Sign of the Pagan (1954) DVD-R

Starring Jeff Chandler, Jack Palance, Ludmilla Tcherina, Rita Gam, Jeff Morrow
Directed by Douglas Sirk

Print: color
Runtime: 92 min.
Genre: adventure
Print Quality: B
Other details: Fullscreen presentation

Jeff Chandler may be the top-billed star of Sign of the Pagan, but the film belongs to Jack
Palance, cast as no less than Attila the Hun. As Attila's hordes advance upon Rome, noble
centurion Marcian (Chandler) mounts a counteroffensive. Alas, the Scourge of God cannot
be stopped by weaponry or sheer brute strength. No, Attila can be halted in his tracks only
by the hand of God Himself. Through a deft combination of historical fact and movie magic,
this is precisely what happens. Ballerina Ludmilla Tcherina, her voice dubbed by an
anonymous American actress, co-stars as Marcian's lady love, while Rita Gam is sublimely
cast as Attila's long-suffering daughter. Also appearing as Attila's slave bride is Allison
Hayes, some three years away from her starring turn in Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.
Filmed on a more spectacular scale than one usually associates with
Universal-International, Sign of the Pagan loses some of its scope when shown on
television.