Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion is a 1952 RKO film produced by Gabriel Pascal from the 1912 George Bernard Shaw play of the same name. It was Pascal's last film, made two years after the death of Shaw, his long-standing friend and mentor, and two years before Pascal's own death.
Plot
Androcles, a gentle Christian tailor, is on the run from his Roman persecutors, accompanied by his nagging wife Megaera. While they are hiding in the forest, a Barbary lion approaches them. Megaera swoons, but tender-hearted Androcles sees that a large thorn is deeply embedded in the lion's paw; he draws it out while soothing the beast with baby-talk. While Androcles and the lion—whom he names Tommy—are becoming best buddies, his wife escapes, and when soldiers come upon Androcles and Tommy wrestling playfully, he is accused of sorcery.
More details
| author | Chester Erskine George Bernard Shaw |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | ancient Rome |
| director | Chester Erskine Nicholas Ray |
| editor | Roland Gross |
| genre | comedy |
| keywords | androcles antoninus antoninus pius barbary lion behind the scenes colosseum comic relief hide love interest magic nagging wife on the run praetorian guard praetorian guards rescue sorcery their way wrestle |
| musicBy | Friedrich Hollaender |
| producer | Gabriel Pascal |
| productionCompany | RKO Pictures |
| publisher | RKO Radio Pictures |