Androcles & the Lion (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Based on George Bernard Shaw's popular stage play, an adaptation of the classic folktale 'Androcles & the Lion' (directed by Chester Erskine), this movie follows Androcles (Alan Young), a slave in Ancient Rome who has escaped his bonds & fled deep into the wilderness. A devoted Christian with an unequalled level of compassion, he follows his religious teachings in looking to help 'anybody' who might need assistance ... even if that is a wild lion (Woody Strode) with a large thorn in its paw. While the maneuver to remove said thorn may seem impulsive & reckless, in doing it, he creates a friend - and ally - for life.
Subplots including a converted Christian woman named Lavinia (Jean Simmons) finding romance with an austere Roman Captain (Victor Mature), as well as a subplot concerning the secret police skulking around with menace are decent enough; but the main story is the draw, here. After being re-arrested & condemned to certain death, Androcles' kind heart is later repaid in the blood-stained ring of the gladiatorial colosseum when, ironically ... a certain lion is tasked to do the deed.
I became aware of this sweet little movie thanks to my mother & grandma who told me that this was a favorite of my mom & aunt's when they were growing up; it would often play on TV in the 1960s. I can certainly see why it was a mainstay for them as it is charming, entertaining & witty. Alan Young makes for an extremely likeable/rootable protagonist. The lion is adorable - and mercifully, nothing happens to him. Supporting roles by a plethora of fine actors litter the screen: Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Woody Strode, Robert Newton, Maurice Evans, Elsa Lanchester, Alan Mowbray, Gene Lockhart, Jim Backus, et al. Running a brief 98 min. in length, watching 'Androcles & the Lion' is a like taking a breath of fresh air.
Subplots including a converted Christian woman named Lavinia (Jean Simmons) finding romance with an austere Roman Captain (Victor Mature), as well as a subplot concerning the secret police skulking around with menace are decent enough; but the main story is the draw, here. After being re-arrested & condemned to certain death, Androcles' kind heart is later repaid in the blood-stained ring of the gladiatorial colosseum when, ironically ... a certain lion is tasked to do the deed.
I became aware of this sweet little movie thanks to my mother & grandma who told me that this was a favorite of my mom & aunt's when they were growing up; it would often play on TV in the 1960s. I can certainly see why it was a mainstay for them as it is charming, entertaining & witty. Alan Young makes for an extremely likeable/rootable protagonist. The lion is adorable - and mercifully, nothing happens to him. Supporting roles by a plethora of fine actors litter the screen: Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Woody Strode, Robert Newton, Maurice Evans, Elsa Lanchester, Alan Mowbray, Gene Lockhart, Jim Backus, et al. Running a brief 98 min. in length, watching 'Androcles & the Lion' is a like taking a breath of fresh air.