The film was released by 20th Century Fox and was the first film released in the widescreen process CinemaScope.
Henry Koster directed the film while Frank Ross produced it. The screenplay was adapted from Lloyd C. Douglas's 1942 novel by Gina Kaus, Albert Maltz, and Philip Dunne — although Maltz's place among the blacklisted Hollywood 10 led to his being denied his writing credit for many years.
The film stars Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, Michael Rennie, Dean Jagger, Jay Robinson, Richard Boone and Jeff Morrow. The 1954 sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators, picks up exactly where The Robe ends. The score was composed by Alfred Newman, and the cinematography was by Leon Shamroy.
Frank Ross acquired the rights to the novel in 1942, before it was completed for $100,000.
The Robe was originally announced for filming by RKO in the 1940s and was set to be directed by Mervyn LeRoy, but the rights were eventually sold to Twentieth Century Fox. Ross received $40,000 plus 20% of the profits. RKO received $300,000 plus $650,000 from future profits.
Jeff Chandler was originally announced for the role of Demetrius. Victor Mature signed in December 1952 to make both The Robe and a sequel about Demetrius. John Buckmaster tested for the role of Caligula.
Filming finished on April 30, 1953, two weeks ahead of schedule. The film was advertised as "the modern miracle you see without glasses", a dig at the 3D movies of the day. Since many theaters of the day were not equipped to show a CinemaScope film, two versions of The Robe were made: one in the standard screen ratio of the day, the other in the widescreen process. Setups and some dialogue differ between the versions.
The film premiered at the Roxy Theatre in New York City on September 16, 1953. On its public release the following day, it set a record one-day gross (for a single theatre) of $36,000. It set a one-week record gross (for a single theatre) of $264,427. In its second week, it expanded to Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia and grossed $490,000, placing it at number one at the US box office, setting box office records at each location, including more than doubling the previous record at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in LA, with a gross of $80,000. It gradually expanded to 44 locations by the end of October and remained number one for nine straight weeks.
The film won Best Art Direction (Color) and Best Costume Design (Color) at the 26th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Motion Picture (Frank Ross, Producer), Best Actor (Richard Burton), and Best Cinematography (Color) - Leon Shamroy. The film won best motion picture for drama at 11th Golden Globe Awards.
Similar Topic: Oscar-nominated, book-based film 'Shane' Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary
Here is the goodreads synopsis of The Robe:
A Roman soldier, Marcellus, wins Christ's robe as a gambling prize. He then sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe-a quest that reaches to the very roots and heart of Christianity and is set against the vividly limned background of ancient Rome. Here is a timeless story of adventure, faith, and romance, a tale of spiritual longing and ultimate redemption.
Source: Wikipedia