The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) User Reviews

DeMille Like Film For RKO

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 2 June 2011]

The team that produced King Kong for RKO Pictures, writer Meriam C. Cooper and director Ernest B. Schoedsack, decided to emulate Cecil B. DeMille in giving us The Last Days Of Pompeii. It's not a bad film, but it nearly bankrupted RKO so prohibitive was the cost for that small studio.

The film bears a distinct resemblance to DeMille's eye filling, but now incredibly campy The Sign Of The Cross. Our protagonist here is Preston Foster who plays Marcus the Blacksmith, but before the film is done goes through more reinventions of character than you would find in good and bad Russian literature. As a content, but happy blacksmith a bit of good fortune has him and wife celebrating. But she's accidentally injured and dies for lack of medical care, not that medical care was all that good back in those days to begin with. Foster decides that all that matters in life is the money you can accumulate for a rainy day. Foster is constantly reassessing life throughout the film.

Foster gets to go to Judea and is on the scene of the crucifixion and before that has Jesus heal his adopted son David Holt who grows up to be John Wood. Foster also meets Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate who also does some major reassessing after presiding over the trial of Jesus.

If the Oscar for Special Effects was in existence in 1935 it would have been interesting to see either The Last Days Of Pompeii or Mutiny On The Bounty would have won the award. Those scenes of the volcanic eruption of Versuvius are what guaranteed this film would not show a profit. They do rival what DeMille was capable of, but DeMille had a far bigger studio and more financial security in Paramount.

Also in the cast are Louis Calhern as the Roman consul and Alan Hale as Foster's number two man. They give their usual good performances.

As for RKO Studios and Preston Foster, they got some Oscar recognition for another film that Foster did for them that year. It was the low budget, but incredibly powerful Irish story, The Informer where Victor McLaglen won for Best Actor. A much better film than The Last Days Of Pompeii.

Still the spectacle of this film can still awe you, even on the small screen.

Pretty good for its day

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 April 2012]

This film is a bit of a surprise, as you'd think this was a film by Cecil B. DeMille since it is a huge spectacle with a vaguely Christian message. However, this is NOT a Paramount film and instead the man behind the film was Marian C. Cooper--the same guy who had made "King Kong". And, incidentally, Willis O'Brien (the stop-motion guy who created Kong) did the special effects in this film.

The film begins, not surprisingly, in Pompeii. However, it's decades before the eruption in 79 AD. A nice blacksmith (Preston Foster) is living a happy life. But, when his wife and son are killed, he finds himself willingly becoming a gladiator. In the process, he gains great fame as well as adopts the young son of one of his dead opponents. How does all this eventually lead to the life of Christ and the ultimate destruction of their town? See the film and find out for yourself! There are a few quibbles I have about the film (such as how quickly Foster goes from being a nice guy to becoming a jerk-face as well as the weird 'redemption' at the end of the film that will probably make theologians wince). But, overall, it IS entertaining and seems to have a little bit more depth in the characterizations than a DeMille epic. Entertaining even if the story lags a bit towards the end--and the effects were quite nice for 1935--even if they seem cheesy compared with those in use today.

Enjoyable disaster movie from the King Kong team

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 9 December 2005]

Two years after King Kong, the same team went on to make this enjoyable disaster movie about life in Pompeii and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It is directed by Kong's Ernest B Schoedsack and the impressive eruption at the end was also done by the same people who did the effects for Kong including Willis O'Brien.

The excellent cast includes Preston Foster, Alan Hale, a pre Sherlock Holmes Basil Rathbone and Edward Van Sloan (Dracula, Frankenstein).

The Last Days of Pompeii seems to be quite a rare movie and I was pleased when BBC2 screened it several years ago and I still have it on video.

