''Samson'' is a 1908 play by the French writer

Henri Bernstein Henri-Léon-Gustave-Charles Bernstein (20 June 1876 – 27 November 1953) was a French playwright associated with Boulevard theatre. Biography Bernstein was born in Paris. His earliest plays, including ''La Rafale'' (1905), ''Le Voleur'' (1907), ...

. It is a

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

in which a poor man rises to become a wealthy tycoon. He marries a daughter of an aristocratic family whose impoverished relatives pressure her to wed him. The marriage proves a disaster for the protagonist, as his power is destroyed. The plot and title are a reference to the story of

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

and

Delilah Delilah ( ; , meaning "delicate";Gesenius's ''Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon'' ar, دليلة, Dalīlah; grc, label=Greek, Δαλιδά, Dalidá) is a woman mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. She is loved b ...

Adaptations

The play was adapted into four film versions:Goble p.38 * ''

'', a 1915 American silent * ''

Shackles of Gold ''Shackles of Gold'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Herbert Brenon and starring William Farnum, Alfred Loring, and Marie Shotwell. It is an adaptation of the 1908 play ''Samson (play), Samson'' by Henri Bernstein with the setti ...

'', a 1922 American silent * ''

'', a 1923 Italian silent * ''

'', a 1936 French film

References

Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. '' The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999. 1908 plays French plays adapted into films {{1900s-play-stub