Moviecut—Sins of Jezebel

Sins of Jezebel

How I managed to watch this through to the end will forever remain a mystery. Appalling religious codswallop!

Although this is a very low budget epic, it is surprisingly effective and very similar to the plot of the later lavish "Solomon and Sheba." The Israelite King Ahab ( Edouard Franz), against the warning of the prophet Elijah (John Hoyt)persists in marrying a notorious pagan woman, the seductive Jezebel. This maneater (played by Paulette Goddard with the same sinuous and zesty relish she gave to her role as Lucretia Borgia in "Bride of Vengeance")soon has the smitten old fool reduced to a jelly and obedient to her every whim, including permission to introduce the worship of her false god to Israel. Woe unto Israel, as it's jealous and angry God punishes His errant followers with drought. Jezebel challenges Elijah to a contest between himself and the priests of Baal to bring rain. Events come rapidly to a head as the terrible prophecy concerning Jezebel inevitably arrives.

This was to be Lippert Pictures' biblical opus. Even the talents of a George Nader and Paulette Goddard cannot save this one from the flimsy sets and poor direction. Even considering when this was made, the dialogue is stiff. Pass on it.