Catch this if you are lucky. Enjoyable.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Fabulous film w/deep,rich undertones of conscience

[margot-6 · 7 December 1998]

I first saw this film when I was a child and the impact it had on me has never faded no matter how many times I watch it, nor at what age. Every time I find some nuance I had not noticed before...it really is an unsung masterpiece. Try to see it with eyes unjaded by years of excess on the movie screen...for its time it had great special effects..a wonderful script, interesting casting...none so much as Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate..I have never seen better! Basil imbues Pilate with a sense of duty and conscience that fills the screen with its irony and pain at his dilemma. Marvelous! Preston Foster is often forced and hammy...but it did not distract from the enjoyment of the movie..in fact it was "a style" of acting in the thirties that many leads presented..actors like Fredrick March, etc had the same style...a leftover from the silent age when actors, in order to convey their sentiment used their body more to propel their feelings to the screen. An exaggeration of movement that lasted for a number of years until the realization hit that on the big screen with sound actors could be more subtle with their gestures. The story is , in content wonderful...holds my attention even after all these years of viewing. It is a fascinating story...a progression from a happy, hard working man with everything he could ever want, who loses it all in a very few days for lack of money. Bitter and lost, after having lost not only those he loved but losing his principles too to try to save them, he decides the only thing worth having is money..because it is the only thing that PROTECTS you. In the backround to all of this is the story of the Christ...not meant to be in the foreground but a backdrop to everything that happens to this man struggling with the heavy burden of his reality and his decisions. This is a beautiful film worthy of repeated viewing for its amazing messages...and there are many. This is a thinking man's film, a philosopher's film, a spiritualist's film, and a film for every man and woman searching for answers to the question "why?" What it ultimately leaves you with is HOPE. This is a KEEPER.

Crossing Paths with Christ

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 16 June 2013]

In the old Roman Empire city of Pompeii, brawny blacksmith Preston Foster (as Marcus) suffers a great family tragedy. Desperate for money, Mr. Foster reluctantly becomes a gladiator; he is uncomfortable killing defeated opponents, but must make a living. Wracked with guilt, Foster adopts pre-teen David Holt (as young Flavius) after killing his father in a fight. Foster can no longer fight competitively and makes money trading slaves and horses. He eventually becomes very prosperous...

Foster is unaware he is living during the time of Jesus Christ, who has a following. An old woman instructs Foster to take his son to see the "greatest man" in Judea. Foster considers this to be "prophesy." He crosses paths with Christ, but believes the greatest man is more likely the governor of Jerusalem, Basil Rathbone (as Pontius Pilate). Foster begins working with the notorious leader. After the Christian crucifixion, Foster's son grows up to be John Wood (as Flavius) and clashes with his papa...

Other than the ending eruption, "The Last Days of Pompeii" completely re-works the plot (of the original novel by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton). It's a good (perhaps better), Christian-focused revision, though sometimes stodgy in the production. The concept of slavery is changed, which is nice. Original thinking was that the mistreating of slaves was bad; nice people treated them nicely, and bad people treated them badly. Also, Mr. Rathbone's "Pilate" is given more depth in characterization...

God, however, is still in firm control of natural disasters.

****** The Last Days of Pompeii (10/18/35) Ernest B. Schoedsack ~ Preston Foster, John Wood, Basil Rathbone, David Holt

This was better than I expected

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 19 January 2019]

I had avoided watching this, but since it was on Turner Classic Movies this morning I gave it a go. It was not just another boring pretentious sword and sandals epic. It has a little bit of everything. And yes there actually WAS an arena in Pompeii.

Blacksmith Marcus' wife and son are run down in the streets by a chariot, and ultimately he loses them because he doesn't have enough money to buy the medicine and doctors needed to save them. He becomes a gladiator in the arena because he now feels he has nothing to live for and it pays well. But when he adopts the son, Flavius, of a man he slew in the arena, he becomes too cautious in his fighting, is wounded, and has to cease in his profession.

He turns to a number of adventurous pursuits to amass a treasure because he feels money is what protects you and your family from the bad things of this world. Ultimately Marcus meets and befriends Pontius Pilate (Basil Rathbone), meets Jesus and sees his crucifixion, and does obtain his goal of being the head of the arena in Pompeii. However, his adopted son Flavius, grown to adulthood, cannot stop thinking of Jesus and his teaching of compassion, and takes up a practice that could imperil his life if caught by the Romans.

When the final disaster scene comes, it is pretty impressive for a little studio like RKO for 1935. They don't try to do effects they can't pull off effectively. Thus rather than being buried in lava, Pompeii is shown more as catching fire and having the city shaken to the ground.

