"RCE" wrote in message

..... do you remember a movie made years ago (I must have been in my teens
when I saw it) in which there is a scene with (apparently) Arab soldiers
standing at attention and a gigatic, curved blade about 30 feet high behind
them? I think the blade was called the "Iron Maiden". Maybe that was also
the name of the movie. Anyway, to prove their committment to a non-Arab
visitor, the commander of the group of soldiers walked down the ranks,
stopped in front of one soldier and asked if he believed in Allah. The
soldier gulped, glanced at the Iron Maiden and nodded his agreement. He
was then led up a ladder to the top of the blade, knelt down and fell
forward, riding the blade edge to his death.

It still gives me the willeys when I think about it.

I remember that, too, and with the willies also. It was a very B grade yarn
called "The Tall Ships", starring Richard Widmark. The device was called
"the Mare of Steel".