The Story of Ruth (1960)

7/10

Historical melodramatic flick with awesome actors and fine direction

ma-cortes21 July 2006

This 20th Century Fox Biblical epic inspired by the scriptural tale deals with the beautiful Ruth (Elana Eden , this character was intended for Susan Strasberg , who was tested for the part, but the studio decided to go for an unknown), she is a Moabitess priestess under orders of hight religious hierarchy (Viveca Lindfors) , as their cruel religion makes sacrifices children to God Moloch in a pagan civilization . Later on , Ruth is drawn both to a Judean man and to his talk of a forgiving God . As she is enamored by a young Jewish (Tom Tryon) and decides to renounce his former gods . Then tragedy strikes, she begins a new life in Bethlehem . As arriving in Israel along with her mother-in-law (Peggy Wood), where she discovers true faith and works as an ear-woman . Although she is excluded by the Jewish community ; however , getting various suitors such as Boaz (Stuart Whitman) and Tob (Jeff Morrow).

This Biblical retelling film results to be an enjoyable story with all the spectacle of heathen idolatry , human sacrifice , pagan revels , romance , drama , a love story and fascinating scenarios . It's a known epic story of Ruth whose descendant will be King David , dealing with all the beauty of one of the Bible's timeless love stories . Elana Eden as Ruth is marvelous, however she barely acted after this realization , the veteran Peggy Wood is magnificent and Stuart Whitman as the tough Boaz makes an agreeable interpretation . Colorful and spectacular cinematography in CinemaScope by Arthur Arling , being stunningly reflected on the sensational outdoors . The luxurious costumes by the usual designer Nino Novarese . Sensitive and evocative musical score by the classic Franz Waxman . The film well well directed with big budget by Henry Koster . The picture will appeal to religious genre fans and Biblical history buffs . Rating : Good and nice , it's worthwhile seeing. I would recommend to see it wholeheartedly.

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8/10

"Thy People Shall Be My People"

bkoganbing7 July 2006

Anyone expecting an elephantine spectacle with a cast of thousands for this Old Testament story will be sadly disappointed. The Story of Ruth simply does not lend itself to that kind of treatment. In fact for the screen quite a bit of liberties were taken with the story in terms of adding plot that the Old Testament Book of Ruth simply doesn't have.

Ruth is an unusual character in the Bible. First she's a female protagonist, one of a select few there. Secondly her story gets its own book in the Old Testament, a short item of only four chapters. Lastly she's the first non-Hebrew protagonist in the Bible since Abraham sired the Hebrew people.

It's a simple story in the Old Testament. Ruth is one of two Moabite women who marry the sons of Elimelech and Naomi. When Elimelech and sons Mahlon and Chillion die, leaving Naomi a widow with two widowed daughters-in-law, Naomi decides to return to Israel. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, bids her goodbye. Daughter-in-law Ruth however says she will not desert her. She's going to give up the life and culture of Moab and her people will be Naomi's people in the most famous line from the Book of Ruth.

That's all there is to explain Ruth the Moabite coming to live in Israel with her mother-in-law. Director Henry Koster directed a film with a whole involved plot which goes into Ruth being a Moabite priestess and the reason for the death of all the men in that family. It's a nice story, but not the Old Testament.

The second half of the film involves Ruth and Naomi and a blood relative's named Boaz and Boaz's courtship of Ruth. Boaz has a rival in another relative who is closer to Naomi who's name isn't mentioned, but the film names as Tob. We get a few more details from the Bible for the screenwriters to work with in this part.

Henry Koster directed many a film with a religious theme and had success with The Robe and A Man Called Peter among others. This film is not as good as the other two, but still is both reverent and entertaining.

The cast performs well. Israeli actress Elana Eden is in the title role and like her fellow Israeli thespian Haya Harrareet from Ben-Hur saw her career dissipate in the Sixties. The two men in her life are Tom Tryon as Mahlon and Stuart Whitman as Boaz. Broadway veteran Peggy Wood is Naomi and the best in the film is Jeff Morrow as the overbearing and drunken Tob who with a little bit of trickery Eden gets to renounce his claim on her. It was the law back in the day.

The real story of Ruth is in that title phrase. Before there was a New Testament and a group of men were told to spread the faith, this story shows that God is taking converts. His wisdom and mercy are not the exclusive property of one race, but are universal. And in fact the children of Boaz and Ruth start the royal line of Israel beginning with their great grandson David.