Preston Foster does a really good job with the role of Marcus. His relationship with his adopted son is touchingly portrayed. Basil Rathbone plays Pilate as pensive and penitent, even remembering Jesus and his crucifixion a decade or more later. Alan Hale as Burbix fills the screen with his presence in a supporting role.

The one eye rolling moment? In the arena at Pompeii there is a statue of what I guess is supposed to be a Roman god. Instead it bears a remarkable likeness to King Kong when he was exhibited in New York in the film of the same name two years before. Merian C. Cooper was associated with both films. Oh well, nobody and no film is perfect.

Good Oldie

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 18 December 2021]

These days I watched this old epic and well entertained I was. A fine story and great production make you - almost - forget that there are no colors. Filmed in colors this one could scratch at the doors of Ben Hur (1959) or Quo Vadis? (1951). Anyway, if you like epics of the Roman age, you may give this almost antique movie a try. Good.

An early mixture of "Ben-Hur" , "The Robe" and other biblical epics...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 21 October 2007]

Although never entirely flawless, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII ('35) was an ambitious undertaking for RKO to take at that time. The storyline, about a bitter blacksmith who turns gladiator, is really a morality tale wrapped up in biblical settings and given the usual "cast of thousands" publicity by the studio that spent a lot of money in recreating Ancient times.

PRESTON FOSTER was never a particularly charismatic actor, often accused of being "wooden", but there's a sincere element about his performance here that allows the film to work. So too does BASIL RATHBONE, giving some extra dimension to his take on Pontius Pilate.

Interesting to catch a glimpse of WARD BOND as a gladiator--an actor who has appeared in so many classic films it's almost amazing to realize he was kept as busy as he was.

With Max Steiner supplying the score, it's a lesser known gem that makes for enjoyable viewing even if it comes off as a cross between BEN-HUR and THE ROBE and lots of other stories dealing with the effect of the crucifixion on men's lives and their search for the truth.

Pompeii, Pageantry & Pontius Pilate

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 22 January 2002]

Conscious stricken after abandoning Christ on the way to Golgotha, a jaded slave trader witnesses THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII, and the city's horrific destruction.

Although burdened with occasional wooden acting, this is generally a fine historical drama. RKO spent quite a bit of money on its production and it shows in the large crowd scenes and still noteworthy special effects. The film boasted a very fine team behind the camera, working together as they had on KING KONG (1933). Directorial duties were shared by Ernest B. Schoedsack & Meriam C. Cooper. Special effects wizard Willis O'Brien worked his magic, while composer Max Steiner contributed a pounding score.

Preston Foster had one of his finest roles as the stalwart blacksmith turned gladiator and slaver. His performance during the prolonged climax, while desperately trying to save the life of his doomed son, is especially effective. David Holt & John Wood, playing the youth at different ages, are also very good.

Additional fine support is offered by Alan Hale as the rough mercenary who teams with Foster; and by villainous Louis Calhern as Pompeii's last prefect. Acting honors, however, go to marvelous Basil Rathbone, who gives a most sophisticated performance as Pontius Pilate, by turns rogue, fate's victim & moral philosopher.

Movie mavens should recognize Ward Bond as a boastful gladiator, elderly Zeffie Tilbury as a soothsayer, Edward Van Sloan as Pilate's clerk & Edwin Maxwell as a Pompeii official, all uncredited.

******************************

The film makes rather a mishmash of historical chronology. Young Flavius appears to be about ten years old at the time of Christ's crucifixion, which occurred around AD 29. It would be another fifty years - August 24, AD 79, to be precise - until Vesuvius' eruption destroyed Pompeii, yet Flavius is still depicted as a youthful fellow, just reaching maturity. Early Christian tradition also holds that Pilate committed suicide in AD 39 - four decades before Pompeii's rendezvous with destiny.

While using the same title & location, this film tells quite a different story from that of the classic 1834 novel by Baron Bulwer-Lytton.

lots of pomp-ei and circumstance

[froberts73 · 7/10 · 9 March 2011]

I enjoyed the movie for the most part, but it gave a new meaning to the word 'talkie'. Of course, you have to set the plot leading up to the biggie when the mountain blew its top and blew li'l Pompei off the map.

The volcanic blow-up looked like one of those elementary school projects. You know, a piece of cardboard, all the necessary ingredients, then light 'er up.

