The Robe (1953) - Henry Koster 

Well if this film looks like large scale Technicolor pageantry, then looks are certainly not deceiving. A large scale big budget film made as little more than an advertisement for Cinemascope. Richard Burton's performance seems tired and dated by today's standards, and most of the film reaks of the "Thank god they don't make these anymore" odor of so many lost epics. Not to say that similar films don't still come out, but this picture is a good 40 minutes too long, and along with Quo Vadis it makes Roman history look so dreadfully stale. The film was rewarded with a best picture Oscar, which thankfully it lost to the much better remembered From Here to Eternity. The supporting cast isn't too bad, and Victor Mature delivers an uncharacteristically good performance. So much of this film echoes Spartacus, but in a vastly inferior way.

*The Robe was nominated for best picture, best actor (Burton), and best color cinematography. It won for best color art direction, and best color costume design.