The Crusades (1935)

King Richard and the Third Crusade (1190-1192) are given the DeMille treatment with more spectacle than history.

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Harold Lamb (screen play), Waldemar Young (screen play)

Stars:

Loretta Young, Henry Wilcoxon, Ian Keith

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Loretta Young	...	Berengaria - Princess of Navarre
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Richard - King of England
Ian Keith	...	Saladin - Sultan of Islam
C. Aubrey Smith	...	The Hermit
Katherine DeMille	...	Alice - Princess of France (as Katherine De Mille)
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Conrad - Marquis of Montferrat
Alan Hale	...	Blondel
C. Henry Gordon	...	Philip the Second - King of France
George Barbier	...	Sancho - King of Navarre
Montagu Love	...	The Blacksmith
Ramsay Hill	...	John - Prince of England
Lumsden Hare	...	Robert - Earl of Leicester
Maurice Murphy	...	Alan - Richard's Squire
William Farnum	...	Hugo - Duke of Burgundy
Hobart Bosworth	...	Frederick - Duke of the Germans

Storyline

The Third Crusade as it didn't happen. King Richard Coeur de Lion goes on the crusade to avoid marrying Princess Alice of France; en route, he marries Berengaria to get food for his men. Berengaria.is captured by Saladin, spurring Richard to attack and capture Acre. But Saladin, attracted to her, takes her on to Jerusalem, and Richard is in danger of assassination.

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Plot Keywords:

crusades | spectacle | jerusalem | attack | medieval times | 

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Taglines:

Wonders that dazzle the imagination...the armies of Christendom redeeming the Holy Land! (original print ad)

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

In its re-release in the summer of 1948, when it played in New York City's Rivoli Theater on Broadway, some viewers noted that it was shown under lights giving the screen image a light blue tint, but it's doubtful the purpose of this effect was to hide a yellowing of the print in those pre-restoration days, as some once thought. In any event, the effect worked.

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Goofs

King William of Sicily sent ships to aid the Crusade, but did not go personally. He had died, in Sicily, before Richard (his brother-in-law) arrived in the East.

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Quotes

Berengaria, Princess of Navarre: [Resisting Richard pulling her into her father's room] Let go of my wrist! You're hurting it.
Richard, King of England: Well stop pulling then.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Cecil B. DeMille (1962)

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Soundtracks

Song of the Crusades
(1935) (uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting and Rudolph G. Kopp
Lyrics by Harold Lamb and Leo Robin
Special Choral Lyrics by Jeanie Macpherson
Performed by chorus

User Reviews

script failure

The production values of this picture are excellent. You can tell from the sets and costumes a lot of money was spent. The great weakness of this film is the script and acting technique. The script is straight 19th century maudlin melodrama. Unfortunately, the acting technique is the same. Lines are delivered in a stilted, formal manner common to the stage of an earlier era instead of the more natural technique we are accustomed to seeing in film today. The 30's was indeed a transition period in acting technique: the over wrought melodramatic technique of the silent pictures and stage in the early thirties to the natural technique finally adopted in the late 30's. Of course, the plot itself is implausibly melodramatic "love conquers all" for "world peace" kind of thing. Still, for a film student its still worth watching for the fine directing.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crusades

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1