I always list "King Kong" as my favorite movie - the original not the schlock versions that came later. The newer ones, of course, had the advantage of modern special effects, but they lacked the heart of the original.

The KK team was responsible for the Pompeii pic and, I guess, I expected more. The end of picture excitement was worth the wait - sort-of, but falling buildings and the human inhabitants never seemed to make actual contact.

The story, of course, was historically inaccurate but, so what? Chalk that up to literary license.

The acting was uniformly respectable and, by the way, I was proud of the discreet way the performers traipsed around in those early versions of male miniskirts without revealing the non-revealable.

I don't mean to sound too negative. Truth to tell I was enraptured by the story. Preston Foster was quite good - well - they all were.

Love the creative team that worked on this. It was a helluva lot better than the dismal "Son Of Kong," but did not measure up to the real "King." Excuse me. That would be Jesus, not the giant ape.

Not San Francisco

[richard-1787 · 3/10 · 20 January 2019]

During the height of its corruption, a city is destroyed by an earthquake. Only those who believe in the Christian faith are spared, so the movie ends with stirring religious music.

MGM's 1936 blockbuster *San Francisco*? No, RKO's 1935 *The Last Days of Pompeii*. And what a difference.

There are hokie things about *SF*, yes, but it's not a bad movie, and the disaster scenes during the earthquake at the end are very impressive, even today, and very moving.

Nothing is moving in this movie, not even the eruption of Vesuvius at the end.

I imagine that's primarily because the script stinks. It never engages us with any of the characters, never makes us care about any of them. Nor is it always easy to follow.

And then there are the actors. Preston Foster was no Spenser Tracy or Clark Gable, not even close. And there is no equivalent of Jeannette McDonald.

This was a serious disappointment for me. I can't understand the previous reviewers who loved it. A real turkey, in my eyes.

A Very Under-Appreciated Film

[jcog · 9/10 · 12 January 2007]

"The Last Days of Pompeii" was a film that captivated me during childhood and still intrigues me today, albeit on a different level. As viewers' comments have noted, "Last Days" is a little heavy handed with its moral theme and the character development of Marcus the Blacksmith-turned Gladiator-turned head of the Arena. Marcus (Preston Foster) is an innately good man, blessed with a loving wife, baby son, and a career, until an out-of-control chariot shatters his existence. With his wife (Gloria Shea) nearing death, Marcus must turn to the Arena, against his earlier values, now faced with the reality that money is the key to everything. Marcus becomes a killing machine, progressing up the gladiator billing to the top spot, but then adopts the son, Flavius (David Holt), of a slain adversary, resulting in another change. Acquiring a Greek slave (Wyrley Birch) to tutor his son, Marcus eventually heads for the Holy Land to make his fortune, meets Pontius Pilate (Basil Rathbone), and encounters Christ. Pilate uses Marcus in a symbiotic way that benefits them both, but it is the Lord who heals Holt when he lies near death. Marcus turns his back on the Lord, despite the protests of Simon (Murray Kinnell), in order to get his money back to Pompeii. The scene shifts, with Flavius (John Wood) now a young man appalled by the events in the Arena and struggling to remember the man who healed him in his youth. The conflict between father and son, arrival of Pilate to take Flavius to Rome, the corrupt Prefect (Louis Calhern) who demands gore for the "Games," and Flavius' romance with a slave (Dorothy Wilson) all intertwine and lead to the climatic eruption of Vesuvius. Marcus redeems himself in the emotional conclusion.

