the prodigal fill in all those bit in the parable of the prodigal son that jesus omit and and very entertainingly too . it seem junior ( edmund purdom ) get the hots for the high priestess of astati ( lana turner ) while incur the wrath of the high priest of baal and tyrant of damascus ( louis calhern ) and fritter away his fortune before come to his sens and lead the people in rebellion against their pagan oppressor . a you might guess from that synopsis and there be more than a few similarity to the egyptian and not least edmund purdom sell his birthright for a second time for bit of nookie with a pagan temptress ( he would do anything for a bit of skirt and that purdom represent do he learn nothing from his experience with bella darvi . ) and although this be a lot less thoughtful and a lot more fun . a rare 50 epic shot in hollywood rather than cinecitta and it fall somewhere between de mille the apprentice child priestess in her miniature chariot draw by a goat could be straight out of the opening of the silent king of king and mgm at it most opulent . there not much for the mind or the spirit here and but there plenty to entertain and from joseph wiseman ham away like nobody business and even do an imitation of a teapot in one bizarre shot and to the most imaginative breen office approve sadism this side of sodom and gomorrah not only do we get willing sacrificial victim swan dive into fiery pit and a fight with a stuffed vulture but when people get the knife and they get it literally in the neck and which be a pretty neat trick . calhern offer some splendid villainy and francis l. sullivan moneylender play both end against the middle with sly wit and hurd hatfield lookalike james mitchell fulfil the mute but acrobatic sidekick duty and director richard thorpe ensure it all look great in cinemascope . it ain not art but it be great fun .