But it all begins with how Boaz and Ruth get together.

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8/10

This is really a good movie!

Gunn12 September 2009

I have always liked biblical epics and thought that I'd seen them all, but while watching a feature on them I saw listed "The Story of Ruth." I knew nothing of this story of the Old Testament, so I purchased the DVD. The film, made in 1960, shortly after the release of "Ben Hur" was not an epic in the sense of 'a cast of thousands' with big name stars, but rather a simply told story, both moving and charmingly portrayed by a cast who excelled in their respective roles and brilliantly directed by Henry Coaster, with a literate script by Norman Corwin. Stuart Whitman was never better than in his role as Boaz and newcomer Elana Eden was stunningly beautiful and very impressive as Ruth. In fact, it surprises me that her career waned after "Story of Ruth." The always great Peggy Wood was Oscar worthy as Naomi and the rest of the players were also well cast. Franz Waxman's score was moving and added a reverence to the entire film. It seemed pretty accurate for the most part. I wondered if there was any truth to the fact that Ruth was sold to the Moabites by her father, as my sources (Biblical dictionaries) are pretty concise. To summarize, I must say that I really enjoyed this film!

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Sensitively-handled Biblical Classic

Dejael1 December 2003

Warning: Spoilers

(*May contain spoilers*) This fine 20th Century Fox production directed by Henry Koster (The ROBE, 1953) is a timeless classic of hope, faith and inspiration based on the book of Ruth in the Bible. The characters are well defined, the cast is superb, and the writing of the script is both literate and meaningful, handling this subject with a deft sensitivity. Add to that the elaborate production values of the Fox studio, color, and wide-screen CinemaScope, an uplifting, rousing music score, and you have a well-mounted film of style and substance. Pretty young Elana Eden shines in her only starring role as Ruth, the Moabite girl who loves a Jew named Mahlon (handsome, stalwart Tom Tryon), marrying him moments before his untimely death, and befriends his elder kinswoman Naomi (Peggy Wood in a finely crafted performance) who embraces her as Ruth becomes part of the family. Now Ruth must choose between the beguiling but mischievous Tobit (Jeff Morrow sparkles in a fine character role), or handsome young stud Boaz (burly Stuart Whitman in an outstanding part) as they both vie for her affections. The film's story is a true celebration of life overcoming the adversities of death and sorrow, and faith overcoming the difficulties of calamities and complications due to ethnic barriers (the Jews were not normally allowed to associate with the Moabites). It also illustrates the conflicts caused by pagan idolatry. The marriage of Ruth to Boaz is a triumph of faith and love, for through this union would come the lineage of King David of Israel, and ultimately, the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, a thousand years later. Highly recommended Biblical classic is literate and faithful to the original story in the Bible.

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7/10

A Great Love Story

FRANCESPHX-123 March 2006

I would stay up late watching this when it aired on television back in the late 60's early 70's. And of course the "Book of Ruth" has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible. This is truly a great love story. And in my eyes, there could never be another 'Ruth' other then Elana Eden. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen on the big or small screen, hands down. When I read the Biblical account of Ruth, she is the one that I picture in my head as Ruth.

Granted, the movie doesn't follow the Bible word for word, but that's Hollywood for you. But it does follow the general story pretty close. For those of you who enjoy a great love story, (and I grew up reading Harlequin romances) this is one to add to your collection. And now it is finally available on DVD! My VHS copy is pretty well worn out by now.

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7/10

Under-rated version of the Old Testament tale of the beautiful Ruth and her wise mother-in-law, Naomi

cinemel29 July 1999

"The Story of Ruth" was a modest production of a biblical story in the days when most tales from the Bible were large scale epics. The screenplay does expand the early portion of Ruth's story. Ruth (lovely Elana Eden) is a priestess in the temple of the religious idol worshipped in her native country of Moab. She meets the Hebrew Mahlon (Tom Tryon) whose invisible diety she cannot understand. Mahlon marries Ruth as he dies and she follows her mother-in-law, Naomi (Peggy Wood), back to her native land of Judah. Here the relationship between Ruth and Naomi is beautifully developed as the two women try to eke out a meager existence. All the while they have to deal with the strict rules of the Hebrews and particularly the council of elders who find out about Ruth's former belief in the pagan religion. It is Ruth's new faith in the one G-d of Naomi which finally brings her love and hope for a future in her adopted homeland. Stuart Whitman portrays her new romantic interest, Boaz. Jeff Morrow (Tob) is his rival for Ruth's hand and adds a welcome bit of humor to the proceedings. Viveca Lindfors portrays the High Priestess back in Moab in her inimitable style. The second half of the films adheres fairly close to the biblical text, and its pastoral scenes and quiet drama contrast to the more action oriented first half. However, director Henry Koster has kept his story moving along aided by a fine musical score by Franz Waxman. The story transcends some wooden acting and occasionally static dramatic scenes. The viewer will be swept along by the unusual tale of women triumphing over adversity in a male-dominated society.

