“Hayworth and Salome were meant for each other, and it doesn’t matter how much ridiculous dialogue or outrageous Hollywood plot changes one has to wade through, as long as the climactic ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’ is worth the trip. Hayworth makes it worth the trip and more; as an added bonus, she handles the rest of her characterization skillfully as well. […] The oily, unctuous, and delicious Charles Laughton and the conniving, malicious, and equally delicious Judith Anderson also make an asset out of over-the-top acting […] . William Dieterle’s direction is heavy-handed, understandable under the circumstances […]. Filled with delightfully lurid color, Salome is a fun wallow, even if it’s far from great art.” Craig Butler: Salome bei AllMovie (englisch)
“Columbia’s Salome […] is a lush conglomeration of historical pretenses and make-believe, pseudo-religious ostentation and just plain insinuated sex. […] [Rita Hayworth] is the object of all eyes. […] her moment of greatest magnificence comes when she dances for the King, in a sort of discreet striptease version of the ‘Dance of the Seven Veils’. In this latter performance, Miss Hayworth does give a lively show – more lively, at least, than the posturing that she does in the earlier parts of the film.”Bosley Crowther: ‘Salome,’ at Rivoli, Stars Rita Hayworth as Enchantress of the Biblical Story. In: The New York Times, 25. März 1953.
