The Sign of the Cross (1932) in Color — Starring Fredric March & Elissa Landi

The Sign of the Cross (1932) — Buy This Classic in Color

Experience the spectacular, unapologetically excessive Pre-Code epic The Sign of the Cross (1932) colorized in stunning HD quality. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, this Paramount production is set in ancient Rome during the reign of the mad Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) and tells the story of Marcus Superbus (Fredric March), Rome’s most powerful military prefect, who falls in love with a beautiful young Christian woman named Mercia (Elissa Landi) — placing him in direct conflict with Nero’s campaign to exterminate the Christians and with the jealous fury of Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert), who desires Marcus for herself. DeMille, the master of spectacle, stages the persecution of the Christians, the decadence of imperial Rome, and the climactic sequences in the arena with a lavishness, frankness, and sheer scale that remain astonishing. Now available as an instant, DRM-free digital download for only €15.00.

Plot Summary

Rome burns. The Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) watches from his balcony, composing poetry while the city is consumed by flames — flames he likely set himself. Needing someone to blame, Nero identifies the Christians, the despised religious sect that refuses to worship Rome’s gods, as the arsonists. A campaign of systematic persecution begins — arrests, torture, and mass execution in the arena.

Marcus Superbus (Fredric March), the prefect of Rome and one of the most powerful men in the empire, is tasked with hunting down the Christians. In the course of his duties, he encounters Mercia (Elissa Landi), a young Christian woman of extraordinary beauty, gentleness, and unshakeable faith. Marcus, accustomed to the corrupt pleasures of Roman high society and the sexual aggressiveness of Empress Poppaea (Claudette Colbert), is captivated by something in Mercia he has never encountered: genuine purity, selfless love, and moral conviction that no threat can break.

Marcus’s love for Mercia places him in an impossible position. Poppaea, beautiful, ruthless, and accustomed to getting what she wants, is furious at being rejected for a Christian slave. She conspires to have Mercia arrested and condemned to the arena. Marcus must choose between his position, his power, and his life on one side, and his love and newly awakened conscience on the other. DeMille builds toward the climactic arena sequences — the gladiatorial combats, the feeding of Christians to the lions, and the spectacular displays of Roman excess — with the showmanship that made him Hollywood’s supreme purveyor of spectacle.

Cast & Crew

Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Stars: Charles Laughton delivers a magnificently decadent Nero — effete, cruel, and childishly delighted by suffering — in one of the great villain performances of early sound cinema. Fredric March brings genuine emotional weight to the divided prefect. Claudette Colbert, in her infamous milk bath scene, embodies Poppaea’s dangerous seductiveness. Elissa Landi provides spiritual radiance as the doomed Mercia.

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This professionally colorized edition enhances DeMille’s lavish Roman spectacle with era-accurate hues. The opulent palace interiors, the marble columns, the golden imperial costumes, the burning city, and the bloodstained arena gain extraordinary visual magnificence through careful colour restoration. Now also available in colour.

Buy now for an instant, secure digital download with no DRM restrictions. Compatible with all devices that play MP4 files.

Historical Significance

Released in 1932, at the height of the Pre-Code era, The Sign of the Cross pushed the boundaries of screen content with scenes of violence, sexuality, and religious persecution that were shockingly frank for their time. Claudette Colbert’s milk bath became one of the most famous scenes in Pre-Code cinema. The film’s enormous commercial success confirmed DeMille as Hollywood’s master of the biblical-historical epic — a template he would continue to exploit through The Ten Commandments. Through colorization, this spectacular Pre-Code epic is preserved for modern audiences.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4
• Resolution: HD 720p
• Colorized: Yes — professionally restored frame-by-frame
• Audio: Original English mono soundtrack
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — play anywhere, keep forever
• Instant download: Yes — available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Is this a Pre-Code film?
A: Yes — made before Hollywood’s Production Code was enforced, it contains scenes of violence, sexuality, and excess that were subsequently censored when the film was re-released in 1944. This version preserves the original Pre-Code spectacle.

Q: Is Charles Laughton’s Nero really that memorable?
A: Laughton’s Nero is one of the great villain performances of classic cinema — deliciously effete, casually cruel, and radiantly entertaining. He steals every scene with his magnificent theatrical excess.

Q: How does this compare to DeMille’s other biblical epics?
A: It is more frank and shocking than his later, Production Code-era spectacles — the Pre-Code freedom allows DeMille to depict Roman decadence with a frankness that makes the film uniquely vivid among his works.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: The film is delivered as a high-quality MP4 file compatible with all modern devices and media players.

Q: Is there DRM protection?
A: No. The download is completely DRM-free — you own it outright and can play it on any device forever.

Q: How do I receive the film after purchase?
A: You receive an instant download link immediately after payment. A backup copy of the link is also sent to your email address.

Related Colorized Classics

• Seven Days in May (1964)
• Cleopatra (1934)
• Inherit the Wind (1960)
• The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)
• Julius Caesar (1953)