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6/10

THE STORY OF RUTH (Henry Koster, 1960) **1/2

Bunuel197628 April 2006

After having missed out on it several times on Italian TV, I've managed to catch up with this - as it turned out - underrated Biblical epic via Fox's pleasing DVD edition. It's a typically lavish production with a nice Franz Waxman score and a decent cast: unknown Elana Eden makes for a convincing heroine; Tom Tryon is the leading man during the first half (until he is killed off), with Stuart Whitman taking over in the second part of the narrative; Peggy Wood is a dignified Noemi; and Jeff Morrow delivers an amusing performance as a perennially drunk Jewish merchant and Eden's suitor.

Not knowing much about the Biblical story, the lengthy expository events - akin to the similarly irrelevant ones (of the young Moses in Egypt) depicted in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) - were a welcome addition; as a matter of fact, Viveca Lindfors - a strong presence during these early stages - disappears altogether once the scene shifts to Judea! Typical of most epics of the time, the film feels overlong and could do with some trimming - especially in its more reverent second half - but it's one I wouldn't mind owning on DVD, especially if Fox would consider releasing a collection of their Biblical epics (comprising as well David AND BATSHEBA [1951], THE ROBE [1953], DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS [1954] and THE BIBLE...IN THE BEGINNING [1966]).

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6/10

Worth seeing...but with a lot of additions to the original story!

planktonrules1 September 2020

"The Story of Ruth" is a 132 minute spectacle based on the Book of Ruth in the Bible. The problem is that Ruth is a relatively short book...and a HUGE amount of padding was needed to make such a lengthy film. And, like so many biblical epics of the 1950s-60s, most of the story is pure fiction....created out of the heads of the writers from the studio. So, if you are looking for a story close to the source material, then you might want to skip this one.

When the story begins, the child Ruth is sold to the temple where Chemosh* is worshiped and children are sacrifices. Ruth is excited when she later is chosen to be sacrificed...but her joy was cut short when they found a blemish on her and sacrificed a different child instead. Of course, none of this major portion (the first 50 minutes) of the film is in the Bible. Where the biblical story actually begins is after the death of Ruth's husband...and Ruth and her mother-in-law don't escape from Moab as much as they just left and headed to Judea.

The second half of the story is closer to the source material. And, Ruth's love interest, Boaz, is played well by handsome Stuart Whitman. All the racist and religious hatred of Ruth by Judeans was completely fictional...but otherwise it was a decent representation of the book.

So is it any good? Well, it entirely depends on what you are looking for in the movie. If you want one that sticks close to the book of Ruth, then you'll be disappointed. But, if you don't mind all the fictionalization, it is pretty exciting in some places...especially the first portion which is mostly about child sacrifice. I really wish, in hindsight, that the film had bee all fiction and they hadn't bothered with the Ruth tie-in....as the fictional stuff was pretty interesting.

My review: For a biblical purist, a 4 or 5. For someone who just wants to be entertained, a 7. For me, I think it merits about a 6 overall. The acting is quite good by Whitman and Elana Eden in the title role.

By the way, John Banner of "Hogan's Heroes" fame is in the film as the Moabite king. But he sounds like his voice was dubbed by another actor...which is a bit strange.

*Chemosh worship was apparently a thing in ancient Moab and it did involve child sacrifice. I did a bit of research about this and, apparently, so did the writers.

