The 1959 epic Solomon and Sheba turned ancient legends into a high-stakes Hollywood drama

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While the Queen of Sheba remains a mysterious figure across Jewish, Islamic, and Ethiopian traditions, the 1959 film Solomon and Sheba reimagined her as a seductive political operative. The production was as dramatic as the plot, marked by a tragic mid-filming death and a massive, last-minute recasting effort.

The Queen of Sheba is a figure of immense cultural weight. Biblical accounts describe her as a ruler from southwestern Arabia who traveled to test King Solomon’s wisdom with riddles. Islamic tradition, where she is known as Bilqīs, adds layers of legend, including tales of Solomon using jinn to trick her into revealing her legs. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian national epic, the Kebra Nagast, identifies her as Makeda and claims she bore Solomon a son, Menilek I, who founded the long-standing Solomonic dynasty.

The 1959 film directed by King Vidor takes significant liberties with these ancient narratives. In this version, the Queen is an ally of Egypt sent to undermine Solomon through seduction and pagan influence. The film’s production was famously troubled; original lead Tyrone Power died of a heart attack during a duel scene. Yul Brynner was brought in to replace him, requiring extensive reshoots of the $6 million production. Despite these efforts, the film received lukewarm reviews upon its release in December 1959.

The narrative structure of the film diverges sharply from historical and religious texts. It depicts a fictionalized love affair and a dramatic climax where Solomon uses polished shields to blind an invading Egyptian army, causing them to fall into a chasm. While the film concludes with the Queen returning home pregnant, the historical and legendary accounts remain far more varied, ranging from tales of religious conversion to complex genealogical claims that shaped the royal history of Ethiopia for centuries until 1974.

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