Samson and Delilah (1949) review

Well before the birth of Jesus of Nazareth (give or take a thousand years), physically-imposing Samson (Victor Mature) of the Dan tribe is set to marry Philistine Semadar (Angela Lansbury) but when his wedding is ruined, he goes berserk, attacking several individuals and burning the fields thereby irritating the Saran of Gaza (George Sanders) so, in exchange for riches, the sultry Delilah (sexy nerd Hedy Lamarr) promises to seduce Samson and determine the source of his power (hint: it's his flowing locks).  DeMille liked mining the Holy Bible for material, but this is a cartoonish depiction of supposedly ancient happenings: the sets are gawdy, the acting's a bit overdone (with the exception of Sanders, who underplays things for once) and the characters are thinner than gauze.  Unless there's a large spectacle to record (like the temple that Samson eventually breaks apart) and hundreds of extras for him to bark orders at, the director doesn't have the same level of interest, which is why the "talking scenes" feel as if they came out of a lifeless stage play.  Still, Mature and (especially) Lamarr make the most out of it and, if you're in the right mood, some fun might be had....