Forgotten Commandments
Cast & Crew
Louis Gasnier
Sari Maritza
Gene Raymond
Marguerite Churchill
Irving Pichel
Harry Beresford
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Paul and Marya Ossipoff register at a university in Russia that is strictly for the proletariat, because Paul is determined to study science under Dr. Marinov, a brilliant surgeon and bacteriologist, who believes in free love and the abolishment of religion. Under the influence of Marinov's doctrines, as well as those of Anya Sorina, Marinov's beautiful assistant and lover, Paul's marriage suffers. While they are working at a defunct chapel now serving as a clinic for children, an aged priest tells the story of the Ten Commandments. As he speaks, the story of Moses and the Israelites unfolds: The Israelites suffer as slaves to the Egyptians. When Moses demands of the Pharoah the release of his people, the Pharoah only increases their hard labor. Moses warns the Pharoah that as a result of his cruelty, all the firstborn Egyptians shall die. At night in every Egyptian home, newborn babies die. The Pharoah banishes Moses and the Israelites from Egypt and, vowing revenge against Israel, sends his army after the former slaves. The Israelites are saved when the Red Sea parts to allow them to cross to safety, but closes over the Egyptian army. Moses later hears the word of God, but his fellow Israelites forsake God and worship idols, so Moses brings the word of God to his people. As he finishes the story of Moses and the Israelites, the priest warns that the Russians have forgotten God as did the Israelites. Convinced that the only correct religion is the religion of the state, Dr. Marinov has the priest arrested. Because of this, Paul, who once believed in God, now believes in Marinov and feels free to have an affair with Anya. Later, Marinov is pleased to hear of Marya and Paul's divorce, but he becomes enraged when he discovers Paul and Anya's affair, despite his belief in free love. He rushes to Anya's apartment and shoots them both, killing Anya instantly, and then escapes unnoticed. Marinov is forced to perform a delicate operation to save Paul's life and afterward, confesses his crime and surrenders himself to the authorities. Marya and Paul are reunited and inherit Marinov's scientific research work.
Cast
Sari Maritza
Gene Raymond
Marguerite Churchill
Irving Pichel
Harry Beresford
Kent Taylor
Theodore Roberts
Estelle Taylor
James Neill
Charles De Roche
Edward Van Sloan
Frankie Adams
John Peter Richmond
William Shawhan
Joseph Sauers
Boris Bullock
Allen Fox
John Deering
Harry Cording
Florence Shreve
Helen Carlyle
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The main characters' last names were listed as "Ossip" in some contemporary sources. The credits read "Glorified by Spectacular Episodes from Cecil B. DeMille's Epic The Ten Commandments." A major portion of this film includes scenes from DeMille's 1923 silent film, The Ten Commandments (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.5558). All segments from the 1923 film were tinted orange, except for the scene of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, which was tinted blue. These segments were from the prologue to the 1923 film, which was filmed in Technicolor. According to a contemporary article, the remainder of the film had a ten-day shooting schedule. Included in the Paramount story files at the AMPAS library are an uncensored release dialogue script, dated May 19, 1932, and a censored release dialogue script, dated May 21, 1932. Included in the uncensored version, which contains lines not in the released film, are scenes in which characters make comments on religion, capitalism, the Bible, the Russian state and birth control. In one such scene, while students are registering for classes, a registrar says to an applicant, "Nursing and child welfare. Looks like a pretty big family, uh?" Another applicant responds, "Better take a course in birth control first, little comrade." While the former line is in the film, the latter is not. According to a news item in Film Daily, thirty-four children from a Russian community in Los Angeles, CA, appear in the film.
