Featuring
Peter Brosnan, Agnes de Mille. Directed by Peter Brosnan. (2016, 88
min).
For
film fans, Cecil B. DeMille needs no introduction. The man was
producing & directing grand scale epics when James Cameron's
grandparents were still in diapers. He's probably
most-renowned for 1956's The Ten Commandments, which was
actually his second go-round of the story of Moses. The first time
was in 1923, and when he was finished, DeMille apparently ordered his
massive sets buried in the California desert where it was filmed.
Over the years, that story became sort-of an urban legend.
Decades
later, filmmaker Peter Brosnan learned of this and commenced
searching for these lost treasures with the help of various
archaeologists. Repeated funding problems and run-ins with local
officials stretched his search and excavation efforts over 30 years.
When he finally does begin to uncover traces of the "Egyptian"
artifacts, it made me wish all directors buried their sets
when done with them. Wouldn't it be amusing if, centuries from now,
archaeologists found evidence that Hobbits once lived in the lush
hills of New Zealand?
 |
| "Hey guys...is that a finger?" |
The
Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille is an entertaining chronicle of
Brosnan's strange journey. It's also a pretty fascinating documentary
about DeMille's career and the making of the first Ten
Commandments (which was a budget-busting, tumultuous shoot). In
fact, until Brosnan begins his actual dig, the backstory is a lot
more interesting than his search and funding efforts.
Frankly,
I never knew about this slice of Hollywood history until now. The
fact it isn't mere folklore makes The Lost City of Cecil B.
DeMille a a must-see for classic movie buffs. The film is
currently available on iTunes. Check it out.
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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