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8/10

Underrated Bible film is one of the best

CelluloidDog8 February 2013

This movie is a pleasant Old Testaments gem! I'm surprised it gets panned by many who demand accuracy. Perhaps people missed the point. Aside from the usual few Hollywood add- ons (e.g, Ruth was a Priestess, the death of Mahlon, the two Moabite spies, and the exact issue of Levirate law with Tob being first kin and the idea of love, not obligation for marriage) it is reasonably accurate. After all, which Hollywood movie is completely accurate? Ten Commandments? More importantly, it captures the spirit of Ruth. In essence, of the spirit of Ruth as a stranger following devotedly her mother-in-law and Jehovah, a new God for her, it is accurate. It depicts Ruth's altruism (she does not accept gifts and nothing but faith to her mother-in-law and God matters), Boaz's character of integrity (he has ethics, even higher than Ruth when he has to judge), the blind conversion of faith (to Judaism), and the lawful acceptance of non-Israelites very well. I think people missed these themes but rather are looking for a word-by-word account. The problem with a word-by-word account is that the Bible is missing too much. And then to expect a 1960 Bible movie to show Ruth going to bed with Boaz potential ruins her altruistic character. OK, maybe Delilah can go to bed with Samson, but to see Ruth, a most faithful, altruistic character do such a thing isn't consistent with the character development.

Thus, in spirit, this captures the Biblical story perhaps better than any other fictitious (e.g, The Robe) or supposedly accurate (The Ten Commandments) Hollywood movies. Unfortunately, those points are missed. Given the Book of Ruth is quite short, to make a two-hour movie, writer Norman Corwin and director Henry Koster took the liberty to make a smooth storyline. Since it lacks the exciting, epic battles and dramatic miracles of other Biblical movies, it won't appeal to many people. Rather, this film is more about human devotion, kindness and traditions. Acting was very strong by female leads Peggy Wood and the beautiful Elena Eden (who hardly made a movie afterward) but Stuart Whitman and Tom Tryon were average. Peggy was excellent and charming and Elena was very poised as what one might expect of her since she would be the mother of a great line. Jeff Morrow was enjoyable in his role, too. Sets, script and color cinematography were very good.

However, most people want fun and adventure. This film doesn't have those elements but rather it's about human search for spiritualism, goodness and faith.

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6/10

A decent Hollywood Biblical that unfortunately introduces a Prophet, never mentioned in the Bible

JuguAbraham15 April 2022

An interesting Biblical for the wrong reasons. I viewed this film after a gap of 50 years or more. The script introduced a Prophet Jehoam (played by actor Eduard Franz), twice appearing in the film at crucial points. This character is never mentioned in the Bible or in the Book of Ruth. How is it that no one has questioned this fictional addition, which will be accepted by many, who are unfamiliar with the Bible, as a true Biblical figure? I read 32 user reviews on this site and the goofs section for this film on IMDb before writing this mini review.

That apart, Viveca Lindfors, as the Moab temple priestess, caught my eye. So did Peggy Wood, who plays the venerable Naomi.

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4/10

Good film but NOT much Bible in it

dean-0971325 December 2022

The story they present is a great story...full of romance, intrigue, lust, danger, scenery...but aside from the names and places bears little to the story of Ruth and Boaz found in the Bible. It would not be so bad if they just stick to filling in the missing pieces. But...they changed what the Bible says happened. All the events that tale place in Moab are in the realm of fine, theatrical license. The biggest miss in the rest of the film is the interaction with Tob--the nearest kinsman. In the Bible, there is not a word that he wanted Ruth. And, there is not a word about love-talk between Ruth and Boaz when she goes to him on the threshing floor. They would've done well to keep the dialogue in the book of Ruth. Read the book of Ruth for yourself and see. This is like another so-called "based on the Bible" movie that came out in around 2014: Noah's Ark. Read the real story of those events in Genesis.

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8/10

A great and well-acted biblical epic

bellino-angelo201423 April 2018

In the period from the 1940s to the 1960s there was on Hollywood the craze of making biblical epics, and while some they are lavish (like David and Bathsheba or Samson and Delilah), others, like this, are humble but pleasant to watch. And this one in particular is faithful to the Bible.

The movie is based on the Biblical book of Ruth, and it's divided in three parts. In her youth Ruth is portrayed as a pagan idolatress that believes in the blood-thirsty God Kemosh, but she meets Mahlon, a young artisan, and his family, and soon she becomes doubtful of her religion and begins to believe in a God of peace. When the high Priest discovers it, arrests Ruth, Mahlon, and his family. While Mahlon is forced to work at the quarries, Ruth tries to make him free, but he is killed by a guard. So she goes to Bethlehem with Naomi (Mahlon's mother) and falls in love with Boaz, an handsome landowner that let her work in his wheat fields. But soon Boaz's brother tries to capture Ruth's heart, and after some discussions, she finally declares her feelings for Boaz and marries him.

