{"id":3271,"date":"2007-05-27T10:58:17","date_gmt":"2007-05-27T17:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3271"},"modified":"2022-02-01T00:27:38","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T07:27:38","slug":"last-days-of-pompeii-the-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3271","title":{"rendered":"Last Days of Pompeii, The (1935)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Money is easy to get&#8230; All you have to do is kill!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Poster-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Poster-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Poster-128x85.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Poster.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter the accidental death of his wife (Gloria Shea) and infant son, a poor but happy blacksmith (Preston Foster) in Pompeii reluctantly becomes a gladiator. Out of guilt, he adopts the son (David Holt) of an opponent he has killed, and soon becomes a prosperous horse trader. Years later, his grown son (John Wood) is more interested in freeing slaves than in inheriting his father&#8217;s wealth and status.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alan Hale Films<\/li>\n<li>Ancient Greece and Rome<\/li>\n<li>Basil Rathbone Films<\/li>\n<li>Character Arc<\/li>\n<li>Disaster Flicks<\/li>\n<li>Father and Child<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Louis Calhern Films<\/li>\n<li>Preston Foster Films<\/li>\n<li>Slavery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nLoosely inspired by Edward Bulwer-Lytton&#8217;s 1834 novel of the same name, this historical epic by the producers of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43687\"><em>King Kong<\/em> (1933)<\/a> is primarily notable for its depiction of Mount Vesuvius erupting onto Pompeii. However, these final scenes &#8212; while impressive &#8212; play second fiddle to the bulk of the film, which tells a surprisingly heartfelt story of fatherly devotion. Preston Foster does a fine job depicting Marcus&#8217;s transformation from a gentle blacksmith to an ambitious horse trader, and is believable as an older man. Basil Rathbone is equally impressive &#8212; and appropriately regal &#8212; in his brief scenes as Pontius Pilate. Unfortunately, the film is marred by Roy Webb&#8217;s generic score, which makes no attempt to transport viewers into ancient times; we eventually believe in this world <em>despite<\/em> the soundtrack, not because of it. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preston Foster as Marcus<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63764\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Marcus-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>David Holt as young Flavius<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Holt-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Basil Rathbone as Pontius Pilate<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rathbone-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Impressive set designs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63767\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Sets-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A reasonably accurate depiction of ancient Roman life<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Last-Days-of-Pompeii-Rome-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo. While it holds some historical interest and is enjoyable to watch, this is ultimately not must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0026605\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1935\/10\/17\/archives\/the-last-days-of-pompeii-a-historical-fable-with-preston-foster-at.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/80101.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/80831\/the-last-days-of-pompeii#articles-reviews?articleId=59901\">TCM Movies Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Money is easy to get&#8230; All you have to do is kill!&#8221; Synopsis: After the accidental death of his wife (Gloria Shea) and infant son, a poor but happy blacksmith (Preston Foster) in Pompeii reluctantly becomes a gladiator. Out of guilt, he adopts the son (David Holt) of an opponent he has killed, and soon becomes a prosperous horse trader. Years later, his grown son (John Wood) is more interested in freeing slaves than in inheriting his father&#8217;s wealth and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3271\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3271"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80848,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3271\/revisions\/80848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}