Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion
NR | 01 December 1952 (USA)
Androcles and the Lion Trailers

George Bernard Shaw’s breezy, delightful dramatization of this classic fable—about a Christian slave who pulls a thorn from a lion’s paw and is spared from death in the Colosseum as a result of his kind act—was written as a meditation on modern Christian values. Pascal’s final Shaw production is played broadly, with comic character actor Alan Young as the titular naïf. He’s ably supported by Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Robert Newton, and Elsa Lanchester.

Reviews
SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.
Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Staci Frederick Blistering performances.
JohnHowardReid Producer: Gabriel Pascal. Executive producer: Howard Hughes. A Gabriel Pascal Production, produced and released by RKO Radio. Animals supplied by Sid Fogel. Lion (Jackie II) trained by Mel Koontz.Copyright 30 October 1952 by RKO Radio Pictures. New York opening at the Capitol: 14 January 1953. U.S. release: 9 January 1953. U.K. release: 8 March 1954 (sic). Australian release: 23 April 1953. Sydney opening at the Esquire. 98 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Ancient Rome. A henpecked tailor extracts a thorn from a lion's paw. This good deed later proves to be his salvation when he meets up with the lion again in the Colosseum.NOTES: Last of Gabriel Pascal's four films, all adaptations of Shaw plays. Originally, Harpo Marx was cast as Androcles, Rex Harrison as Caesar, Dana Andrews as the Captain and George Sanders as Lentulus. Pascal felt Harpo was "the perfect Androcles" and from all accounts, the rushes were absoluteky brilliant. But five weeks into shooting, mega-rich producer Howard Hughes saw Alan Young on some trashy TV show and insisted Young be substituted for Harpo. But Young was not free. His agent had signed contracts all over the place. So Hughes bought up all Young's contracts. By the time this was all settled and shooting was ready to get under way again, only Jean Simmons and Robert Newton were still available to continue in their original roles. All the footage that had been shot was scrapped and Pascal, now firmly under the thumb of Howard Hughes, started shooting again from square one. As a result of Hughes' antics and his decisive interference, Androcles and the Lion is only remembered today as one of Hollywood's costliest failures.COMMENT: Commences in sprightly fashion, but unfortunately, mingled with the excellent wit, satire and comedy is a banal little romance involving Jean Simmons and Victor Mature of all people who rattles off lines about his "dooty" as a soldier until we are blue in the face with boredom. But if Mature overacts, Robert Newton is even worse. Alan Young starts well, but he also plays his part too broadly, especially in the later, sentimental sequences. Fortunately, a brilliant performance by Maurice Evans as Caesar virtually saves the film, though Gene Lockhart and Reginald Gardiner also contribute some deftly-played scenes. Aside from the wit and the amusement offered by about half of the film's episodes, there is a little spectacle for those whose eyes like to dwell on Harry Horner's recreation of the architectural triumphs of ancient Rome. Also outstanding are Stradling's photography and Hollander's music score. On the other hand, Erskine's direction is strictly routine.
duke1029 In a lengthy letter to the editor in the October 1960 issue of "Films in Review," a very young Robert Osborne supplies some erudition on the casting of "Androcles and the Lion." According to the film historian, shooting began with Harpo Marx in the title role and continued under the direction of Chester Erskine for five weeks. Osborne states that the film's producer and Shaw impresario Gabriel Pascal thought him "the perfect Androcles," and maintains that the rushes were thought to be "brilliant." However, RKO studio boss Howard Hughes had recently seen Alan Young on a TV show, and impetuously insisted that the part be recast. That meant all the footage involving Harpo had to be reshot.Unfortunately because of the delay two other principle cast members were lost to other commitments: Rex Harrison as Caeser and Dana Andrews as the Roman captain. Footage with them was scrapped and is presumed lost. They were replaced with Maurice Evans and Victor Mature. The two other stars, Robert Newton and Jean Simmons, making her American film debut, were able to stay.Although IMDb trivia claims that Harpo was only considered for the role, Mr. Osborne's reputation, gravitas, and record of film scholarship gives this anecdote credibility. It certainly is typical of the idiosyncratic and fickle Hughes that he would have these kind of caprices. Just one year earlier after John Farrow had completed "His Kind of Woman," the unpredictable billionaire brought in Richard Fleischer to shoot some additional scenes. Incredibly Fleischer ended up reshooting virtually the entire film when Hughes suddenly decided he now wanted Raymond Burr as the villain and had a large expensive set built in the studio tank for a superfluous sight gag involving Vincent Price that lasted only a few seconds on screen.Although it's unlikely that any of this footage will surface, if indeed it exists, but one can always hope.P.S. Victor Mature had a refreshingly off-beat sense of humor, and unlike other egotistical stars of the period, never took himself too seriously. According to co-star Jim Backus, he and Mature decided to go to a local café for lunch rather than suffer through a meal at the RKO cafeteria. The waitress was surprised to see the two men in ancient Roman military uniforms and was shocked and amused to hear the actors ask for the usual "servicemen's discount."
Hitchcoc I last saw this film as a child some 50 odd years ago. I remember after all these years, watching Alan Young, Mr. Ed's owner, waltzing with a lion in the Coliseum in Rome. I also remember knowing that the Romans did not treat the Christians very well in this setting. Shame on you George Bernard Shaw. Mr. Young, who apparently just turned 96 years old, a character actor of some merit, plays an insipid man who, in a most dingle-jolly way, is taken with a group of Christian prisoners to provide entertainment. He is docile and so trusting with those big eyes. Even a man who lives in a kind of la la situation would recognize that pain and death were just around the corner. He tries to inspire the others who are all giddy with their heads in the clouds. They somehow have learned Hymns that were written at least 700 years later. I guess this is supposed to be a comedy. The Roman soldiers are a bunch of silly Teddy bears, sort of like Sergeant Schultz on Hogan's Heroes. A laugh fest in a German prison camp. It also has Victor Mature, one of the most one dimensional actors of all time. Why the pretty young Christian girl played by Jean Simmons would want anything to do with someone so boring, I don't know. There is a fine line between comedy and tragedy. Making the Romans straight men who would never have fawned over those who were anathema to them was insulting. Watching the emperor chased by the lion was the final touch in a marvelously forgettable film.
happipuppi13 WHen I was a boy,I saw this fable played out in cartoon form and it was pretty simplistic. Androcles pulls a thorn out of the paw of an otherwise ferocious lion and the the lion becomes friendly only to him. This expanded version caught my interest being on the shelf at the local library. The cover picture makes it look like a kind of biblical picture one would find from the 1950s or maybe one of those artsy "Janus" films. It seems to be a little of both plus,in some scenes,something along the lines of a Sid Ceaser (No pun intended) "Your Show Of Shows" skit. There are some moments that are written funny but also some dialog that is accidentally unintended sexual innuendo. (Or was it?) The plot's simple enough. The roman emperor Julius Caeser is having Christian women thrown to the lions and the men doing battle as unwilling Gladiator's with his best fighters. Jean Simmons as Lavinia is the best performance overall in this film. She stays true to her character's beliefs and shows her to be a strong willed woman but a gentle devout Chritian at the same time. That's mighty fine acting line to balance on.Victor Mature as the Captain of the guard is great also. He wants to uphold the ideals that make up the bulk of his duty but because he can see that Lavinia is certainly no threat,his heart softens. Another good bit of acting. The chemistry between he and Simmons seemed very genuine to me. Alan Young as Androcles. I feel his role is meant to be a little comedic but also to be seen as a "simple" man. (Not stupid but just "unaffected" by the bad ways of the world. He's basically childlike.Robert Newton as Ferrovius. A giant of a man who struggles with trying to be a good Christian but controlling his almost evil like temper that makes him want to beat up or kill those who get in his way. Maurice Evans as Caesar? Quite possibly the funniest portrayal of the leader I've ever watched. I'm sure Evans was trying to play him as a male diva who thinks of himself as being one step below the God's he worships. Lastly a still fairly young Jim Backus as one off the roman guards. Those of us born long after this film came out,yes,it's funny to see "Mr. Howell" as a Roman soldier. He does a pretty good job too.The central idea presented here is that being true to either one's faith or one's self can bring about good things and make one able to deal with life's problems and the opinions of others.At the same time,what one believes can also be something that causes one to be blind or intolerant to what others believe. To the point of trying to destroy it. I agree it would have been a good idea to decide which kind of movie was going to be made with Shaw's story. While I do feel it works here on a good many levels. What takes away from it is the unfortunate choice of having Androcles "dance" with the lion in the Coleseum! We can tell it's not a real lion,which ruins the magic of the relationship we saw established earlier. Makes you wonder if the director was going for "a big laugh" or something. In any other movie about Julius Ceaser,the ending would have been completely ridiculous. Setting all the Christians free of persecution is something we know was only solved through bloodshed and the fall of the Roman empire itself. Since this film is only 1/2 serious,I wont slight it for that,even though I did roll my eyes when it happened.In the end,everyone lived happily ever after!! 5 stars here. Godd acting on the parts of Simmons and Mature and fairly well played parts on the part of the others. 5 off from 10 for the sillier notions here. Still,for simple entertainment,I'd still recommend it. (END)