The Ten Commandments: DeMille’s masterpiece, 70 years later

Aleteia ^ | April 2, 2026 | Mary Claire Kendall

[CondoleezzaProtege]

As we enter the Sacred Triduum, Hollywood is celebrating Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1956), if not always the underlying message contained on those two ancient stone tablets Moses received at Mount Sinai c. 1446 BC.

The American biblical epic, starring Charleton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Pharaoh Ramses II, was a filmmaking masterpiece three years in the making.

Narrated by DeMille himself, it tells the story of Moses as an infant, as related in Exodus 2:5, rescued by Pharoah’s daughter, played by Nina Foch, who, discovering the crying babe lying in a papyrus basket in the bulrushes, adopts him. Moses’ sister Miriam, played by Olive Deering, seeing this, arranges for their mother, played by Martha Scott, to nurse Moses as this tender yet powerful tale unfolds, showing how he is educated and formed for the mission of leading the Hebrew slaves in their Exodus.

Three months after embarking from Egypt, Moses receives the Ten Commandments, as recorded in Exodus 19:1, marking the Israelites’ transition from their status as escaped slaves to a nation living under God’s laws.

The Ten Commandments was the director’s final film — shot in VistaVision and color by Technicolor on location in Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula — and the highest-grossing film of 1956. To this day it remains one of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time, its adjusted equivalent an estimated $1.1 to $2.8 billion.

The film was released by Paramount Pictures on October 5, 1956 -- the date chosen not for any religious significance, but to tee it up for the Academy Awards, where it garnered seven nominations and one Oscar for Best Visual Effects...

[DiogenesLamp]

When Heston was with the NRA he was invited to speak at the Bakersfield Business Conference. At the time it was still held at Stockdale Country Club where I was a bartender. They set up huge tents on the grounds to accommodate it. I was in the clubhouse just hanging out since everyone was outside when Heston came through to wait his turn to speak. He stood at the bar and we chatted for about 10 minutes until they introduced him.

He was a likable fellow. Very warm and friendly. Loved his movies like "Soylent Green", "Omega man", and "Planet of the Apes."

[sheana]

He was a likable fellow. Very warm and friendly.

Yes. I met quite a few politicians, comedians, etc. there because of the conference.

[DiogenesLamp]

+1.

[JohnnyP]

Near the end of his life he called in to the Larry Elder talk show on KABC radio a few times. It was obvious he had dementia, but Larry graciously let him talk.

[Verginius Rufus]

I wasn't aware that there was a 1988 version of A Man for All Seasons.

The original movie version was so good. Paul Scofield won an Oscar for his portrayal of More.

Have there also been re-makes of Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz?

[combat_boots]

Good Friday

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/04/03/good-friday-4/

[JeemBeau]

See the 1994 TV movie “Scarlett”, with Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler. Also see the 1985 movie “Return to Oz” :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Oz

[spetznaz]

I can still remember my first time watching Ben-Hur. Moving.

[Verginius Rufus]

A black woman wrote an answer to the novel Gone with the Wind called The Wind done Gone (from the perspective of the slaves of Tara).

[vladimir998]

“Have there also been re-makes of Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz?”

Not of Gone with the Wind. For Wizard of Oz, there’s (thankfully) only:

Disney’s darker 1985 live-action film, Return to Oz (based on sequel novels written by Baum that most people day have no clue ever existed), the animated Journey Back to Oz (1974), The Wiz (starring Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow,1978), and the Tin Man miniseries (2007)