As a child, I loved Marcus' spiritual journey from innocent joy to sorrow to hard-hearted bitterness to mercenary greed and, finally, to redemption. As an adult, I still like the tale, but have focused more on the acting and production values. I disagree with the commentators who call the acting "wooden." Foster gives one of the best performances of his career as Marcus. As many note, Rathbone renders a sympathetic, sensitive delineation of Pilate. And the supporting players are superb: Edward Van Sloan as a kindly neighbor, Frank Conroy as a kind but condescending noble, Gloria Shea as the young wife, Dorothy Wilson as the son's love interest, Calhern as the despicable Prefect, Zeffie Tilbury as an old Greek soothsayer, etc. Even the minor roles are well-etched: Ward Bond as a bragging opponent of Marcus, Jason Robards Sr. as the tax gatherer, Reginald Barlow as the slave market proprietor, Kinnell as the Judean peasant, and many more. One can even spot Jim Thorpe throwing coins after a gladiator battle. A few players did very underrated work in "The Last Days of Pompeii." Alan Hale Sr., as Burbix, captures the rough edges of a criminal and then the fierce loyalty to his understanding friend Marcus. William V. Mong, as the growling-at-times, cowering-with-fear at others, slave dealer, Cleon, gives a wonderful, colorful performance that is anything but "wooden." But it is Wyrley Birch, as Leaster, the kindly Greek scholar/slave, who provides the moral compass for the film, counseling Marcus, tolerating his greed and seeming imperviousness to the suffering of others, while educating his son Flavius that there is a better way and far superior values than those his father seems to endorse. Birch walks the tightrope and never becomes overly sentimental. Truly, Leaster represents the apex of Birch's career.

"The Last Days of Pompeii" is an enjoyable film on many levels, including as a morality tale. It is much more than that, however. And for lovers of old character actors, it is a treasure trove!

Lavish if highly uneven historical spectacle

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 26 August 2018]

The first half of "The Last Days Of Pompeii" is the strongest: Preston Foster makes a convincing gladiator, and it's unusual, even bold for an old Hollywood movie to have as the main lead an unapologetic anti-hero. Then the action moves to Jerusalem and the film gets derailed (the religious elements - Christ is never seen or heard but the end of his life crosses the same period - are not only chronologically inaccurate but also unnecessary). It only gets back on track in the last 15 minutes, when we return to the gladiatorial arena and then we get the spectacular eruption of Vesuvius. The people who made the special effects for King Kong certainly knew their craft. **1/2 out of 4.

Historically inaccurate, but fun and inoffensive viewing

[j_lesta · 2 December 2004]

If you liked "Gladiator," then "The Last Days of Pompeii" is a good choice for an empty afternoon of slash-em-up moralizing. The sets are expansive and ornate, there's loads of action and the story, though pretty one-note, is well-written and well-acted. Normally I can't stand classical actors, but the performances in "Pompeii" are so energetic that I got sucked in, anyway. The moral underpinning of the movie does include a couple of appearances by Jesus Christ, complete with awed crowds of followers and the obligatory boys choir, but compared with some of the later Jesus epics that Hollywood produced ("King of Kings" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told"), "Pompeii" handles the material with considerable flair. The only major nitpick I have for this movie is its freewheeling use of history. At most, the story only covers 20 years, but Jesus died around 35 AD and Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. But then, when has Hollywood let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Entertaining Guys In Togas Disaster Movie

[shark-43 · 7/10 · 12 June 2011]

POMPEI is a lot of fun - well made, some good acting and the sets and the special effects are pretty impressive for its time. GLADIATOR has a lot of the same plot points. A man starts to fight for money to save his ill wife. When tragedy ensues, he throws himself into arena fighting and becomes a legend. (Of course, there's a smoking volcano behind them at all times - reminding us that all of this will soon be gone.) There's definitely some cheese in the film - some hokey dialogue, silly costumes, but there are times when the film has some real grit. Willis O'Brien who did all the special effects for the classic KING KONG does the effects here. The destruction of the city has some effective moments and a few stunts that are very well done. Basil Rathbone chews up the scenery as Pontius Pilate and yes, there's even a cameo from the big J.C. himself.

"Don't you believe we could ever civilise the Britons?"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 30 October 2021]

An entertaining early disaster movie with a solid performance from Preston Foster as the main character Marcus whose rise from Pompeiian blacksmith to a wealthy man owning gladiators is the main thrust of the story until Vesuvius blowing its top brings the film and the plot to an end satisfactorily. The shoeing in of the Pontius Pilate and Jesus strand doesn't quite work but otherwise the movie held my attention. The evocative sets and costumes look like money has been spent on them and the ensuing chaos and destruction when the volcano erupts still looks good today. It is easy to see that the director and producer of this film also made 'King Kong'. Besides Preston Foster there is capable acting from Basil Rathbone, Louis Calhern, young David Holt and Alan Hale. A pleasant Sunday afternoon viewing experience.

