Lancelot and Guinevere (1963)

Director:

Cornel Wilde

Writers:

Richard Schayer (writer) and
Cornel Wilde (writer)

Release Date:

5 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

This was the loving...battling...lusty age of King Arthur...the Knights of the Round Table...the fabulous age of Camelot!

Plot Keywords:

Convent | Sword Fight | Great Britain | Camelot | Adultery

Cast

Cornel Wilde	...	Sir Lancelot
Jean Wallace	...	Guinevere
Brian Aherne	...	King Arthur
George Baker	...	Sir Gawaine
Archie Duncan	...	Sir Lamorak
Adrienne Corri	...	Lady Vivian
Michael Meacham	...	Sir Modred
Iain Gregory	...	Sir Tors
Mark Dignam	...	Merlin
Reginald Beckwith	...	Sir Dagonet
John Barrie	...	Sir Belvedere
Richard Thorp	...	Sir Gareth
Joseph Tomelty	...	Sir Kaye
Graham Stark	...	Rian
Geoffrey Dunn	...	Edrick

Also Known As:

Sword of Lancelot (USA)

Runtime:

USA:116 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:A

Filming Locations:

Divicibare, Yugoslavia

Company:

Emblem Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the main battle scene, a soldier - apparently thinking he was out of camera range - can be seen at the bottom of the screen standing with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder and smoking a cigarette.

Quotes:

Guinevere: I should have known better than to trust a Frenchman!

Movie Connections:

Version of First Knight (1995)

One of the few medieval epics scripted for an adult audience.

A good action film that is reasonably faithful to the Arthurian legends as interpreted (and sometimes actually written) by Thomas Malory in the 15th century. The addition of the "Viking Invasion" dates only to the movie itself, but provides for some good action sequences. And action is the hallmark of this movie. The battle scenes are very well done and the arms and armor (except for the Vikings' horned helmets) are reasonably authentic for the late 11th century. The individual sword fights seem like hard and deadly work----no dancing and prancing or choreographed acrobatics as in most films of this genre. Just clanging metal and men straining in their armor, with gory and graphically depicted consequences.

The film is indeed part soap opera, as is the Lancelot/Guinevere part of the Arthurian Cycle, but these interludes are done in a matter of fact, rather stark manner. This and the copious action scenes make for a fast moving, absorbing pace with little down time. The dialogue is a bit clipped and less theatrical than in most epics but this only adds to its realistic qualities.

An excellent film by a man (Cornel Wilde) very underrated as both an actor and filmmaker.