Once again, it's that time of year when flowers are blooming out all over, spring rains are flooding my yard, and I'm here to talk about The Ten Commandments once again. This year, I thought I'd do something a little different for my annual post. There's so many levels to The Ten Commandments that sometimes the more esoteric facets get overlooked. Like who were some of that cast of thousands whose name did not make the credits? Here are a few people who were in the movie that you probably weren't aware of. Might be good trivia to know.
Mike Connors was listed in the credits, but as "Touch" Connors. You'll probably remember his as Mannix, the rough and tough private eye. Well, in the movie he played an Amalekite Goat Herder. You might not recognize him, as he has a full beard. He's in the scene where Moses passes out by a well where seven sisters are drawing out water for their sheep.
Another actor you might not recognize because he's not dressed as an indian chief. Frank DeKova, "Abiram" in this movie, an acquaintance of Edward G. Robinson's character, was more famously known as Chief Wild Eagle on the comedy "F-Troop."
This next actor, although you might not recognize his face, you'll surely recognize his voice. Henry Corden played one of the Sheiks of Sinai. If you'll listen closely, he sounds a lot like Fred Flintstone. That's because he did do the voice of that wacky caveman from Bedrook for a lot of years.
Another actor in the movie you might recognize by his horn playing, except that in this role, he didn't play his usual trumpet. He actually played a drum. For many years and many hits, Herb Alpert led his group The Tijuana Brass playing his trumpet. Later, he founded the successful record company A&M Records. But, in this movie, he's not playing one of those trumpeters who blast out the signal for the children of Israel to start the Exodus. He appears during the latter moments of the movie when Moses brings down the ten commandments from Mount Sinai and all the people are partying. He's the one playing the big, loud drum.
Michaell Ansara is not listed in the credits, but you might recognize him as having played a Klingon that fought with Captain Kirk and the crew while trapped on the Enterprise on the episode "Day Of The Dove."
While talking about Star Trek, one of the lesser crewmen on the Enterprise, D'Amato, was played by Arthur Batanides. Here he played an uncredited Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie.
Robert Vaughn, who played "Napoleon Solo" in The Man From Uncle, also played a Hebrew at the Golden Calf toward the end of the movie. Then he spied Moses coming and probably had to cry "uncle."
If you've seen some Disney comedy movies from the 1960s or 1970s, you probably saw Joe Flynn in them. He played a great part in The Love Bug. In The Ten Commandments, he played an uncredited bit part.
Robert Fuller, who played Dr. Kelly Brackett on "Emergency!" played another uncredited extra. I'm pretty sure the character he played wasn't in the medical field, though.
Alfred Hitchcock's daughter, Patricia (Pat), played an Egyptian court lady. No cameo by Alfred, though.
Carl Switzer, better known as "Alfalfa" from the Our Gang shorts, played another one of the multitude of slaves in the movie. Most of the characters in The Ten Commandments were slaves, in case you didn't catch that.
And also in case you didn't know it, as it went unlisted in the credits of the movie, The voice of God was played by none other than the star of the movie, Charlton Heston. His son, Fraser, also got in on the act and played the baby Moses.
Here's to another year of The Ten Commandments! And remember, "Those who shall not live by the law, shall die by law." One of my favorite lines from the movie - from the scene shown below which I took a picture of last night from the television screen:
