The Crusades (1935)

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Harold Lamb (screenplay) &
Waldemar Young (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 October 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Wonders to dazzle the human imagination - in a flaming love story set in titanic world conflict!

Plot:

King Richard and the Third Crusade (1190-1192) are given the DeMille treatment with more spectacle than history.

Plot Keywords:

Crusades | France | Spectacle | Jerusalem | Attack

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Loretta Young	...	Berengaria, Princess of Navarre
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Richard, King of England
Ian Keith	...	Saladin, Sultan of Islam
C. Aubrey Smith	...	The Hermit
Katherine DeMille	...	Alice, Princess of France (as Katherine De Mille)
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Conrad, Marquis of Montferrat
Alan Hale	...	Blondel - Troubadour
C. Henry Gordon	...	Philip the Second, King of France
George Barbier	...	Sancho, King of Navarre
Montagu Love	...	The Blacksmith - Hercules
Ramsay Hill	...	John, Prince of England
Lumsden Hare	...	Robert, Earl of Leicester
Maurice Murphy	...	Alan, Richard's Squire
William Farnum	...	Hugo, Duke of Burgundy
Hobart Bosworth	...	Frederick, Duke of the Germans
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Karakush
Mischa Auer	...	Monk
Albert Conti	...	Leopold, Duke of Austria
Sven Hugo Borg	...	Sverre, the Norse King (as Sven-Hugo Borg)
Paul Sotoff	...	Michael, Prince of Russia
Fred Malatesta	...	William, King of Sicily
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski	...	Nicholas, Count of Hungary (as Hans von Twardowski)
Anna Demetrio	...	Duenna - Tina
Perry Askam	...	Soldier
Vallejo Gantner	...	Marshal of France
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adair	...	English Chamberlain (uncredited)
Richard Alexander	...	Crusading Warrior (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Amir (uncredited)
Maurice Black	...	Amir (uncredited)
Georgia Caine	...	Nun (uncredited)
John Carradine	...	Leopold of Austria (uncredited) (voice)
Harry Cording	...	Amir (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Amir (uncredited)
Edgar Dearing	...	Cart Man (uncredited)
Emma Dunn	...	Alan's Mother (uncredited)
Suzanne Emery	...	Christian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Alphonse Ethier	...	Priest (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	(uncredited)
Jean Fenwick	...	Christian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Captain of Hospitalers (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson	...	Captain of English Men-at-Arms (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Wounded Soldier (uncredited)
Gordon Griffith	...	Templar (uncredited)
Winter Hall	...	Archbishop (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Warrior (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin	...	Templar (uncredited)
George MacQuarrie	...	Captain of Templars (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Ship's Master (uncredited)
Jack Montgomery	...	Christian Cavalryman (uncredited)
Pat Moore	...	Leicester's Squire (uncredited)
J. Carrol Naish	...	Arab Slave Dealer (uncredited)
Gertrude Norman	...	(uncredited)
Gilda Oliva	...	Alice's First Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)
Robert Parrish	...	Extra (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Jason Robards Sr.	...	Amir / Slave in Saladin's Garden (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Whipping Master (uncredited)
Oscar Rudolph	...	Philip's Squire (uncredited)
Jack Rutherford	...	Knight (uncredited)
Ann Sheridan	...	Christian Slave Girl (uncredited)
Josef Swickard	...	Buyer (uncredited)
Colin Tapley	...	Stranger - Messenger (uncredited)
Guy Usher	...	Greybeard / Templar (uncredited)
Mildred Van Bueren	...	Alice's Second Lady-in-Waiting (uncredited)
Blue Washington	...	One of Saladin's Guards (uncredited)

Directed by
Cecil B. DeMille

Writing credits
Harold Lamb		(screenplay) &
Waldemar Young		(screenplay) and
Dudley Nichols		(screenplay)
Charles Brackett		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
Howard Higgin		contributor to treatment (uncredited)
Jeanie Macpherson		contributor to treatment (uncredited)

Produced by
Cecil B. DeMille	....	producer
Henry Herzbrun	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Rudolph G. Kopp		(as Rudolph Kopp)

Cinematography by
Victor Milner		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Anne Bauchens		(uncredited)

