It was the Australia of its day, a big, bulging melodrama riding on the magnetic star power of Victor Mature, Angela Lansbury and Hedy Lamarr.

Samson, so the story goes, was the strongest man in the Israelite tribe of Dan. The death of her sister, Samson’s wife, prompts Delilah – who secretly loved Samson as well (with me so far?) – to move in, seduce him, then reveal the secret of his strength.

Never was a vixen so devious! Never was a film so emotive!

Pack in a load of biblical fertilizer, theatrical effects, swords and sandals and you couldn’t go wrong. And they didn’t.

Samson and Delilah picked up a couple of Oscars and $12 million at the box office. To date, it was the biggest hit Paramount Studios had ever had.

Next: The Greatest Show on Earth. Honest.

Did you know…

Lana Turner and Rita Hayworth were both considered for the role of Delilah but their respective studios would not hand them over.

Victor Mature won the role from Burt Lancaster who was considered too young for the part. He also had a bad back.

Mature wouldn’t manhandle the studio’s tame, toothless lion, stating he didn’t want to be ‘gummed to death’. His stunt-double went to work while Mature wrestled a lion skin for the close-ups.

Groucho Marx opined that no film could hold his attention where the tits of the leading man are bigger than those of the leading woman. Mature was amused, but DeMille was not.

When Gloria Swanson visits DeMille for a close-up in Sunset Boulevard, she is seen on the actual set of Samson and Delilah, which was being filmed at the same time.