I loved this movie so much, and I explain the reasons: the scenery is wonderful, the soundtrack by Alfred Newman is majestic. And the actors, although not great ones, gave great performances here; Stuart Whitman is excellent as Boaz, and it's one of his best leading man roles; Tom Tryon is also convincing as Mahlon, the Judean that converts Ruth to a better religion and monotheism, and Peggy Wood is great as Naomi, Mahlon's mother that is also a spiritual guide for Ruth.

This is maybe one of the best bible-based movies ever made in Hollywood. A must-see.

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7/10

A Well-acted Biblical Epic

icreate-113 July 2021

However, fair warning, they took immense artistic licenses with the biblical story. They added a lot of "back story" to Ruth's pagan background as a Moabite - an excellent dramatization of the pagan rituals. Then, they added too much drama. But, then again, it's Hollywood. Read the short Biblical story before you watch this so you know historical fact from Hollywood fiction.

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3/10

Not Even Close to the Truth

Sonofamoviegeek19 April 2011

What is it about Hollywood and the Sandal Epic? There are wonderful, human stories in the Bible and the Classics that don't need any embellishment or additional material to make interesting, even great movies. Take "The Story of Ruth" as an example. The real Ruth is a small book (4 chapters) in the Bible with enough material to make a full length movie without the imaginative script writing that "The Story of Ruth" incorporates. There's sex and seduction, (And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman; Ruth 3: 8-9), intrigue (Boaz manipulates his rival into renouncing his claim to Ruth and Naomi's land; Ruth 4: 1-9) and love and faith (for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; Ruth 1: 16).

Instead of sticking to a good story, the movie invents a Ruth who serves as a Priestess of a pagan god, which only serves as a reason to hold a courtroom drama. There are also two klutzy secret agents from the Moab Mossad whose demise is taken straight from the Apocryphal story of "Daniel and Susanna". Traditionally, Ruth is thought to have been a redhead, as were most Moabites. While Elana Eden is a stunning beauty, her hair is the wrong color and too stylishly coiffed for a poor woman of 900 BCE with the occupation of gleaner. In the Bible, Boaz is certainly not the dumb pushover that Stuart Whitman portrays.

All of this is likely due to the movie's release in 1960. It's quite possible that Hollywood, in its wisdom, decided that the real Ruth was too raunchy a commodity at the time. Perhaps, instead of this fantasy, someone in our more enlightened era will make a movie that is realistic and follows the original.

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This movie had a life changing influence on my life

rosalavra124 August 2004

At the age of 14, I idly turned on the TV in the afternoon and saw this movie just beginning. I felt drawn to see it as I was brought up on Bible stories and knew the story of Ruth pretty well. I was intrigued to see how it would be dramatised.

I was fascinated at the movie's expansion of the Book of Ruth's simple account of Ruth's Moabite beginnings, the evil of this pagan civilization which sacrificed its own children to Moloch. This part of the movie is in fact well authenticated by other parts of Scripture.

I was impressed by the beauty of the actress playing Ruth, and by her portrayal of the beauty of Ruth's character.

I was immediately aware that some license was taken with the beginnings of the relationship between Ruth and Boaz. In the Biblical version he was certainly never hostile to her! However as the love story progressed it had exactly the character of the loving kindness of the kinsman redeemer exemplified in the Biblical Boaz.

So much did this quality of deep love based on respect and loving kindness which cares for and wants to look after the beloved impress me that it actually became a standard against all future love stories, both fictional and real, were to be measured by me. For quite a number of years it was almost an unconscious influence, but in my mid 20's when I started seriously considering marriage,it surfaced and became a requirement for me in the man I would marry, and in the love we would have for each other. Somehow this love of Ruth and Boaz seemed much more REAL than almost all the romances I would see in movies or read about.

In fact the whole story of Ruth became a pattern for my life, after I returned to faith and sought a life in which God would be my Guide.

So much so that I now live in Israel, not far from where Ruth came to live with Naomi . I did find my "Boaz", who had been in some ways so clearly exemplified for me in "The Story of Ruth".

I still vividly remember the movie and am grateful that , even though it took some small "liberties" with the Biblical story, it was true to the spirit of the Book of Ruth!

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7/10

Handsome and subdued Biblical tale is tastefully done...

Doylenf19 March 2007

There's no question that THE STORY OF RUTH would have been a lot more different if it emerged as a Cecil B. DeMille production at the hight of DeMiller's spectacular career at Paramount. I'm sure he would have made certain that the writers expanded on the story to bring as much spectacle and battle scenes as possible in order to bring it up to his usual "sand and sandals" requirements.

