in his autobiography and c. b. demille indicate that he find the great compliment ever give to the film be during an irs audit . the agent do the audit be astonish that a film that good do not make any money . the historian and author harold lamb be instrumental in the scripting . demille want the flavor of the crusade in the one film and so the hermit be use to outline the cause of the crusade and and be use to compress the timeline to the third crusade . he also want to show that saladin be as knightly a any of the crusader . the film provide spectacle throughout and from ceremony to battle and but that be demille style . the political intrigue in the background be more pronounced in this film than behind the scene activity in . other demille film and but that touch may have be mr. lamb . i first saw this on television and many year ago and by accident . it wasn not schedule and but i happen to tune in to it when it start . it catch my attention and and i be hook . it one of his good film . it also an interesting contrast to kingdom of heaven .