Ivanhoe (1952)

In the centre of this Walter Scott classic fiction inspired film the chivalrousness and the daring stand. Ivanhoe, the disowned knight join to the bravehearted and high-minded Robin Hood, ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Noel Langley (screenplay), Æneas MacKenzie (adaptation),

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Taylor	...	Ivanhoe
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Rebecca
Joan Fontaine	...	Rowena
George Sanders	...	De Bois-Guilbert
Emlyn Williams	...	Wamba
Robert Douglas	...	Sir Hugh De Bracy
Finlay Currie	...	Cedric
Felix Aylmer	...	Isaac of York
Francis De Wolff	...	Front De Boeuf (as Francis DeWolff)
Norman Wooland	...	King Richard
Basil Sydney	...	Waldemar Fitzurse
Harold Warrender	...	Locksley
Patrick Holt	...	Philip DeMalvoisin
Roderick Lovell	...	Ralph DeVipont
Sebastian Cabot	...	Clerk of Copmanhurst

Storyline

In the centre of this Walter Scott classic fiction inspired film the chivalrousness and the daring stand. Ivanhoe, the disowned knight join to the bravehearted and high-minded Robin Hood, the valiant of Forest Sherwood. They want King Richard to rule the kingdom instead of evil Prince John.

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Plot Keywords:

knight | robin hood | austria | ransom | inn | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ivanhoe - Der schwarze Ritter

Filming Locations:

Doune Castle, Doune, Stirling, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$3,842,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scriptwriter Marguerite Roberts was a member of the American Communist Party and in 1951 she was ordered to appear before the House of Un-American Activities Committee. Roberts and her husband John Sanford refused to name fellow members of the party and were both blacklisted. MGM received permission from the SWG (Screen Writer's Guild) to remove Roberts' name from the film after she refused to testify before HUAC.

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Goofs

The opening credits feature a coat of arms of England supported on the dexter by a lion and an unicorn on the sinister. The unicorn from the arms of Scotland did not appear as a supporter of the arms of England until 1603, when the kingdoms of England and Scotland were united under King James I of England and VI of Scotland.

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Quotes

Sir Cedric: Delayed? How so?
Wamba: Well, when I heard Normans were approaching I ran to lock up my wife. But, she'd also heard they were approaching, and locked me up instead.

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Connections

Referenced in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

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Soundtracks

"The Song of Ivanhoe"
(1952) (uncredited)
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics by Marguerite Roberts
Sung by Robert Taylor and Norman Wooland

User Reviews

Extremely Freely Adapted Script;First Rate Production

To anyone who has read the original story,the departures are almost overwhelmingly evident.Where do we start? 1.)Richard has already been freed from captivity;there is no need to raise a ransom for him. 2.)Ivanhoe didn't visit him in Austria,and isn't trying to raise the dough. 3.)There are no encounters/attempted reconciliations between Ivanhoe and Cedric prior to the castle being stormed. 4.)Ivanhoe and Rebecca don't meet quite so early in the original. 5.)Wamba spends almost all of his time in Cedric's entourage;besides,he isn't killed during the battle. 6.)Gurth,Athelstane,and Ulrica,all important characters,don't appear. 7.)The Saxons are captured,not as part of an attempt to abduct Ivanhoe,but,rather,so that De Bracy can attempt to seduce Rowena. 8.)The castle is attacked by Locksley and the Black Knight;Ivanhoe is comatose during the battle. 9.)Ivanhoe and Cedric are reconciled on the request of King Richard. 10.)Rebecca's intended execution is planned by the Grand Master,who fears a loss of his own power and prestige;in the film,it's a blackmail attempt on the part of Prince John to extort the loot from Isaac. This points being considered,this is still a pretty good film.Perhaps the changes were made in an attempt to:1.)portray Ivanhoe as a much more active and proactive character;and 2.)introduce a 1950s subtext into the film(Cold War perceptions of political conspiracies,injustice,and Jews who are patriotic and loyal to their ruler.) The production values-costumes,make-up,props,sets,etc.,are what we would expect from an MGM epic of the 50s.And the players,for the most part,were the best ones that the company could provide.I do feel that Robert Taylor was too old and hard-looking to play a youthful knight,but he was the best that they had.I never really saw Sanders as a physically robust villain,but he does show the character's depth and torment.Cedric,Isaac,Rowena,Rebecca,De Bracy,and Front-De-Bouef are all well-portrayed.And Guy Rolfe,as Prince John,is so despicable,detestable,and dripping with evil and slimy menace,as to be a joy(?)to behold.Take this film on it's own merits,and enjoy.