But Henry Koster has taken a simple story, retained the simplistic values of the plot and made it a moving story of a young woman from a pagan culture who gradually amends her sinful ways and comes to worship only one invisible God. Koster has had wonderful success with his two very rugged looking male stars--TOM TRYON (whose role occupies the first half of the lengthy film, as a Hebrew) and STUART WHITMAN as the man Ruth comes to love. JEFF MORROW is also stalwart and appealing as the man who tries to win her love but fails miserably.

Alas, we now come to the real drawback of the film--ELANA EDEN, the unknown actress who plays the all important title role--Ruth, and her acting is, to put it kindly, "limited". In fact, it is only one notch above the kind of grade school emoting we had from Maria Montez during the height of her adventures with Jon Hall and Sabu. Furthermore, while undeniably beautiful in an exotic way, her accent makes much of her dialog in need of the caption feature. Her wooden performance is perhaps the reason for her very brief screen career in what should have been a star-making role.

Surprisingly, despite this main drawback, THE STORY OF RUTH has an intelligent script, sensible direction and a warm performance by PEGGY WOOD as Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi. Miss Wood makes up for the lack of animation in Elana Eden's role.

Summing up: Handsomely produced, it's an interesting tale told smoothly without a lot of pomp and circumstance that usually accompanies these sort of Biblical tales. And Franz Waxman's music is stirring.

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7/10

The Best of Biblical Soap

arthur_tafero13 August 2018

The Story of Ruth is a beautifully-filmed story of one of the books of the Bible, Ruth. Ruth eventually became the great-grandmother of David. The film, for the most part, faithfully reconstructs the events depicted in this book of the Bible. The director does a fairly good job, as do most of the A and B actors, and the production values are very good.

The pace of the film seems to be livelier in the beginning with the life of Ruth among the Moabites, and the romance between Elana Eden as Ruth and Tom Tryon (The Cardinal) son of Naomi, Mahion, plays very well. Although Stuart Whitman as Boaz probably does his best work ever in this film, he is really not a match for Tryon, either physically, or acting-wise. The woman who plays Naomi is a bit hammy, but most of the other actors play their roles well; particulary Jeff Morrow as Tob, the rival of Boaz for the love of Ruth. The pace of this film is quite leisurely; the opposite of most sword and sandal films of the time. But as a first-rate soap, most female viewers, will be very happy with the pacing. I can recommend the film as one of the more interesting stories in the Bible.

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7/10

A Pretty Decent Mini-Epic

gavin694220 April 2016

Inspired by the scriptural tale. Moabitess priestess Ruth is drawn both to a Judean man and to his talk of a forgiving God. After tragedy strikes, she begins a new life in Bethlehem.

"The Story of Ruth" received favorable reviews upon release. Variety called it "a refreshingly sincere and restrained Biblical drama, a picture that elaborates on the romantic, political and devotional difficulties encountered by the Old Testament heroine." I like the word "restrained" in that review. Although the overall theme is definitely the promotion of the Judeo-Christian god, especially over false idols, it is never to the point where it seems unbearably preachy. There is much more focus on the love life of Ruth, and the conflict between the two countries, Moab and Judea. It almost makes me want to learn more about the history of Moab and find where it disappeared to.

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6/10

**1/2

edwagreen5 December 2016

Warning: Spoilers

Somewhat disappointing film with acting below par, especially by Peggy Wood as Naomi, who comes across sincere, but is lacking in emotional depth. Five years later, as the Mother Superior in "The Sound of Music," she garnered a supporting actress Oscar nomination for showing her mettle and determination in the role.

Elan Eden, as Ruth, reminded me of Israeli actress Haya Harareet of "Ben-Hur" fame. Those women dancing up of a storm reminded me from the tribe of Jethro in "The Ten Commandments," and ironically, Eduard Franz appeared in both films.

The movie should have ended with Ruth's innocence in the court. Instead, it gets bogged down with two men fighting for the right to marry her, one using the Levite law that as the nearest kin to her dead husband, he is entitled to take her as his bride. This theme was overly played out.

Stuart Whitman, as Boaz, looked like he was annoyed with the role, but not as much as my being annoyed with the film.

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10/10

A beautifully made, sincerely acted and totally under-rated movie.

