Ivanhoe (1952)

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers (WGA):

Noel Langley (screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie (adaptation)

Release Date:

31 July 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance

Plot:

In the centre of this Walter Scott classic fiction inspired film the chivalrousness and the daring stand...

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Ransom | Austria | Robin Hood | Narration

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

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
Francis De Wolff	...	Front De Boeuf (also as Francis DeWolff)
Norman Wooland	...	King Richard
Basil Sydney	...	Waldemar Fitzurse
Guy Rolfe	...	Prince John
Harold Warrender	...	Locksley
Patrick Holt	...	Philip DeMalvoisin
Roderick Lovell	...	Ralph DeVipont

Also Known As:

Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (UK) (complete title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | USA:Approved (#15505) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:Btl | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Doune Castle, Doune, Stirling, Scotland, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Released in the summer of 1952, Ivanhoe (1952)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 M-G-M film. According to Motion Picture Almanac, the film was the second highest-grossing film of 1952, taking in more than $7,000,000 at the box office.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Locksley starts his attack on the castle his men are seen swimming the moat, pulling across a floating walkway, and being attacked by crossbowmen, who in turn are fired upon by Locksley's archers. This same footage is shown again six minutes later.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "De familie Knots: Enge dingen (#1.6)" (1981)

An entertaining fairy tale come to life

I can't comment on the film as an adaption but I did find that it was quite entertaining standing alone. Some have criticized Robert Taylor for being too stiff, but I found him to be suitably formal and chivalrous. Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine both provided ample glamour and grace to their roles. They are also both very photogenic to say the least. The performance of George Sanders intrigued me the most. Though a villain, he actually became more sympathetic to me as the movie progressed. The relationship of the four major characters was what kept me interested. Although I am sure it took careful planning and execution (and a lot of extras) to stage the fight scenes, I actually thought they were quite perfunctory. Solid if not spectacular, 7/10.