Near the end of the movie, Steve brings down the house the way Samson did. Steve auditioned for the part of Samson (1949) but was not really an accomplished actor in those days. I have always wondered how the scene so closely associated with Samson and Delilah became part of this movie.
shareBoth films also feature lion wrestling, but the lion wrestling in "Hercules" actually looks better despite being shorter & shot on a lower budget, mostly because it's actually Steve Reeves wrestling the lion where Victor Mature demanded a stunt man in long shots and only appeared "fighting" a stuffed prop in closeups - despite the fact that DeMille & company had gotten a tame lion.
Reeves was ultimately rejected from "Samson & Delilah" because he wouldn't lose weight for the film - keep in mind back then people didn't really understand the benefits of exercise and weightlifting. People actually thought smoking was healthier than exercise! (some still do)
Strangely enough, the other "Reeves" (George) did have a few small parts Samson and Delilah. Did anyone recognize him telling the other "George" (Sanders) how Samson beat his men with the "jawbone of an ass"?
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