Knights of the Round Table (1953)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Thomas Malory (based on "Le Morte D'Arthur")
Talbot Jennings (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 January 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

King Arthur establishes the greatest reign England has ever seen, and along for the ride are his indispensable Knights of the Round Table...

Plot Keywords:

Lancelot | Knight | Camelot | England | King

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	Lancelot
Ava Gardner	...	Guinevere
Mel Ferrer	...	Arthur
Anne Crawford	...	Morgan Le Fay
Stanley Baker	...	Modred
Felix Aylmer	...	Merlin
Maureen Swanson	...	Elaine
Gabriel Woolf	...	Percival
Anthony Forwood	...	Gareth
Robert Urquhart	...	Gawaine
Niall MacGinnis	...	Green Knight
Ann Hanslip	...	Nan
Jill Clifford	...	Bronwyn
Stephen Vercoe	...	Agravaine

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:6 (f) | Finland:K-12 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #16742) | Sweden:Btl | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Dartmoor, Devon, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 8 seconds (quite fast for an early CinemaScope film)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A truck is visible in the background of a large battle scene.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grandma's Boy (2006)

Thorpe does chivalry a second time....

A movie filled with beautiful scenery, knights in armor, the clashing of swords, lovely damsels, and chivalry at its finest. Remind you of Camelot? It should. Adventure and romance are blended deftly in this fine retelling of Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte D'Arthur." Taylor (well-cast as Lancelot) also played the title role in "Ivanhoe", which was released a year earlier and also directed by Thorpe and scored by Rozsa. Thorpe does another excellent job as director here, and Rozsa contributes another nonpareil score that has forever marked him for the esteemed composer he is. Interestingly enough, Aylmer (who played Merlin) also played Issac of York opposite Taylor's "Ivanhoe." Not to be overlooked either are Gardner (never lovelier as Guinevere); Baker's perfect portrayal of the diabolical Mordred; and Crawford, whose chilling Morgan le Fay is very reminiscent of Milady de Winter of The Three Musketeers saga. Ferrer deserves kudos as well for bringing nobility and sensitivity to the role of Arthur. As mentioned before, the scenery is a real treat; when coupled with the music and the action, one may get the urge to strap on their armor and grab their sword! Everyone, from medieval history buffs to those who just love a good movie, should see this one. It has intrigue, adventure, and romance, but above all, it forever proves that chivalry is a virtue worth abiding by.