I admit I only saw this because Orson Welles was in it but it’s not bad. The real title should be David and Saul, because it’s more about their relationship – but then Goliath has more box office potential. It turns the famous story into a peplum –so instead of David being a young boy as he’s usually depicted, he’s of bodybuilding age (played by someone called Ivo Payer). After his girlfriend is killed – struck by lightning in a storm (I’m not kidding) – he goes to the city and Saul hires him as a harpist… which I thought happened after he beat Goliath (but I checked – I was wrong).
Anyway, he has a tricky relationship with Jonathan, Saul’s son, and a sweet romance with Saul’s daughter Michal despite being lusted after by Saul’s sluttish daughter. Then he fights and beats Goliath. The climax consists of Saul’s mean Prime Minister trying to assassinate David – but being saved by Saul, which seems weird.
Some bright colours and spectacle and dubbed voices – a typical example of the genre. Peter Bogdanovich in his interview book with Orson Welles asked Welles if he directed some of it, in particular an early scene where the camera passes by some columns as Saul appears and Welles said yes. This was released in the US by Embassy.
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