HONEYWALL113 April 2001

I first saw this movie in October, 1960, when I was thirteen and a half. Like many others of my generation, I had purchased the wonderfully made Dell Movie Classic comic book adaptation of the film, with its impressive color photo cover...obviously designed as pre-release publicity to make you want to go to see the film when it arrived in town. I was very impressed with the film and it became one of my all time favorite movies. I watched the great Biblical love story come alive and unfold itself across the CinemaScope screen and I found certain parts of it very moving...especially the death of Mahlon (Tom Tryon) in that cave. As Ruth, twenty years old Elana Eden is superb. As she realises that Mahlon has just died in front of her, she falls to her knees, buries her face in her hands and sobs bitterly (very much in the mold of Jennifer Jones in that final scene of LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING) and I found the scene so moving that, as Elana Eden sobbed, so I began to sob, also. It was so well done, I became totally involved in it for two hours and twelve minutes of screen time. Because this is one of the quieter Bible stories, and contains no chariot races or battle scenes, it has been somewhat overlooked by most of today's movie historians and has only been shown on UK television once...in December, 1972, when it was already twelve years old...and not shown since. So, a couple of generations have come into the world since its original release who have never had the opportunity to see it. But it's certainly worth seeing and I give it ten out of ten. Thankfully, it's available on video in the USA and I was able to send to amazon.com for a copy last year. As to what became of Elana Eden, I'd like very much to know. According to the British November, 1960, edition of Photoplay, she signed a long term contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1960, presumably on the strength of her superb debut performance in this movie. Yet, as far as I know, she never acted again. Does anyone out there know why and whatever became of her? She was so very, very beautiful. I fell in love with her from the first time I saw her on the cover of that Movie Classic comic. A wonderful movie with an unmistakable air of sincerity about the whole production, THE STORY OF RUTH is something quite removed from most of Fox's output of the period.

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7/10

A story of redemption

pamelaparizo2 June 2015

The Biblical story of Ruth is a story of redemption, and in that sense, this variation satisfies. Ruth the Moabitess priestess, played well by Elana Eden (an Israeli actress who had just served in the IDF), suffers the loss of her husband Mahlon (Tom Tryon) and follows his mother Naomi to Bethlehem where they struggle to make ends meet. Two of Naomi's kinsmen, Tob (Jeff Morrow) and Boaz (Stuart Whitman) compete for their attention and Ruth's love. The acting is good, with a good supporting cast--Viveca Lindfors, Peggy Wood, Thayer David, Les Tremayne, John Banner. The costumes and setting are lavish. The character development of Ruth is excellent and one of the strong points of the movie, but the character of Boaz is one of the few elements out of joint. Though Stuart Whitman is as romantic a hero as any as Boaz, his actions are not well motivated or convincing, particularly when compared to the Biblical story. Otherwise, though, a good production.

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3/10

Hollywood is meddling with the Bible again! This time, Ruth is turned upside down!

JohnHowardReid22 July 2017

Warning: Spoilers

A Samuel G. Engel Production. Copyright 1960 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening simultaneously at the Paramount and the Normandie: 17 June 1960. U.S. release: June 1960. U.K. release: 24 July 1960. Australian release: 3 November 1960. 11,836 feet. 132 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: In the ancient land of Moab, a young girl named Ruth is trained to be a high priestess to the stone god who demands the sacrifice of innocent children. But when she meets Mahlon, a young Judean goldsmith, and learns of his faith in a merciful god of spirit, she begins to doubt her own beliefs and eventually flees from the Moab altar during a sacrificial ceremony. Mahlon is blamed for her heresies and sentenced to slave labor in the great stone quarries. Though Ruth arranges for his escape, he is mortally wounded before they can reach safety. Before he dies, however, he takes Ruth as his wife and she vows to remain always with his mother, Naomi. The two women cross the River Jordan to Naomi's former home where Ruth meets two of her late husband's kinsmen, Tob and Boaz, both of whom long to marry her. But, because of Judean law, Ruth is obliged to wed Tob, her dead husband's next of kin. On their wedding day, however, Ruth speaks her heart and publicly declares her love for Boaz. Tob relinquishes his claim and Ruth is free to marry Boaz. As they wed, the prophet Jehoam proclaims that Ruth's future grandson will be the father of David, the King.

NOTES: First of only two movies and four TV appearances for the actress billed here as Elana Eden. Negative cost: $5 million.

VIEWERS' GUIDE: Strictly for adults with the patience of Job.

