Prince Valiant (1997)

Director:

Anthony Hickox

Writers (WGA):

Hal Foster (comic strip)
Michael Frost Beckner (story)
(more)

Release Date:

24 July 1997 (Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

He who holds the sword, rules the world.

Plot:

In a time now lost in the mists of memory, the great King Arthur rules in the legendary citadel that is Camelot...

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Prince | Sword | King | Camelot

US TV Schedule:

Mon. June 4

1:30 PM

MAX

Cast

Stephen Moyer	...	Prince Valiant
Katherine Heigl	...	Princess Ilene
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Thagnar
Edward Fox	...	King Arthur
Udo Kier	...	Sligon
Joanna Lumley	...	Morgan Le Fey
Ron Perlman	...	Boltar
Warwick Davis	...	Pechet
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	King Thane
Ben Pullen	...	Prince Arn
Walter Gotell	...	Erik the Old
Anthony Hickox	...	Prince Gawain
Zach Galligan	...	Sir Kay
Hamish Campbell-Robertson	...	Sir Ector
Marcus Schenkenberg	...	Tiny
Chesney Hawkes	...	Stable Boy
Peri Callimanopulos	...	Sir Galahad
Matthew Downes	...	Sir Gador
Guy Farley	...	Sir Pelleas
Eddie Hocking	...	Sir Griflet
Ian Kessner	...	Sir Giles
Christian Thornley	...	Sir Mador
James Von Claer	...	Sir Tristram
Adrian Deadman	...	Blade
Richard Francis	...	Thumper
Carl Austin	...	Thumper #2
Kirsten Hartwig	...	Flame
Francois Patrick Le Hoang	...	Claw
Danny Moriarty	...	Driller
Hans Dieter Wenzel	...	Chromeheart
Brendan Garst	...	Serf Henry
Kenny Kahn	...	Jousting Referee
Mal Lloyd	...	Sergeant Rollins
Karen Mayo-Chandler	...	Matron (as Karen Mayo Chandler)
Jason McCameron	...	Guard
George Morris	...	Barn Guard
Ralph Remstedt	...	Thule Guard
Julie Anne Rhodes	...	Tavern Woman
Lana Nanolina	...	Monday
Elli Dogmeaz	...	Tuesday
Annette Wutich	...	Wednesday
Afzala Bibi	...	Friday
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jodie Kidd	...	Lady of the Lake (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Hickox

Writing credits (WGA)
Hal Foster		(comic strip) (as Harold R. Foster)
Michael Frost Beckner		(story)
Michael Frost Beckner		(screenplay) and
Anthony Hickox		(screenplay) &
Carsten H.W. Lorenz		(screenplay) (as Carsten Lorenz)

Produced by
Bernd Eichinger	....	executive producer
James Gorman	....	executive producer (as Jim Gorman)
Reinhard Klooss	....	associate producer
Robert Kulzer	....	co-executive producer
Carsten H.W. Lorenz	....	producer (as Carsten Lorenz)
Martin Moszkowicz	....	co-executive producer
Tom Rosenberg	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Bergeaud

Cinematography by
Roger Lanser		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Alexander Berner

Casting by
Lee Ann Groff

Production Design by
Crispian Sallis

Art Direction by
Sarah Horton

Set Decoration by
Bernhard Henrich
Sonja Klaus

Costume Design by
Lindy Hemming

Makeup Department
Duncan Jarman	....	prosthetic makeup artist
Justin Pitkethly	....	creature effects technician
Petra Schaumann	....	makeup artist
Suzanne Stokes-Munton	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Karsten Brünig	....	production manager: Germany
Ray Freeborn	....	production manager
Udo Happel	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sali Penrhyn Davies	....	second second assistant director
Paul Martin	....	first assistant director
Guy Tannahill	....	first assistant director: second unit
Andrew Wood	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Holger Delfs	....	prop maker
Kevin Farrell	....	illustrator
Kevin Farrell	....	storyboard artist
Michael Fechner	....	property master: Germany
Dierk Grahlow	....	assistant construction manager
Tony Graysmark	....	construction manager
Andy Grogan	....	production buyer
Axel Kahnt	....	property master
Robert Krüger	....	scenic artist
Marcus Schmidt	....	swing gang key
Torsten Schwartz	....	lead plasterer
Tom Still	....	set designer
Berndt Wenzel	....	plasterer
Sebastian Wurm	....	art department assistant

