The Black Shield of Falworth (1954)

Director:

Rudolph Maté

Writers:

Oscar Brodney (screenplay)
Howard Pyle (novel)

Release Date:

2 September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Romance

Plot:

Technicolor & tights. In the days of King Henry IV, stalwart young Myles and his sister Meg have been raised as peasants...

Plot Keywords:

King Henry IV | Shield | Prince | Knight | King

Cast

Tony Curtis	...	Myles
Janet Leigh	...	Lady Anne
David Farrar	...	Gilbert Blunt, Earl of Alban
Barbara Rush	...	Meg
Herbert Marshall	...	William, Earl of Mackworth
Torin Thatcher	...	Sir James
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Prince Hal (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Patrick O'Neal	...	Walter Blunt
Craig Hill	...	Francis Gascoyne
Ian Keith	...	King Henry IV
Doris Lloyd	...	Dame Ellen
Rhys Williams	...	Diccon Bowman
Leonard Mudie	...	Friar Edward
Maurice Marsac	...	Count de Vermois
Leo Britt	...	Sir Robert
Charles B. Fitzsimons	...	Giles (as Charles Fitz Simons)
Gary Montgomery	...	Peter
Claud Allister	...	Sir George
Hamilton Camp	...	Roger Ingoldsby (as Robin Camp)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Cording	...	Captain of King's Guards (uncredited)
Nicolas Coster	...	Humphrey, Young Squire (uncredited)
Charles Evans	...	Lord Archbishop (uncredited)
Richard B. Fitzgerald	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Lance Fuller	...	Guard (uncredited)
Brett Halsey	...	Young Squire / Apprentice Knight (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Court Observer (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill	...	Sir Charles (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	...	First Guard (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Archbishop at Myles' Knighting (uncredited)
James Logan	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Damian O'Flynn	...	Sir Alexander (uncredited)
Reginald Sheffield	...	Lord Constable (uncredited)

Directed by
Rudolph Maté

Writing credits
Oscar Brodney		(screenplay)
Howard Pyle		(novel "Men of Iron")

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer
Melville Tucker	....	producer

Original Music by
Hans J. Salter		(uncredited)
Frank Skinner		(uncredited)
Herman Stein		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Irving Glassberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent
Edward Curtiss		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Richard H. Riedel

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Rosemary Odell

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Edward Dodds	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Curtis Havens	....	second unit director (as James C. Havens)
Tom Shaw	....	assistant director
Terence Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Joe Lapis	....	sound

Special Effects by
Fred Knoth	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Tony Curtis (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Monroe W. Burbank	....	color consultant: Technicolor

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Monroe W. Burbank	....	consultant: Technicolor (uncredited)
Adele Cannon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	fencing technical advisor (uncredited)
Louis Van der Ecker	....	special technical consultant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI) (presents) (as Universal-International)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (as Universal International)
• Eureka Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD) (DVD & Blu-ray Release)
• Atlantic Film (1965) (Austria) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• J.Arthur Rank-Film (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Universal Vault Series)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Western Electric Recording) | Mono (Perspecta Sound encoding) (optical prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #16907, General Audience) | West Germany:6 (f) | UK:U (video rating) (2008) | UK:U (tv rating)

Filming Locations:

Castle, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

This was Universal-International's first feature in CinemaScope.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the Earl of Mackworth reveals his plot to Myles, he says the lands that should have belonged to him and his sister were given to the Earl of Alban. According to English law of the day, only sons could inherit, unless there were none living. Lord Mackworth would never suggest that Meg could inherit the family's estate during Myles' lifetime.

Quotes:

Myles Falworth:[after holding a stone in his outstretched arm for a long length of time] My arm feels as if it shall fall off.
Francis Gascoyne:That's alright, you'll be allowed to use the other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

Bad accents, but great flick

To my mind, this is the best knights of olde movie ever made. Years ago it was the habit of British tv station BBC2 to have a movie on at 6pm most evenings and they were usually, either 40 & 50's westerns, historical yarns, melodramas or swashbucklers. One such film was The Black Shield of Falworth, I was a big fan of such films like The Vikings (Incidentally or co-incidentally both starred Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh) and decided to record this movie, if it was any good I'd keep it, but if not just tape over the damn thing. The movie was that good I still have it after 15/16 years. The plot is similar to Henty's Novel 'St George for England' in as much as it tells the story of a peasant boy ignorant of his noble blood for most of his upbringing. though that's where the similarities end. The American accents in a film set in medieval England are ludricrous, but the plot of the film is so engaging that you don't mind as much. Torin Thatcher gives us another scene stealing performance as the firm but fair Sir James and if it's possible, betters his performance as Humble Bellows in The Crimson Pirate. This film has everything, action, romance, subtle comedy, and an excellent music score. This is not one to miss and I can't wait to get this movie on DVD so i can give my old VHS copy a well deserved retirement.