Spectacular gladiator movie.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 20 October 2007]

RKO Radio epic in grand style. Title is taken from a Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton novel, the movie does not employ its plot, story line or characters. Even an opening disclaimer denies any historical content besides using the eruption of Mount Vesuvious in 79 AD. as climatic backdrop. Marcus(Preston Foster), an Ancient Roman blacksmith is forced to become a gladiator after his wife and son are accidentally killed. He takes a young boy Flavius(David Holt) under his wing and raises him as his own. Basil Rathbone is superb as Potius Pilate,who is preoccupied with the execution of Jesus Christ. Marcus witnesses Christ's march to Calvary and later calls for divine help in saving the life of Flavius as Vesuvius erupts. Other players: John Wood, Alan Hale, Louis Calhern, Edward Van Sloan and Zeffie Tilbury.

Epic style lacks little

[drystyx · 7/10 · 14 September 2011]

The Last Days of Pompeii will of course end with the great volcano. Until then, as you can guess, we get sword and sandals.

However, in a style that reminds us somewhat of de Mille, we get fantastic imagery and spectacular scenes, along with epic historical characters.

It does lack de Mille's brisk pace and comic relief, the comic relief provided by Overman and Tamirof in some of de Mille's best works.

And it is probably the lack of timely comic relief that makes this lull, particularly in the first half.

The second half is very brisk and crisp, however. It should make modern sword and sandal film makers very jealous.

The imagery is perhaps even better than de Mille. The hunky statue of the gladiator in the final scenes is almost as striking as de Mille's use of female beauty, and even reminds us of the beautiful femme fatale of Northwest Mounted Police.

Great acting, and most people will probably be most acquainted with the charismatic Basil as Pontius. His Pontius is a modern caring man. Indeed, the original Pontius was somewhere between the "thinker" and the "monster" and it seems no one wants to go in between the extremes. He savagely saw the Hebrews as a people not his own. However, odds are he did want to release Jesus. That doesn't make him less savage. It just means he was a strict "lawman", and Jesus wasn't the "punk" sort he felt needed to be crucified.

The effects were astounding, and the extras should have gotten an all time Academy Award for best extras. They worked their butts off, and emoted better than most modern day stars.

Crisp, brisk, full of art. With added comic relief and a brisker beginning, it would've easily been 10/10. This was a clever, well designed film, with characters we could care about.

Positive review of the merits of Last Days of Pompeii

[retlawyen · 10/10 · 21 February 2001]

I first saw this movie years ago as a child and it had quite an impact on me. I loved the acting. Preston Foster as the disillusioned blacksmith, David Holt, as the sweetest little boy one could possibly imagine, and John Wood as the older Flavius, so idealistically touched by his experience at the hands of Jesus. But I must reserve the greatest praise for Basil Rathbone. His portrayal of Pontius Pilate, so fine, so sure, is unparalleled. His nuances of effect and strength of personality are superbly matched to this role. You can almost taste the turmoil roiling within him as you watch the splendid emotional battle waged on his wonderfully expressive face. Walt Disney once said, "First you begin with a story." It is true. The story here is classic. A man searching the world for the key he holds within his own heart. Preston Foster, so disillusioned in his flight from poverty, that he fails to see the significance of events around him, Flavius, as the boy grown to manhood touched by a higher calling and Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate, probably the second most reviled figure living at that time. Wonderful, wonderful historical novel, acted brilliantly as only the actors of that time could do.

I am innocent of the blood of this just man.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 1 August 2010]

If you are a King Kong fan, you will no doubt enjoy this sword and sandals epic about Jesus. Y You will have to, of course, overlook the fact that events happening at the time of Pontius Pilate (Basil Rathbone) could not have occurred near the eruption of Pompeii, but it is, after all, a movie.

Rathbone was the definite star in this film. He really put on a great performance as Pilate, one of the most reviled men in history.

The rest of the film is what you have seen in Ben Hur, The Robe, and other films on the topic. Certainly not the excessive blood in The Passion of the Christ.

Great special effects as Pompeii crumbles.