Sound Department
Manfred Arbter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dominik Bollen	....	dialog editor
Rodney Glenn	....	supervising sound editor
John Hughes	....	boom operator
Oswald Schwander	....	second sound editor
Frank Serafine	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Gary Cohen	....	special effects technician
Paul Knowles	....	special effects technician
Steve Knowles	....	special effects technician
Michael Luppino	....	special effects technician
Uli Nefzer	....	special effects supervisor
Bernd Rautenberg	....	special effects technician
Hans Seck	....	special effects technician
Bernd Wildau	....	special effects technician
Ian Wingrove	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Adrian Banton	....	digital effects supervisor: Image Animation
Bob Keen	....	visual effects supervisor
Lutz Lemke	....	title sequence designer/animator
Kevin Phelan	....	scanning and recording producer: CFC London

Stunts
Rene Schobes	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Brooke Smith	....	first assistant camera: zoe unit
Mark Funnell	....	electrician
Wolfgang Jahnke	....	still photographer
Rupert Lloyd-Parry	....	crane grip
Ian Murray	....	rigger
Chris Plevin	....	camera operator
Ronald Schwarz	....	best boy electric
David Wall	....	electrician
Leander Ward	....	assistant camera

Animation Department
Steve Austin	....	animator
Anthony Dalton	....	animation background artist
Lloyd Ellis	....	animator
Roger Fletcher	....	animator
Malgoschia Levittoux	....	animation background artist
Barrie Parker	....	animator
Das Petrou	....	animation layout artist
Das Petrou	....	animation storyboard artist
Nick Roberts	....	animation layout artist
Brian Stevens	....	animation layout artist
Brian Stevens	....	animation producer
Jack Stokes	....	animation director
Jack Stokes	....	animation layout artist
Jack Stokes	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Grace	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Giles Gardner	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bruce Burchmore	....	musician
Johnny Caruso	....	music editor
Peter Fuchs	....	music recording engineer

Transportation Department
Thomas Lauterkorn	....	driver
Clive Miles	....	transportation manager

Other crew
David Ayres	....	second continuity
Gabriela Bacher	....	production executive
Jon Baker	....	armorer
Volker Beyer	....	controller
Volker Beyer	....	project controller
Angela Bond	....	assistant to producer
Richard Bonehill	....	sword master
Roberta Brown	....	swordplay coach
Claudia Davids	....	assistant production accountant
Brendan Garst	....	assistant: Mr. Hickox
Paul Vernon Lydiate	....	crowd coordinator
Boris Mang	....	production assistant
Paul Martin	....	production associate
Eva Neufahrt	....	accountant
Karl Objartel	....	set manager
Gabi Scheiger	....	production coordinator: Germany
Samantha Timmerman	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Constantin Film Produktion
• Babelsberg Film (collaboration)
• Celtridge (co-production)
• Hearst Entertainment Productions (in association with)
• Legacy Film Productions (co-production)

Distributors

• Constantin Film (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Aurum Producciones (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Cine Plus Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• SPO (2003) (Japan) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (199?) (Germany) (VHS)

Special Effects

• FB-FX (armour)

Other Companies

• ARRI Lighting Rental  light equipment
• Perseverance Records  soundtrack album (promo)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for medieval action violence

Runtime:

91 min | Japan:97 min | Philippines:92 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Philippines:G | Iceland:10 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Llechwedd Slate Mine, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

Company:

Constantin Film Produktion

Trivia:

Walter Gotell's last film.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Lady Ilene is first introduced into the harem, they tell her that she's Thursday. She says, "That's today," but her mouth says, "That's tomorrow."

Quotes:

Prince Valiant:He told them I was valiant, and that became my name.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Prince Valiant (1954)

Soundtrack:

What We Are Waiting For

At last, a Valiant who's not a bumbling fool.

I liked the panoramic artwork which is very like the painstakingly done quarter of a quarter broadsheet spread frames of the syndicated Sunday comics supplements of the '50s. The special effect used to make those artworks seem to melt into reality is awesome. This is rarely, if ever, done now because of economies of print production and advertising. That, by the way is one of the reasons, the cartoonist responsible for the hugely popular Calvin and Hobbes, quit making the offbeat funny series.

The Valiant here is a very competent knight unlike the one portrayed by Robert Wagner in the 1954 film who was nothing short of a bumbling fool who managed to have accidents just when he seemed to be getting the upper hand (e.g. losing his hold on a cliff as he was espying the traitorous transactions of the Black Knight with Norse marauders). Only the superb acting of James Mason as the villainous Black Knight made that older version interesting.

The fight scenes in this Prince Valiant were well executed. Kudos to the arms master for the handsome suits of armor and weapons.

The actress who portrayed Princess Ilene is stunning.