History Trivia / SamsonAndDelilah

* TruthInTelevision:
** The phenomenon of insects making hives in carcasses, known as ''bugonia'', is attested [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugonia elsewhere in classical literature]].

** Two Hollywood films, including Creator/CecilBDeMille's famous 1949 epic

** The phenomenon of insects making hives in carcasses, known as ''bugonia'', is attested [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugonia elsewhere in classical literature]].

!!The 1949 film version:

* ActorInspiredElement: Victor Mature recommended his old friend George Reeves for a part as the wounded messenger. He also recommended other friends from the Pasadena Community Playhouse for some of the smaller roles.
* CastTheRunnerUp: Kasey Rogers screen tested for the role of Miriam, but was deemed too young and pretty. She was then given a role as a Philistine spectator in the temple scene, with a close-up and a few lines. She's credited under the name Laura Elliot.
* CaliforniaDoubling: Although Cecil B [=DeMille=] wanted location footage in Israel, the Arab-Israeli War prevented this, and so Morocco and Algeria stood in.
* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode: Hedy Lamarr considered this her favourite of her roles, and her best performance.
* GodNeverSaidThat: It was a rumour that George Reeves was turned down for the role of Samson. Victor Mature, who was good friends with him, later confirmed that he was never in consideration.
* HostilityOnTheSet: Cecil B [=DeMille=] and Victor Mature did not get on, mainly due to the latter being nervous around all the animals and mechanical props on the production, and he at one point shouted at him via megaphone in front of the entire cast and crew.
* OnSetInjury: Henry Wilcoxon was badly injured by a falling column when filming the temple destruction scene.
* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: The film took fifteen years to get off the ground, facing such roadblocks as Cecil B [=DeMille=]'s schedule conflicting with other projects, contract issues and Paramount being reluctant to finance "a Sunday school tale". The main problem was finding a proper emotional throughline in the story, particularly regarding the titular FemmeFatale, who vanishes from the narrative once she cuts Samson's hair. On reading the novel ''Samson the Nazrite'' by Vladimir Jabotinsky, which portrays Delilah as being the sister of Samson's Philistine wife, they realised they could expand the character's role. Virtually every starlet in Hollywood at the time was considered for the role before Creator/HedyLamarr was chosen - based off her work in ''Film/TheStrangeWoman'', and whom the director had intended to cast as Esther in a previous Biblical film that had fallen through.
* ThrowItIn: There was much debate over the BigDamnKiss as to whether Samson should have his eyes open or shut. Victor Mature stated that no man would close his eyes when kissing Hedy Lamarr, but he compromised by having his eyes closed, opening them and then closing them to finish the shot.
* UnderageCasting: Angela Lansbury was ten years ''younger'' than Hedy Lamarr, despite playing her older sister. At this point in her career, she was frequently cast as characters much older than herself.
* WagTheDirector: Victor Mature refused to wrestle a lion on camera itself, so the actual scene uses a stunt double, while in closeups the actor wrestles with a lion skin.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** The film was first greenlit in 1934, following the success of ''{{Film/Cleopatra 1934}}'', with Miriam Hopkins and Henry Wilcoxon in the main roles. It was postponed when Cecil B [=DeMille=] decided to work on ''Film/TheCrusades'' instead.
** Creator/BurtLancaster was the first choice for Samson, but his back problems meant he was unable to do it (although other sources say his liberal politics did not endear him to the conservative [=DeMille=]). Steve Reeves was the next choice, and Cecil B [=DeMille=] lobbied hard for him. The studio however wanted him to tone down his physique and he was reluctant to do so, and so the role went to Victor Mature.
** Creator/LanaTurner, Creator/RitaHayworth and Creator/JeanSimmons were the leading contenders for Delilah. The former two were under contract to different studios (Lana for MGM and Rita for Columbia) who refused to loan them out. Jean Simmons was keen to do it but her manager refused to "sanction" the deal. Nancy Olson also gave a very good audition that the director considered "terrific", although she herself admitted that Hedy Lamarr was the better choice.
** Phyllis Calvert was first cast in the role of Semadar, but she fell ill and had to drop out, being replaced with Creator/AngelaLansbury.
** A planned dance sequence in the temple to happen before the climax was cut from the story when the dancers requested stunt pay in addition to choreography pay, since the females would be lifted off their feet by the males.
** Creator/VincentPrice was almost cast as the Saran. Although the role went to George Sanders, Cecil B [=DeMille=] liked his audition enough to give him the role of Baka in ''Film/TheTenCommandments''. Creator/RayMilland, Michael Redgrave and John Lund were also in consideration.

** The phenomenon of insects making hives in carcasses, known as ''bugonia'', is attested [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugonia elsewhere in classical literature]].

** Camille Saint-Saëns's {{opera}} ''Samson et Dalila''

** Several graphic novel adaptations

** An episode of WesternAnimation/PinkyAndTheBrain where Brain attempts to learn the source of Samson's strength