Casting by
Hollingsworth Morse		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Monte Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Hippard	....	assistant director (uncredited)
David MacDonald	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Russ Brown	....	prop storeman (uncredited)
Bob McQuellis	....	props (uncredited)
Michael D. Moore	....	props (uncredited)
George Scully	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Daniel Ulrich	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joseph E. Aiken	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Ray Cossar	....	stage engineer (uncredited)
Harry Lindgren	....	sound mixer (uncredited)
'Curley' Nelson	....	sound crew (uncredited)
Ted Powell	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Buck Walters	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Barney Wolff	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Gordon Jennings	....	technical effects
Dewey Wrigley	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Harold Goodwin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Montgomery	....	stunts (uncredited)
Spike Spackman	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lloyd Ahern	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Kenneth De Land	....	grip (uncredited)
Fred Geiger	....	set lighting foreman (uncredited)
Russell Harlan	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jack Lefferman	....	grip (uncredited)
William C. Mellor	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Lorne Netten	....	set lighting assistant (uncredited)
Guy Roe	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
William Walling	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Travis Banton	....	costume designer: Miss Young and Miss DeMille
Joe Kaplan	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Edna Shotwell	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Music Department
Herman Hand	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
W. Franke Harling	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Friedrich Hollaender	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
John Leipold	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Milan Roder	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Irvin Talbot	....	conductor (uncredited)

Other crew
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter
Emily Barrye	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Roy Burns	....	business manager (uncredited)
Jack Cooper	....	publicist (uncredited)
Bernice Hook	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Chester Seay	....	archery instructor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Productions Inc.)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1935) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (1935) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Bounty Films (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | USA:Approved (PCA #859) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Director Cecil B. DeMille used the same sets from The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935) in this film.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The scene in Marseilles showing a siege engine being moved through the town is complete fabrication. Siege engines were disassembled for easier transport, or built at the siege site.

Quotes:

Berengaria, Princess of Navarre:We've been blind. We were proud dearest when we took the cross in our pride, we fought to conquer Jerusalem. We tried to ride through blood to the Holy Place of God. And now... now we suffer.
Saladin, Sultan of Islam:The Holy City of Allah.
Berengaria, Princess of Navarre:What if we call him Allah or God? Shall men fight because they travel different roads to him? There is only one God.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983)

Soundtrack:

Hymn of Joy

Richard the Lion-Hearted--King, Crusader & Stud

Cecil B. DeMille is one of those rare directors that infuses his "historical" epics (and I realize that many may dispute that term as his films can play fast and loose with the facts) with an exhiliarating level of zest, sweep and scope as to make it riveting even to those that are history-averse. The title is a tad misleading as it isn't the entire expeditions that are spanned in the film, but rather, focuses upon the Third Crusade. However, that's understandable since a title like "The Third Crusade" doesn't have quite the impactful air of romance and drama as just "The Crusades," does it? The story takes place amongst the struggle between the Christians and Muslims for the Holy Land, when the insolent and crass King Richard the Lion-Hearted (Henry Wilcoxon) selfishly uses the conflict as an "escape hatch" from his arranged marriage with Princess Alice of France (Catherine DeMille). In an amusing scene, the wily and determined Princess, not to be outsmarted, also takes the oath to accompany him to Jerusalem. The marriage-averse Richard's scheme backfires when he must marry Berengaria, Princess of Navarre (Loretta Young), a woman he has never met and has no desire to, in order for her father to agree to provide much-needed food for his half-starving men and horses. The wedding scene in what in essence is a "name-only" arrangement, is a memorable one with a justifiably heartbroken and incensed Berengaria having to exchange her vows in a proxy marriage with Richard's sword!

Their marriage is off for a bad start, with Richard's disinterest (and even after his subsequent, superficial fascination after discovering what a gorgeous creature his bride is!) and Berengaria's loathing, but genuine, deep love for each other is awakened when she displays the courage and faith of her character, and his budding zeal and growing realization that The Crusades is not something to use for his own selfish ends, but is a cause worth believing in, fighting for, even dying for. Amidst this bloody atmosphere, further complications arise when Berengaria becomes the captive and object of desire for Saladin, the Sultan of Islam (Ian Keith) and Richard attempts to get her back, all the whilst facing assassinations and alarming casualties.

The two leads shine here: Henry Wilcoxon cuts an impressively stalwart and brash persona, bringing to life a legendary character not above human fault. His strong performance here, along with that as Marc Antony in "Cleopatra," makes one wonder why--with his virile good looks, strapping physique, solid talent and imposing presence--he never became a bona-fide star. Go figure. As for Loretta Young, she is the glue that holds the film together and while it may be an exaggeration it wouldn't be so far off to say that she's a revelation. It takes quite a woman to completely convince the audience that she could captivate 2 such larger-than-life men, mere decorative beauty, however grand, is not enough. And while Young is an ethereal, sublime vision in long flaxen wig and her exceptionally luminous and pure doe-eyed satin-skinned beauty with a hint of sensual promise in her full lips and prominent cheekbones, it is her performance that is the key--she radiates goodness and spirituality and faith without being preachy, an unflappable belief that those around her will do what is right for the Cause, so much so that she makes it irresistible to anyone with an ounce of humanity in them. Also noteworthy are Ian Keith as the honorable Saladin, C. Aubrey Smith as the inspiring Hermit, Joseph Schildkraut as the unctuously cunning Conrad, and Alan Hale as the minstrel Blondel, offering comic relief without getting hammy.