Constantine and the Cross

Premise

Constantine wins a battle and is sent to Rome. On the way he and his friend Hadrian are attacked by bandits. Hadrian is nursed back to health by some Christians, including Livia, who falls in love with Hadrian. Constantine discovers the bandits were sent by Maxentius, Constantine's rival for power.

Constantine watches some Christians be eaten by the lions. He jumps into the arena to defend a surviving child, and asks for the other Christians to be set free.

Livia is arrested. Hadrian, who has fallen in love with her, arranges for her to escape from prison. Constantine is blamed, and branded a traitor by the Romans. Constantine leaves his bride to be, Princes Fausta, and learns from his dying father, the Emperor of Gaul, that his mother Helena is a Christian.

Maxentius persecutes Christians and attacks Constantine in Gaul. Constantinus defeats Maxientus and becomes Emperor of Rome alongside Fausta, while Helena blesses them both.

Cast

• Cornel Wilde as Constantine
• Belinda Lee as Fausta
• Massimo Serato as Maxentius
• Christine Kaufmann as Livia
• Fausto Tozzi as Hadrian
• Tino Carraro as Maximian
• Carlo Ninchi as Constantius Chlorus
• Vittorio Sanipoli as Apuleius
• Nando Gazzolo as Licinius
• Annibale Ninchi as Galarius
• Elisa Cegani as Helena
• Franco Fantasia as Roman Soldier
• Loris Gizzi as Roman Prosecutor
• Enrico Glori as Livia's Father
• Jole Mauro as Celi
• Nando Tamberlani as Diocletian
• Renato Terra as Jailer
• Lauro Gazzolo as Amodius

Production

Filming took place in August 1960, with locations in Yugoslavia and studio work in Rome.This Hose for Exhibition With 36 others Bristow, Winifred. Picture Show; London (Aug 27, 1960): 3-4. While filming a scene in Rome Cornel Wilde was scratched by a lion. Filming was completed by November.

Release

Constantine and the Cross was released in Italy in January 1961. It was released in the United States in December 1962.

Reception

The New York Times called it "one of those ponderous costumed tabloids that's trampled history to death and turned what's left of its fragments into boring banalities."The Screen: 'Constantine' Tramples History to Death The Cast By BOSLEY CROWTHER Special to The New York Times 14 Mar 1963: 8.

The Monthly Film Bulletin said "the familiar ingredients of this tired spectacle - lions, fair haired Christian girls, torture chambers, battles, assassination attempts, intrigue - fail to arouse any noticeable excitement in the director or the cast."

The movie was one of Belinda Lee's more widely seen European films.

According to Gary Smith, film historian " The film is memorable for its impressive battle scenes (reused in countless peplum films for years to come) and because of the striking presence of Belinda Lee as Constantine’s wife Fausta."

References

Sources

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References

1. Wilde Scratched by Lion New York Times 1 Sep 1960: 30.
2. (16 November 1960). "Rome".
3. Vagg, Stephen. (September 7, 2020). "A Tale of Two Blondes: Diana Dors and Belinda Lee".
4. Smith, Gary A.. (2004). "Epic films : casts, credits, and commentary on over 350 historical spectacle movies". McFarland.