The Silver Chalice | |
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Film poster
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Directed by | Victor Saville |
Produced by | Victor Saville |
Screenplay by | Lesser Samuels |
Based on |
The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Costain |
Starring | |
Music by | Franz Waxman |
Cinematography | William V. Skall |
Edited by | George White |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date
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Running time
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135 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $4.5 million (US) |
Box office | $3.2 million (US) |
The Silver Chalice is a 1954 American historical epic film directed and producer by Victor Saville, based on Thomas B. Costain's 1952 novel of the same name. It was Saville's last film and marked the acting debut of Paul Newman; despite winning a Golden Globe Award for his performance, Newman later called it "the worst motion picture produced during the 1950s".
A Greek artisan is commissioned to cast the cup of Christ in silver and sculpt around its rim the faces of the disciples and Jesus himself. He travels to Jerusalem and eventually to Rome to complete the task. Meanwhile, a nefarious interloper is trying to convince the crowds that he is the new Messiah by using nothing more than cheap parlor tricks.
It marked the film début of Paul Newman as an artist named Basil (né Ambrose), who was given the task of making a silver chalice to house the Holy Grail. It also featured Virginia Mayo as Helena, Pier Angeli as Deborra, Jack Palance as Simon Magus, the villain, Joseph Wiseman as Mijamin, Alexander Scourby as Saint Luke, Walter Hampden as Joseph of Arimathea, Lorne Greene as Peter, and an appearance by Natalie Wood, who plays Helena as a youth. Victor Saville was the director.
Cast as Listed in the Opening Credits: