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| David And Bathsheba - 1951 |
Our next film is 1951's "David and Bathsheba", a recounting of the story of a Biblical king and the woman he viewed bathing from his rooftop. His actions with her have far-reaching consequences that neither of them could have foreseen.
The film's cast includes Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Raymond Massey, Kieron Moore, James Robertson Justice, Jayne Meadows, Dennis Hoey, Gilbert Barnett, Allan Stone, and George Zucco.
King David of Israel has just returned home from a successful military campaign. While things have gone well abroad, things at home are far from peaceful.
His sons are at odds, vying for position within the court over who will be named David's successor.
And David's wife, Queen Michal, is feeling cast aside by him. "I was the first...and now I'm the last," she tells him bitterly.
Wanting to escape the pressures of his home life, David goes out onto his rooftop balcony, where he sees Bathsheba bathing. He watches her, entranced by her beauty.
He has her brought to the palace, where he showers her with gifts. He also finds out that she's the wife of an officer in his army, Uriah.
Still, David pursues a relationship with her, even taking her into the countryside for fun and frolic. Eventually, Bathsheba expects his child.
On their return to Jerusalem, they watch as the Ark of the Covenant comes to rest outside the city gates.
Because of Bathsheba's pregnancy, David has Uriah recalled from the front lines of fighting. He plies Uriah with wine and entertainment. He tells him to go home and lie with his wife. Unbeknownst to David, Uriah refuses and instead stays overnight at the palace.
Queen Michal comes to David and tells him she knows all about Bathsheba and the child she's expecting. She also knows that Uriah did not spend the night at home as David had wished.
Angrily David orders Uriah returned to the fighting. He commands that when the fighting is at its most fierce, they are to fall back leaving Uriah alone to take the brunt of the attack.
Having ordered an innocent man's death, David knows that what he's done essentially amounts to murder. Things go from bad to worse in the kingdom. A severe drought arises and the crops and livestock suffer.
The prophet Nathan comes to David and tells him that there is sin in Israel and that there will be no relief from the desolation until it has been cleansed. David dismisses him casually.
David brings Bathsheba to the palace so they can be married. Bathsheba has a lot of misgivings about David and becoming queen. He allays her fears and calms her nerves. "If you love me, say
no more. Take my love on faith. It is yours. It will always be yours," he tells her.
Eventually, their child is born and ultimately dies. David and Bathsheba are inconsolable.
Things in the kingdom are still dire. No country will help them, even their ally Egypt. When the ambassador tells him there is nothing they can do, David retorts, "Dog of Egypt, you
lie. And your master lies. It is only what I expected. Charity is not to be found among the virtues
of those who makes gods of vultures and
hyenas."
Nathan the prophet comes to David and reveals that he knows all about David's sin with Bathsheba. What's more, the people in the kingdom are on the verge of rising against David, killing Bathsheba, and installing David's son Absolom on the throne.
With Bathsheba in fear of her life and barricaded behind guarded doors, David makes his way outside the city to the Ark of the Covenant. There, he asks God for forgiveness and restoration. "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me," he pleads. God accepts David's plea, and the sound of rain is heard for the first time in many months.
David returns to the palace to meet Bathsheba as a changed man. The rain pours down, renewing the kingdom's crops and fortunes.
Cast rundown:
Gregory Peck.............................King David
Susan Hayward..........................Bathsheba
Raymond Massey........................Nathan
Kieron Moore..............................Uriah
James Robertson Justice..............Abishai
Jayne Meadows..........................Queen Michal
Dennis Hoey...............................Joab
Gilbert Barnett............................Prince Absolom
Allan Stone.................................Prince Amnon
George Zucco.............................Egyptian Ambassador
And that's it for David And Bathsheba. The original concept for the movie featured over four hours of material. Producer Darryl Zanuck didn't like that idea. So the writer proposed a film about just David and Bathsheba. Zanuck loved the idea, and the rest is history.
