Story Of Ruth, The

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This Biblical epic stars Elana Eden as Ruth, who serves in the temple where the High Priestess (Viveca Lindfors) leads the worship of the Pagan idols of the people of Moab. When Ruth falls in love with Mahlon (Tom Tryon), a Hebrew, she must come to terms with his spiritual beliefs, but in time she embraces his faith and converts to Judaism when they marry. Ruth travels with Mahlon and his mother Naomi (Peggy Wood) to their homeland of Bethlehem. Ruth suffers hardship and religious persecution, and when Mahlon dies, Ruth's faith is severely tested. But her belief in God survives this trial by fire, and in time Ruth finds a new love with Boaz (Stuart Whitman). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Spa
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• 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
       Lili Valenty - Kera
       John Gabriel - Chilion
       Ziva Rodann - Orpah
       Basil Ruysdael - Shammah
       John Banner - King of Moab
       Inez Pedroza - Iduma
       Sara Taft - Eska
       Jean Innes - Hagah
       Berry Kroeger - Huphim
       Jon Silo - Tacher
       Charles Horvath
       Charles Wagenheim
       Ben A. Astar
       Anthony Jochim
       Donald Diamond - Yomar
       Leo L. Fuchs - Sochin
       Robert Adler
       Ralph Moody
       Kelton Garwood

• Director:

  Henry Koster

• Producer:

  Samuel G. Engel

• Screenwriter:

  Norman Corwin

• Cinematographer:

  Arthur E. Arling

• Composer (Music Score):

  Franz Waxman

• Editor:

  Jack W. Holmes, John W. Holmes

• Art Director:

  Franz Bachelin, Lyle Wheeler

• Costume Designer:

  Vittorio Nino Novarese

• Choreography:

  Danni Dassa

REVIEW:

• The Story of Ruth deserves points for trying to be something different, namely an intimate Biblical spectacular. Most films in this genre, whether they are beloved or reviled by a particular viewer, are notable for their lavishness: even those who can't stand them tend to get caught up at least in the sheer spectacle. Since this emphasis on spectacle often causes the film to lose track of character development, it's laudable that Ruth, while hardly a cheap picture, makes a concerted effort to keep its crowds manageable and its special effects in hand so that its story and the characters involved can be thrown into focus. Unfortunately, Ruth's Biblical source is slight and very thin, necessitating the creation of a history and a backstory for all the characters involved, and here the filmmakers fall short of their goals. Rather than concocting a vivid story and human characters, they fall back on trite situations and flimsy personalities. Still, the earnestness and sincerity of director Henry Koster and screenwriter Norman Corwin does comes through, and that will be more than enough for many viewers. In the title role, Elana Eden is very attractive but doesn't score many dramatic points; although he's better, much the same could also be said of Tom Tryon. Stuart Whitman is much better as Boaz, and Peggy Wood is excellent as Ruth's mother-in-law. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi