...	Ruth
James Mitchell	...	Asham
Neville Brand	...	Rhakim
Walter Hampden	...	Eli
Taina Elg	...	Elissa
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Bosra
Joseph Wiseman	...	Carmish
John Dehner	...	Joram
Sandy Descher	...	Yasmin (as Sandra Descher)
Cecil Kellaway	...	Governor
Philip Tonge	...	Barber-Surgeon
David Leonard	...	Blind man
Henry Daniell	...	Ramadi
Paul Cavanagh	...	Tobiah
Dayton Lummis	...	Caleb
Tracey Roberts	...	Tahra
Jarma Lewis	...	Uba
Jay Novello	...	Merchant
Dorothy Adams	...	Carpenter's wife
Peter DeBear	...	Carpenter's son
Phyllis Graffeo	...	Miriam
Patricia Iannone	...	Deborah
Eugene Mazzola	...	David
George Sawaya	...	Kavak
Richard Devon	...	Risafe
Ann Cameron	...	Lahla
Gloria Dea	...	Faradine
John Rosser	...	Lirhan
Charles Wagenheim	...	Zubeir
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jessie Arnold	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
David Bond	...	Crier (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti	...	Woman (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Zeev Bufman	...	Worshipper (uncredited)
Larry Chance	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
John Cliff	...	Guard (uncredited)
Booth Colman	...	Barber (uncredited)
Willa Pearl Curtis	...	Nubian Woman (uncredited)
Joanna Dale	...	Bunny (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Jailer (uncredited)
Linda Danson	...	Owl (uncredited)
Mary Dean	...	Background Singer (uncredited)
Patricia Denise	...	Chicken (uncredited)
Jo Gilbert	...	Mother (uncredited)
Diane Gump	...	Fox (uncredited)
Allison Hayes	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Chester Hayes	...	Opponent (uncredited)
John Hudkins	...	Salkhad (uncredited)
Patricia Jackson	...	Lion (uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Murderer (uncredited)
George Keymas	...	Scribe (uncredited)
Rex Lease	...	Purveyor (uncredited)
George J. Lewis	...	Guard (uncredited)
Melba Liston	...	Female Servant (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	...	Harun (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Lame Man (uncredited)
Peter Mamakos	...	Guard (uncredited)
Lucille Maracini	...	Ram (uncredited)
Joseph Mell	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Tina Menard	...	Servant (uncredited)
Patrick Miller	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Forerunner (uncredited)
Dorothy Neumann	...	Mother (uncredited)
Loulie Jean Norman	...	Background Singer (uncredited)
Milicent Patrick	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Rose Plumer	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Jean Ransome	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
William Reeves	...	Background Singer (uncredited)
Gordon Richards	...	Nahreeb's Scribe (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	...	Chieftain (uncredited)
George Robotham	...	Human sacrifice (uncredited)
George Selk	...	Citizen (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Woman buying grain (uncredited)
Tom Steele	...	Slave (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Beggar (uncredited)
Gloria Stone	...	Mouse (uncredited)
Louis Tomei	...	Abu (uncredited)
Joe Waring	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lila Zali	...	Monkey (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Thorpe

Writing credits
Joseph Breen		(adaptation from the Bible story) (as Joe Breen Jr.) and
Samuel James Larsen		(adaptation from the Bible story)
Maurice Zimm		(writer)

Produced by
Charles Schnee	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
Harold F. Kress

Art Direction by
Randall Duell
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arvid Griffen	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chester Hayes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Louis Tomei	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Wilson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alvord Eiseman	....	color consultant

Other crew
Alex Romero	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (France) (theatrical)

Runtime:

112 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Jazz performer and arranger Melba Liston has an uncredited role as a servant woman.

Quotes:

Micah: Asham. I've drunk deep of every wine from here to Petra, and I've had my full share of women. Yet I'm behaving like a beardless boy panting for the first forbidden fruit that he sees. A priestess who worships a painted graven image! But she's in my blood!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001) (TV)

lackluster mini-epic

Lana Turner always shown in strong contemporary dramas but for some reason was cast in this silly bible epic. She hated the whole thing and snipped pieces of her costumes off to be more revealing. Posters and publicity pictures had to paint on veils. After his brief shot at stardom in The Eqyptian,replacing Marlon Brando,Edmund Purdom was given another chance to see if he had star quality. He didn't, A competent enough player but obviously no Brando. It's OK if u watch epics for the sets and costumes but beware the overripe dialogue and tedious but efficient direction of Richard Thorpe. Thorpe's main claim to fame was he was replaced as director on the Wizard of Oz for lack of originality. He also helmed a lot of Esther Williams' swim pics. She dismissed him as a studio hack and tried unsuccessfully to have him replaced. Still,Lana looks great,manages to infuse what life she could into the proceedings,