An Effective Period Piece

[telegonus · 9/10 · 22 April 2005]

The Last Days Of Pompeii tells the story of a poor blacksmith in ancient Rome who becomes a gladiator and in turn a wealthy man, while his son, upon encountering Jesus, grows up to become a Christian. The film is a spectacle from the middle thirties, after the De Mille manner, which is to say it tries to look big but is actually, upon closer examination, at best mid-sized. RKO didn't really have the bucks to make a film on as lavish a scale as they surely would have wished. The film has many flaws, but also virtues. It was made by the King Kong team of Ernest Schoedsak and Merian Cooper, who were very resourceful gentlemen, highly creative and not at all like other Hollywood film-makers, and therefore the movie has a unique style that's difficult to put into words. The best way I can describe their approach is to say that it's highly individual; its makers had their own way of doing things, and therefore told their their story, or more properly showed it, so that the movie doesn't resemble other films with similar themes. Also on the plus side is its cast, not of thousands, maybe of hundreds; more likely of dozens. In the leading role Preston Foster's anchors the film in a kind of emotional reality. He may not have been the most versatile of actors but he was a most sincere one, and he is excellent in the lead. Also good is Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate, surprisingly unhammy. It's a very good movie overall, hokey as hell but always watchable, and in the end, while the spectacle of Mount Vesuvius erupting isn't all it might be, the movie as whole at least holds firm, and I for one was moved by it, not to tears maybe, but in a more modest way, by the smaller, more intimate tale of a good man who comes to his senses too late, at least for redemption in this world.

The Christ and Pompeii connection?

[parkerbcn · 7/10 · 4 August 2021]

Shot a couple of years after "Knig Kong" by the same team, it has an impressive use of FX for the time in the ending and some good moments, but the Christ connection didn't convince me.

a few words for the record (some spoilers)

[michael.e.barrett · 18 October 2001]

I just saw this film recently and found it absorbing enough as a kind of Judeo-Roman kitschy melodrama, which argues that only bad people are punished by volcanic eruptions. (Please enjoy the final scene where the spirit of Preston Foster communes with a double-exposure of "the Master" while a heavenly choir sings). Basil Rathbone is a pleasant figure but it cannot be said that there's anything subtle about his Pontius Pilate, with his heavy shrugs and sighs and his "I wonder" and "What is truth?"; his style is just as "big" as Preston Foster but he carries it off better because he's a more attractive presence. Anyway, we should point out two things. First, this is NOT based on Bulwer-Lytton's novel; not that it's better or worse for it, but even B-L didn't claim that the eruption in 79 A.D. happened only about 10 years after the Crufixion. Second, Willis O'Brien's special effects are not terribly impressive even "for the time." The recently released video of the 1913 Italian version is at least as convincing and maybe more so. This 1935 version is content to mostly have a lot of flying debris as people run for their lives. There is one carefully stiff, transparently processed "lava shot" as people jump into the sea. The major visual spectacle during the disaster--the collapse of a giant statue--is marred by a glaring continuity error. First we see the statue crack in two across the abdomen (well above the discreetly place sword) and begin to fall, and then we cut to a close-up of the falling torso, now completely intact but with the head coming off. There was no reason for that mistake. So the long-awaited spectacle is not what it's cracked up to be.

An epoch film of action and adventure set in the Roman Empire

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 3 March 2021]

"The Last Days of Pompeii" is one of the lavish spectacle films that all of the major studies made during the 1930s. These were mostly set during the time of history from the Greek through the Persian and the Roman empires - roughly 1200 BC to 400 AD. This one takes place during the Roman Empire in the time of Jesus. It is an epoch of sorts, covering several decades, and it follows one man and his exploits, adventures and acquaintances.

Preston Foster plays Marcus, a lowly blacksmith, who loses his young family in Pompeii. He then becomes a gladiator, travels to Africa as a slaver, and goes to war for Pontius Pilate against a neighboring tribe in the Holy Land. He later returns to Pompeii where he is wealthy. The cast includes several prominent names in the Hollywood of the period. Basil Rathbone plays Pontius Pilate, Alan Hale plays Burbix, John Wood is the grown Flavius whom Marcus adopted after he killed his father. Louis Calhern is the Prefect, child-star David Holt plays the young Flavius, Frank Conroy plays Gaius Tanno, and a host of others fill out a huge cast.