COMMENT: There have always been writers like Bernard Shaw and Eric Linklater who thought it smart to turn historical and bible stories on their heads. Take the tale of Samson, for instance. Instead of portraying him as a strong man, make him a puny weakling. Instead of a patriotic Jew, turn him into a treacherous Philistine. This isn't just clever character metamorphosis, it's also a means of fitting into your story those incidents that seem out of place or inconsistent or otherwise difficult to explain. For example Samson's vicious actions like killing thirty men to strip them of their clothes, or torturing foxes, or burning down grain fields, vineyards and olive orchards.

But there seems little excuse for meddling with the story of Ruth. It's not only one of the most beautiful books in the bible, it's also one of the shortest. A simple story of a gentile girl's faith and fortitude, of her love, trust and obedience.

Now what does Hollywood do with this inspiring little history? It turns the whole tale upside down by casting a Jewish girl as the foreigner, and a whole tribe of gentiles as the Jews. It makes the innocent young heroine a trainee high priestess of the hideous idol that feasts on the blood of children. Skipping over equally ridiculous but less abominable alterations, it then works up a love interest between the heroine and "Tob", an interest that never existed on either side. In place of a simple, direct, warm love story, we get a stupid triangle situation.

Okay, let's not be too critical. Let's just look at the movie as pure fantasy. Yet even in this realm the movie fails to impress. The script moves too slowly, the acting is generally awkward, the direction often clumsy and flat-footed.

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8/10

A well executed rendition of one of the best loved books of the Bible because of its romantic elements and didactic value.

Deusvolt27 November 2004

I remember seeing this on its first run and its color was marvelous. The human sacrifice scene to the god Moloch was chilling.

Of particular interest is the dialogue between Mahlon (Tom Tryon) and Ruth (Elana Eden) about religion. Mahlon, the Hebrew, tries to explain to Ruth, a pagan virgin votary, how his people could worship an invisible God. This deep theological discussion came about because Ruth asked the question. Mahlon gave a wonderful illustrative example.

He said: "Imagine that you are soldier in the battlefield and you wish to pray to save your army and for victory. How would you do that?"

Ruth answered that she would think of the image of her god and pray.

Mahlon then explained that in that case, the god she would be praying to would be invisible.

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7/10

Sophisticated soap opera

Chase_Witherspoon6 April 2023

Colourful biblical tale with a glamorous cast headlined by newcomer Eden, playing a sensual beauty whose careless arrogance gradually gives way to unwavering humility under the attention and moral teaching of Judean artisan Tryon.

It's on par with it's contemporaries, and fun to see the always menacing Thayer David playing the evil Hedak prepare to immolate a sacrificial child under the watchful eye of the almighty (and somewhat befuddled looking) King played by future bumbling Sgt Schultz of Stalag 13, John Banner. Victor Buono also makes his film debut as an Ill-tempered soldier whose snobbish officiousness inadvertently saves the young Ruth's life.

It's a full hour before rugged Stuart Whitman strides into the ensuing conflict, by which time Ruth's transformation from vacuous prima donna to spirited servant of God is in full swing. Her epiphany made more melodramatic by tragedy, she's now compelled to spread the message to the faithful (although her past threatens to condemn her).

B-movie star Jeff Morrow also shows up around this time as a competitor to Whitman for Ruth's affection (he also humorously likens himself to a ripening cabbage such is the sometimes inane dialogue), setting up a climactic love triangle.

Equal parts romance, melodrama and topped with a sprinkling of action, it's a well-intentioned tale made on a mid-range studio budget, not epic status but sophisticated enough to hold the interest and not only for the faithful.

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2/10

Drab, depressing, and false. A bore!

vitaleralphlouis25 June 2012

Warning: Spoilers

Given the credits of talented filmmakers involved in this project, how could they have come together to create such a dismal, depressing and downbeat mess; based on one of the happiest stories in the Bible.

OK, so Ruth's story was happy. Why not add a heavy dose of human sacrifice, training little girls to be butchered on the alter of the Moab's silly looking tin god. Then make Ruth a trainee involved in this perversion. (All this nonsense was invented for the movie.) Elena Eden was introduced in this role, and that's where her career ended. Not entirely to blame, nobody could have saved this awful movie.

I thought it was interesting that the Moab's (whose "god" was a stupid-faced metal statue, incapable of doing anything, and often in need of repairs) would question "the invisible God" of the Judeans. How little has changed in 3000 years.

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