The Story of Ruth
| The Story of Ruth | |
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| Directed by | Henry Koster |
| Written by | Norman Corwin |
| Narrated by | Eduard Franz |
| Starring | Stuart Whitman Tom Tryon Peggy Wood Viveca Lindfors Jeff Morrow Elana Eden |
| Music by | Franz Waxman |
| Cinematography | Arthur E. Arling |
| Editing by | Jack W. Holmes |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | 17 June 1960 |
| Running time | 132 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Story of Ruth is a 1960 American[1] biblical drama film directed by Henry Koster, based on the Biblical account of Ruth. The title role is portrayed by Jewish actress Elana Eden, with Stuart Whitman as Boaz, Peggy Wood as Naomi, and Tom Tryon as Mahlon.
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[edit] Plot
The first part of the film revolves around Ruth, a pagan idolatress who serves as the spiritual teacher of a young Moabitess girl Tebah who is being prepared to be sacrificed to Chemosh, a Moabite deity. High-priestess Eleilat, along with Ruth, orders Mahlon, a Judean artisan, to brush the Tebah's ritual crown. As Mahlon delivers the crown to Ruth at the temple, he denounces her god Chemosh explaining its nonexistence. This fictional non-Biblical part ends with the site of the Moabite girl being sacrificed, and a frightened, astonished Ruth fleeing to Mahlon and Naomi's family. The result of this "dishonor" follows Mahlon prisoned along with Elimelech his father and Chilion his brother. Chilion and Elimelech die in the prison, while Mahlon's punishment is to perform slave work for the rest of his life. After an attempt by Ruth to help him flee from the slave site, causes his death. The Biblical storyline begins now as Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth have widowed. The second part is more based toward the Biblical account found in the Book of Ruth, a subplot is added, that of the Bethlehemites disapproval of Ruth's pagan past and Naomi's kinsman rejecting the refusal of Ruth's hand in marriage pleaded by Boaz.
[edit] Cast
- Stuart Whitman ... Boaz
- Tom Tryon ... Mahlon
- Peggy Wood ... Naomi
- Viveca Lindfors ... Eleilat
- Jeff Morrow ... Tob
- Elana Eden ... Ruth
- Thayer David ... Hedak
- Les Tremayne ... Elimelech
- Eduard Franz ... Jehoam
- Leo Fuchs ... Sochin
- Lili Valenty ... Kera
- John Gabriel ... Chilion
- Ziva Rodann ... Orpah
- Basil Ruysdael ... Shammah
- John Banner ... King of Moab
- Adelina Pedroza ... Iduma
- Daphne Einhorn ... Tebah
- Sara Taft ... Eska
- Jean Inness ... Hagah
- Berry Kroeger ... Huphim
- Jon Silo ... Tacher
- Don Diamond ... Yomar
[edit] Reference
- ^ "The Story of Ruth" (1960) tcm.com. Retrieved 2-20-11