Ward Bond leads a list of some of the uncredited actors who would become well known in the years ahead. Jason Robards Sr is in an uncredited role as is All-American football legend and actor, Jim Thorpe.

The movie has lots of action and very good sets and recreations of costumes and customs of the time. It ends with the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. The movie credits make clear that the film doesn't resemble at all the story in the 1834 novel of the same title by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. It does credit him for inspiration for the sets.

Movies with historical settings of these ancient times are hardly ever made anymore. "Gladiator" of 2000 broke a long dry spell and showed that there still is interest in such films. But, another huge production, "Alexander," flopped four years later. Some of the great and very good films of the past will likely endure well into the future. Films, such as "Ben-Hur" of 1959, "Cleopatra" of 1963, and "Julius Caesar" of 1953.

A Fictional Story Set against the Backdrop of the Famous Volcanic Eruption

[romanorum1 · 6/10 · 15 August 2014]

Marcus the Blacksmith (Preston Foster) is a content Roman: He has a lovely wife (Gloria Shea) and infant son. One day a reckless chariot runs down his small family and changes his life for good, as Marcus lacked the funds for immediate medical attention. But one does wonder where the Roman "police" were as there was an effective court/justice system. Anyway, the embittered Marcus decides that making money has become all-important (character change number one). As he has good size and quickness, he becomes a gladiator and earns much money. Upon discovering that one of his dead opponents left a young son, now an orphan (Flavius = David Holt), Marcus decides to adopt the handsome and helpless lad. Now adoption was not unusual in ancient Rome (but another character change for Marcus). Later, after being wounded in gladiatorial combat, Marcus can no longer compete in the arena. He becomes a trader in slaves and horses and becomes wealthy. Meanwhile an old woman, an oracle, tells him to go to Judaea to meet the greatest man in the world. Believing in a special prophesy, Marcus takes his young son to the Levant where he catches glimpses of Christ's Crucifixion. Marcus, though, meets with the local procurator, Pontius Pilate (Basil Rathbone), whom he believes is the great man (even though Christ had cured the ailing Flavius). When he is back at Pompeii, an older Marcus becomes the administrator of the arena spectacles. But by now his grown up son (Flavius = John Wood) has heeded the Christian message. Flavius aids runaway slaves to gain their freedom in far away locales, like Britain. A complication arises when the Romans conquer the island. Eventually Flavius is caught, imprisoned, and sent into the arena for his "crime." The helpless Marcus is unable to free his son. During one of the arena spectacles, Mt. Vesuvius erupts, sending the population into a general panic. It is up to Marcus to make a right decision (another character change) and redeem himself.

Preston Foster's performance is adequate. Basil Rathbone, a fine actor, performs the role of Pontius Pilate nicely, especially the procurator's quandary. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of the trumped-up charges, but was afraid of the people's reaction. He washed his hands in front of the mob (who, by the way, demanded that the criminal Barabbas be freed instead). Despite the bad decision, Pilate's philosophical and sensitive treatment is closer to reality than realized.

The movie has a few flaws, especially the dating problem. My own research places Christ's Crucifixion on 5 April 33 AD (experts overwhelmingly place the year between 30 and 34 AD). Now it is an historical fact that the volcanic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum occurred on 24 August 79 AD, or 46 years later. But the movie treats these two events as if they occurred just a few years apart from each other! Furthermore Pontius Pilate died around 38 AD, long before the eruption. There is also a difficulty with some of the Roman costume designs of Aline Bernstein. Furthermore the Romans never wore those globe-style caps although the Montefortino type of helmet did have a conical shape (like the Gallic model) but with a raised central node. Also Gaius Tanno's name is pronounced like GUY-USS, not GAY-US; Fabius is FAB-I-USS, not FAY-BIUS. Nevertheless, the historical inaccuracies do not detract from the entertainment value of the film. For the 1930s period the sets are good-looking, and the script is acceptable. Also, the special effects of Harry Redmond and Vernon L. Walker of the destruction of Pompeii are fine (and expensive) for 1935. The picture is accurate in showing that defeated gladiators did not always die in the arena (as their upkeep and training cost much money). Finally it was most interesting to see western celebrity Yakima Canutt's name as one of the stunt-men.