The Sign of the Cross (1932)
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- Not Rated
- 2h 5min
- Drama, History
- 10 Feb 1933 (USA)
- Movie
A Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Fredric March | ... |
Marcus Superbus - Prefect of Rome
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| Elissa Landi | ... |
Mercia
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| Claudette Colbert | ... |
Empress Poppaea
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| Charles Laughton | ... |
Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar
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| Ian Keith | ... |
Tigellinus
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| Arthur Hohl | ... |
Titus
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| Harry Beresford | ... |
Favius Fontelas
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| Tommy Conlon | ... |
Stephan
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| Ferdinand Gottschalk | ... |
Glabrio
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| Vivian Tobin | ... |
Dacia
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| William V. Mong | ... |
Licinius / Old Man Carrying Child
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| Joyzelle Joyner | ... |
Ancaria
(as Joyzelle)
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| Richard Alexander | ... |
Viturius
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| Nat Pendleton | ... |
Strabo
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| Clarence Burton | ... |
Servillius
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Harold Healy | ... |
Tybul
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| Robert Seiter | ... |
Philodemus
(as Robert Manning)
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| Charles Middleton | ... |
Tyros
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Joel Allen | ... |
Bombadier (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Mischa Auer | ... |
Christian in Dungeon (uncredited)
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| Lionel Belmore | ... |
Bettor of 300 Silver (uncredited)
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| True Boardman | ... |
Nero's Slave (uncredited)
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| Marjorie Bonner | ... |
Roman Woman (uncredited)
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| Joe Bonomo | ... |
Mute Torturer (uncredited)
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| Henry Brandon | ... |
Colosseum Spectator (uncredited)
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| George Bruggeman | ... |
Nero's Slave (uncredited)
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| Horace B. Carpenter | ... |
(uncredited)
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| John Carradine | ... |
Christian Martyr / Gladiator Leader / Voice in Coliseum Mob / Voice of Roman (uncredited)
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| Lane Chandler | ... |
Chained Christian (uncredited)
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| Ruth Clifford | ... |
Christian Mother at Meeting (uncredited)
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| William Forrest | ... |
Col. Hugh Mason (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Charles Gemora | ... |
Gorilla (uncredited)
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| Wynne Gibson | ... |
Orgy Guest (uncredited)
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| Dorothy Granger | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Carol Holloway | ... |
(uncredited)
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| John James | ... |
Lt. Herb Hanson (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Otto Lederer | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Lillian Leighton | ... |
Woman Getting Gold for Cup (uncredited)
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| Edward LeSaint | ... |
Enthusiastic Spectator (uncredited)
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| Wilfred Lucas | ... |
(uncredited)
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| James Millican | ... |
Capt. Kevin Driscoll - (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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Gertrude Norman | ... |
Christian (uncredited)
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| Wedgwood Nowell | ... |
Man Accepting 300 Silver Bet (uncredited)
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| Dave O'Brien | ... |
Christian on Stairway (uncredited)
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| William H. O'Brien | ... |
Man Who Heard Lions All Morning (uncredited)
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| Hal Price | ... |
Spectator (uncredited)
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| Sally Rand | ... |
Crocodiles' Victim (uncredited)
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| Tom Ricketts | ... |
Sleeping Spectator (uncredited)
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| Stanley Ridges | ... |
Chaplain Lloyd (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Angelo Rossitto | ... |
Impaled Pygmy (uncredited)
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| Ynez Seabury | ... |
Little Girl (uncredited)
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| Arthur Shields | ... |
Chaplain Costello (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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Jerome Storm | ... |
(uncredited)
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| Kent Taylor | ... |
Romantic Spectator (uncredited)
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Oliver Thorndike | ... |
Lt. Robert Hammond (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Tom Tully | ... |
Hoboken (1944 Re-Release Prologue) (uncredited)
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| Florence Turner | ... |
Christian (uncredited)
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| Ethel Wales | ... |
Complaining Wife (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Cecil B. DeMille | ... | (as Cecil B. De Mille) |
