You said it!

Right. Most of DeMille's earlier films could have qualified as an epic in some way, but they were scattered here and there throughout a long career. "Samson And Delilah" was the one that somehow struck the public's fancy by creating the blueprint for a genre that lasted throughout the 50's and 60's (and beyond, to a lesser degree). And the addition of widescreen soon after made this the perfect genre to exploit for "big" movies. Even all those European cheapies like the Hercules movies owe a debt to DeMille.

Quo Vadis - the Robert Taylor version in 1951. Not a widescreen production, but this I think was the epic that started off the 50's epic movie explosion.

Ben Hur is another favorite of mine, as is Lawrence of Arabia and El Cid

How The West Was Won

Can't believe no one has mentioned



Even Texas haters (like Edna Ferber) can find something in it for them. A family saga, jealousy, class war, romance, history . . . it's all there. Add superb photography and great cinematic story telling through a tight script, crisp performances and masterful editing, what more could you want?

Helen Of Troy
Sure I love all those that have been mentioned but..................
This poor forgotten film,never makes anyone's list! Released by Warner's on DVD 16.9 only because they had just made a film called TROY!
Directed by Robert Wise(The Sound Of Music ,West Side Story) and it's his only epic film. He once admitted jokingly, that if he had only cast the slave girl( given 9th billing),to Helen, the leading role instead, he would have had a classic for the ages.She was a very young French girl who,in two years she would become world famous,, it was Bridgett Bardot! The film boasts an international cast of extremely fine actors and Yuccama Cannutt doing second unit directing. In one scene of The Siege Of Troy, the film has over 30 thousand extras and they are real people, as there was no CGI when this film was made! The wooden horse made for this film was the biggest prop made for any film up to that time of filming. No expense was spared in bringing Homer's tale of love,greed and conquest to the giant CinemaScope screen! Max Steiner's score is lush and full as to be expected from the master of such epics as this! Have some fun and a Saturday afternoon and see this film if you've never had the chance,you'll enjoy it!

Edited by: incasting on Apr 10, 2011 5:24 AM

That's a terrific epic, but if you have a blu-ray player, try to check it out in blu-ray.