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

Released in the summer of 1952, Ivanhoe was MGM's highest grossing film for the year and one of the top four moneymakers of 1952, grossing over $6.2 million. The film had taken in $1,310,590 at the box office in thirty-nine days of limited release, setting a record for an MGM film. According to the Motion Picture Almanac, the film was the second highest-grossing film of 1952, taking in more than $7,000,000 at the box office.

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Goofs

During the fire at the castle where Ivanhoe and his father and Squire are held captive, one of the soldiers runs to the fight and you can see his sword wobble and shake because it is made of rubber.

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Quotes

Wamba: A gentleman at last, and my first task is to steal a horse!

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Connections

Referenced in Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story (1995)

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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

Myth, Legends, and Pomp of the High Middle Ages

The difficulty with bringing a piece of revered literature to the big screen has more to do with pleasing the fans of the work than in making a pleasing movie. Those who hold Walter Scott's classic "Ivanhoe" in high esteem will deem any adaptation to a largely visual medium unworthy no matter how much care and devotion are given to visualizing the original source.

This version of "Ivanhoe" holds up well and remains one of the more realistic films dealing with the myth, legends, and pomp of the High Middle Ages. The pictorial representation of Judaism at a time of wide-spread persecution of that religion throughout Europe by Christians who continually used the Jews as scapegoats was noble indeed for 1952, the height of the McCarthy witch hunts. The audience of the day undoubtedly overlooked this point when Rebecca is accused of witchcraft in order to insure conformity and stifle opposition to Prince John's tyrannical rule of England in King Richard's absence.

From a historical perspective, this film is about as accurate as any of the numerous Robin Hood tales prevalent at the time in the movies and on TV. Ivanhoe's father is correct when he remarks that Richard would be no better than John as far as the Saxons were concerned. Both Richard and John were ineffectual rulers. Prince John (later King John) has received a bad press as a result of the lionization of Richard the Lionheart. At least John stayed home and attempted to rule England; whereas, Richard was always traipsing about Europe and the Near East on a Crusade or leading his knights in battle mainly for personal gain. His ransom as a result of falling into the hands of the Germans was costly for his realm. Neither Richard or John was the skilled administrator their father, Henry II, proved to be, one of England's greatest monarchs. Neither inherited the diplomatic skills of their mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the great women leaders in western civilization.

The division between the Saxons and Normans as a result of the Norman invasion of 1066 is at the crux of the story, Ivanhoe being Saxon, the royal family being Norman, descended from William the Conqueror. Nothing is said about those who lived on the British Isles before either the Saxons or the Normans, the Celts first, then the conquering Romans.

A highlight of "Ivanhoe" is the jousting tournament, leading to rivalry between Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) and Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders), a rivalry that extends to winning the hand and heart of Rebecca. The alluring nineteen-year-old Elizabeth Taylor who portrays Rebecca is at the peak of her beauty and loveliness. George Sanders and Robert Taylor were much older than Elizabeth at the time. Taylor was uncomfortable making love, even on celluloid, to one so young, especially since he recalled her as a child in the early days of his movie career.

The brilliant Technicolor cinematography is bewitching even by today's standards. Adding to the eye-catching color are the action scenes, especially toward the end of the movie. The besieging of the castle is directed with élan by Richard Thorpe, who learned his trade well from directing action packed B films.

The acting is top notch throughout with Guy Rolfe as the loathsome Prince John stealing every scene he's in. The weakest is Emlyn Williams who plays Wamba (a chattel who becomes Ivanhoe's Squire). Wamba apparently is supposed to supply comic relief and is given some good lines by the writers, but Williams tends to overplay the part to the extent that at times the character becomes an obnoxious loudmouth.