Greetings,
I’m writing to ask a question about an urban legend I remember, but can’t find any other corroboration for. It is regarding the movie, “The Ten Commandments”, by Cecil B. DeMille, in 1956, starring Charton Heston.
What I’d heard was that the movie was banned by the Catholic Church, and no Catholics should ever see it. The ban may have been lifted since then, either formally or informally. I do recall that most of the nuns at my grammar school hated even the mention of the film, to the confusion of other students, and me as well. It was only later that I heard the rumor.
I also realize that it could have simply have been a non-formal disapproval – many people will react to entertaining portrayals of religious figures negatively, disapproving that the original is neglected, the topic gets romanticized, or some other disrespect gets worked in.
I’d also heard the rumor that the movie in particular was racy, hence the disapproval. Here’s how that rumor goes. At the end of the film, when they have the Golden Calf, with the orgy is in full swing, and Dathan tries to sacrifice the good girl, “something” may have been seen. Given that it was 1956, this could have been a bit more cleavage, or leg. Or it could have been nudity. Or it could have been nothing, just the plot was too intense for the time – helpless woman, sacrifice, orgy, all happening at once, was just too much for people.
As I understood it, at that time, there were no standards and practices board, every theater set their own community standards at that time. So when enough of them balked, the offending seconds of celluloid were cut out. Now they’re lost forever, either they’re too racy for the annual TV showing. Or perhaps they’re now within modern standards, but not available for inclusion in the DVD.
Unfortunately, I can’t find the rumor anywhere else, not on IMDB or Wikipedia, which are full enough of most other rumors. I suppose what we’d need is a reference by a film critic, who saw the before and after, and made some sort of comment.