"Epic" films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200s and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Cecil B. DeMille, a master of the genre, hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions.

The 355 film entries include casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. There are 190 photographs in this editon.