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| Richard Burton, The Robe |
Lloyd C Douglas, 1877 - 1951:
"Several of Douglas's books have been adapted into screen, Magnificent Obsession twice. GREEN LIGHT (1935) was filmed in 1936, starring Errol Flynn. After Captain Blood (1935) and The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) Flynn was labelled a swashbuckler, but in Green Light he was a dedicated doctor, who gives up his practice when a patient dies. The Robe, published 1942, gained wide audience as the first film in Cinemascope. The book's title refers to the crucifixion garment worn by Jesus. The protagonist of the story is a young Roman soldier, Marcellus, in charge of the Crucifixion. He wins in a dice game at the foot of the cross Christ's robe. Marcellus then starts to his quest to find the truth about Jesus. He becomes a convert and a martyr in Colosseum to the new religion. Burton in the role of Marcellus - in a short Roman mini skirt - was in his first great role. The book has sold over six million copies.
Douglas's last novel, THE BIG FISHERMAN (1948), shared the same New Testament world of Palestine and Rome and focused on Jesus, Peter, and a pair of young lovers., Esther and Voldi. The Roman world of the early Christian Church is carefully drawn. However, for a modern reader, the style is perhaps too tendentious. Douglas's main purpose was to present a Christian thesis in the form of a novel and include in the gospel narratives the aspect of human interest.
His last book was the autobiographical Time To Remember which described his life up to his childhood and education for the ministry. He died before he was able to write the intended second volume but the task was completed in The Shape of Sunday by his daughters, Virginia Douglas Dawson and Betty Douglas Wilson."
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| Lloyd C. Douglas |
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