The Silver Chalice

source: The Silver Chalice

Trailer—The Silver Chalice

The Silver Chalice

142 minutes of some of the most bizarre scenes and storyline was asking a bit to much of the viewer. We all know Paul Newman hated this and told everyone so, and I have to say it is justified criticism, and feel the musical score was far too classy for the Movie. However, it is easy to be over-critical , and not give any credits that are due, so I'll start by saying Newman was actually very good at handling some of the worst dialogue ever concocted and was far from the worst in it. Save that for Virginia Mayo who looked as if she had wandered onto the set by mistake. Jack Palance had a ball, giving the most over-the-top acting seen for years,; but at least he kept one awake. Pier Angeli was very pretty, but very wooden; while Lorne Greene seemed in a hurry to get back to the Ponderosa. Had it been cut by at least 30 minutes, and that would have been easy, as many scenes were unnecessary, it would have been a heck of a lot more endurable.

Well I've waiting for years to see this movie, and finally I have. I made it my Christmas treat. Well okay maybe "treat" is stretching it. I don't know if it was one of the worst films of the fifties. But it's probably Paul Newman's worst performance in movies. Then again, the dialogue he was given was pretty dismal. As for Jack Palance, He not only chews the scenery, he spits it back at you. The movie definitely livened up when he was on screen. Virginia mayo looks like a hooker. Hmmm. Was she supposed to be a hooker? She's only 5 years older than Newman, but looks about 20. Still there were some decent performances noticeably from Joseph Wiseman, and Pier Angeli. It also kept my interest.

I actually enjoyed a few parts of this bizarre movie, the first for Paul Newman. I think Jack Palance had the juicier role and he made the most of it as the magician, Simon, who challenges the Lord himself. This was the only "real" part of this movie, with a storyline taken from the Bible. Then we get the problem areas. A real bible story with modernistic, surreal sets. Beautiful Virginia Mayo looks like a Vulcan from Star Trek with her uplifted eyebrows. Her gowns are very 1950's. During Caesar's feast the dancers pop out of the floor and gyrate like they just came from a modern dance recital. The music is deafening. The dialog is simplistic and often unintentionally funny. So are some of the scenes, like the looting scene where two women fight over a gown like they're in Macy's. But what takes so much from the actors is the sets. I just couldn't get past gawking at the most bizarre sets I've ever seen in a movie, much less a Biblical one. These two things simply do not mesh.

This film is certainly an oddity but deserves some mention for the actors involved, and especially Jack Palance as "Simon the Magician". I too remember watching this around Easter at around age 10, it could be an interesting film for children who don't understand the historical issues of Emperor Nero,the Romans and conflicts of Christianity etc. As another reviewer mentioned, it is odd with unusual sets. Virginia Mayo, however, looks lovely as always, even with some over the top eyebrow makeup and gold eyeshadow. Paul Newman is a slave who must craft a special chalice for Jesus. Mayo, as royalty attempts to rescue him from his chains. Simon the Magician entertains Caesar but loses his mind in the end, building a special tower and wings to prove to Caesar that he can fly. He is just as much a God as any other, he proclaims. The film is theater and a bit campy as you get older but worth watching as a curiosity. 6/10

I started watching "The Silver Chalice" without having read any reviews. It did not take long for this highly stylized presentation to annoy me. I think I lasted about 30 minutes. First, it employs minimalist sets which, in themselves, are sometimes beautiful but, when combined with the stylized delivery of dialogue are distracting. The dialogue is stilted and silly. And the actors were obviously directed to deliver it in a somewhat emotionless way. Don't feel too bad for Natalie Wood, who would soon have "Rebel Without a Cause" to counteract the effect of "The Silver Chalice". And Paul Newman, in his film debut, would soon have "Somebody Up There Likes Me". How sad that he passed up "East of Eden" for this drivel. This film is hokey and almost without any merit. I did find Jack Palance's performance (what little I saw) to be realistic enough to enjoy. But he could not provide enough magic to bring this boring film to life.