The Robe (1953) | A Biblical Epic Without the Epic

About this episode

The episode discusses 'The Robe', a Biblical epic film featuring Richard Burton, exploring its historical significance and fading popularity.

The Robe is a product of a bygone genre of films, the Biblical epic. Starring a young Richard Burton and adapted from a best-selling novel, it was very popular during its day but has faded from most memories. Perhaps best known in the world of Christianity, we're covering it for Holy Week. Guest Nathan Perry is back to weigh in. ___ Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetter Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/wwibpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_official X: https://x.com/WWIBpodcast Subscribe! Rate! Review! Tell a friend!

People in this episode

Guest: Nathan Perry

Topics covered

• Biblical epic
• film review
• Christianity
• classic cinema
• Richard Burton

Keywords

• The Robe
• Biblical epic
• Richard Burton
• film review
• Holy Week

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Patreon, YouTube, Letterboxd, Instagram

Books & works: The Robe

More episodes of Why Wasn't It Better?

• Fantastic Voyage (1966) | A Sci-Fi Classic We Forgot · June 10, 2026 · 1h 26m
• Airport 1975 | The First Disaster Sequel · June 3, 2026 · 1h 29m
• Pokémon the Movie 2000 | Bigger Stakes, Smaller Impact · May 27, 2026 · 1h 8m
• F1: The Movie | Spectacle Over Story · May 25, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Moonwalker | Michael Jackson's Ego Trip · May 20, 2026 · 1h 16m
• The World Is Not Enough | Pierce Brosnan's Third Outing · May 13, 2026 · 1h 35m