Written by
| Waldemar Young | ... | (screen play) and |
| Sidney Buchman | ... | (screen play) |
| Wilson Barrett | ... | (from the play by) |
| Dudley Nichols | ... | () (1944 prologue) (uncredited) |
| Henryk Sienkiewicz | ... | (novel "Quo Vadis": source) (uncredited) |
Produced by
| Cecil B. DeMille | ... | producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Jay Chernis | ... | (uncredited) |
| Rudolph G. Kopp | ... | (uncredited) |
| Paul Marquardt | ... | (uncredited) |
| Milan Roder | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Karl Struss | ... | (photographed by) |
Editing by
| Anne Bauchens | ... | (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Mitchell Leisen | ... | (uncredited) |
Costume Design by
| Mitchell Leisen | ... | (costumes by) |
Makeup Department
| James Collins | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Roy Burns | ... | production manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Mitchell Leisen | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
| Edward Salven | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Mitchell Leisen | ... | art director: 1944 prologue (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Treg Brown | ... | sound effects editor (uncredited) |
| Harry Lindgren | ... | sound engineer (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Paul Cable | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| George T. Clemens | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
| Otto Dyar | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Cliff Shirpser | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Fleet Southcott | ... | first assistant camera (uncredited) |
| William E. Thomas | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Fred Westerberg | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Charles Gemora | ... | gorilla costume creator (uncredited) |
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| C. Bakaleinikoff | ... | conductor (uncredited) |
| Nat W. Finston | ... | music supervisor (uncredited) |
| George Parrish | ... | orchestrator: prologue (1944 re-release) (uncredited) |
| Victor Young | ... | composer: prologue (1944 re-release) (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| George Emerson | ... | animal trainer: lion (uncredited) |
| Mel Koontz | ... | lion trainer (uncredited) |
| Chester Seay | ... | archery instructor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Paramount Pictures (presents) (Cecil B. De Mille's Production)
Distributors
- Paramount Pictures (1932) (United States) (theatrical) (as Paramount Publix Corporation) (A Paramount Picture)
- Paramount Film Service (1933) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Paramount British Pictures (1933) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Paramount Film Service (1933) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Les Films Paramount (1933) (France) (theatrical)
- Films Paramount (1933) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Paramount Films (1933) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Paramount-Film (1933) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Film AB Paramount (1933) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Filmaktieselskapet Paramount (1933) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Filmaktieselskabet Paramount (1933) (Denmark) (theatrical)
- Paramount Filmes (1933) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Paramount British Pictures (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Paramount Pictures (1944) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release) (edited)
- Films Paramount (1947) (Belgium) (theatrical) (reissue)
- Paramount-Film (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical) (edited)
- MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (United States) (tv) (edited)
- MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (United States) (VHS)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2011) (United States) (DVD) (Cinema Classics)
- Kino Lorber Studio Classics (2020) (United States) (Blu-ray)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America (acknowledgement)
- Western Electric (noiseless recording)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
After burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they are all to be caught and sent to the arena. Two old Christians are caught, and about to be hauled off, when Marcus, the highest military official in Rome, comes upon them. When he sees their stepdaughter Mercia, he instantly falls in love with her and frees them. Marcus pursues Mercia, which gets him into trouble with Emperor for being easy on Christians, and with the Empress, who loves him and is jealous.
Written by John Oswalt |
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| Taglines | Out of the blazing pyre of Rome comes the love that has outlived 2,000 years! (Print Ad-Syracuse Journal, ((Syracuse NY)) 16 March 1933) See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Cecil B. DeMille was pressured to drop Ancaria's seductive dance in the orgy scene by Will H. Hays of the Hays Office, but DeMille adamantly refused. Still, censors often cut out gruesome parts of the film, particularly, the cart carrying dead bodies out of the arena, a gorilla dancing around a semi-nude girl, elephants stomping Christians and picking them up with their tusks, crocodiles about to eat a bound girl, etc. These scenes are all in the restored version. See more » |
| Goofs | In the Coliseum, we see a woman tied up and is at the mercy of a gorilla. Europeans had no knowledge of gorillas' existence until more than 15 centuries later. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Through the Centuries (1933). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Christian Hymn No.1 See more » |
| Quotes |
[the Empress, soaking naked in a tub of ass's milk and calling to a friend]
Poppaea: Dacia, you're a butterfly with the sting of a wasp. Take off your clothes. Get in here and tell me all about it. See more » |