The Ten Commandments (1923 film)

For the 1956 film, also directed by Cecil B. DeMille, see The Ten Commandments (1956 film).

The Ten Commandments
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCecil B. DeMille
Story byJeanie MacPherson
Produced byCecil B. DeMille
Starring
Cinematography
Edited byAnne Bauchens
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
Running time
136 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • Silent
  • English intertitles
Budget$1.5 million[1]
Box office$4.2 million[1][2]

The Ten Commandments is a 1923 American silent religious epic film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Written by Jeanie MacPherson, the film is divided into two parts: a prologue recreating the biblical story of the Exodus and a modern story concerning two brothers and their respective views of the Ten Commandments.

Lauded for its "immense and stupendous" scenes, use of Technicolor process 2, and parting of the Red Sea sequence,[3] the expensive film proved to be a box-office hit upon release.[4] It is the first in DeMille's biblical trilogy, followed by The King of Kings (1927) and The Sign of the Cross (1932).

The Ten Commandments is one of many works from 1923 that entered the public domain in the United States in 2019.[5]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Hall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Birchard was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Variety1923 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference MontrealGaz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Douglas, Nick (April 13, 2018). "These 1923 Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain in 2019". Life Hacker. Retrieved September 5, 2018.