Edmund Purdom was cursed to star in two films that were as wooden as the Trojan Horse. The Egyptian and this, The Prodigal,were designed to get the movie theaters seats filled with a public who could and are still,see the the same plot lines in the comfort of their living room/bedrooms. Sex,slaughter,and sanctity in competent hands has delivered both real and imaginary thrills to audiences since Joshua stomped Jericho flat. Unfortunately this film doesn't have enough of either. The Egyptian had the excuse of actually attempting to add more depth to the characters but other than Victor Mature's one on one with a lion and a massacre of Aton worshippers at the end there are no mass action scenes. The Prodigal has a semi sequel feel to it Purdom plays the rube in the city instead of the cynical doctor, Audrey Dalton is the good girl in Jean Simmons' place and Lana Turner gets to play all three bad girls in the Egyptian. And Joseph Wiseman does a turn as a Ustinov type character. If Jerry Doesn't have fat midget Lesbian wrestlers from Mars on then this a substitute