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The Sign of the Cross (1932)
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| Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular, pre-censorship epic displayed Rome's sins and depravities (homosexuality, orgies, nudity, and murder) in multiple ways and scenes: debauched Emperor Nero's (Charles Laughton in his first American film) wicked mistress Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert) bathing unabashedly in asses’ milk, the attempted corruptive seduction scene of virginal, blonde Christian Mercia (Elissa Landi) by Ancaria (Joyzelle Joyner) with a lesbian-tinged dance of the "Naked Moon" that visibly aroused its audience, and the scenes of semi-naked women condemned to slaughter in the Arena - including one rope-stretched female victim awaiting hissing crocodiles, and another flower-garlanded-tied nude female martyr awaiting death in a Roman arena from a devouring silverback gorilla; the film's most decadent and debauched moments were cut by censoring boards, and deleted for the film's re-release in 1944, but then reinstated in the mid-90s video version |
