Knights of the Round Table (1953)

King Arthur's rule is threatened by the adulterous love between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, a relationship the king's enemies hope to exploit.

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Talbot Jennings (screen play), Jan Lustig (screen play)

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

King Arthur establishes the greatest reign England has ever seen, and along for the ride are his indispensable Knights of the Round Table, particularly Sir Lancelot. Then, Arthur finds himself a bride, the beautiful Guenivere. While she loves Arthur, she also loves Lancelot and though Lancelot repeatedly fights it, he loves her, too. Treachery is brewing as the evil Morgan le Fay and her knight Sir Modred work to trap them. So begins the decline and eventual fall of Arthur and Camelot.

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Plot Keywords:

king arthur | lancelot | king | knight | queen | 

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Taglines:

All the glory and splendor of King Arthur's court

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

First MGM film to be shot in CinemaScope.

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Goofs

It is unlikely that so many of the knights would wear purple because of the cost of procuring purple dye before the discovery of mauve in the 19th century.

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Quotes

Percival: The cup. The cup!

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Connections

Version of Camelot (1967)

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Soundtracks

A Lady White
(uncredited)
Music by Clifton Parker

User Reviews

Somewhat dispirited costume epic with uneasy leads...

Sir Thomas Malory's traditional tales of King Arthur and Lancelot are made even more commercially palatable with this costumed version from the British arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The narrative has become so basic (and dull), presumably for mass consumption, that all we have left to respond to is the ornate production. Robert Taylor's Lancelot devotes himself to being Guinevere's champion (not that her husband--Mel Ferrer's vacuous King Arthur--would notice!), but Taylor seems to have wandered in from another picture; his diction is thudding and his hangdog face never brightens, not even in the presence of a ravishing Ava Gardner as Guinevere (who doesn't so much flirt with Lancelot as she does beam and glow with silent affection). The overlong film is a sumptuous spread, and there's plenty of action, but the episodes fail to come together as a whole and the sound recording (Oscar nominated!) is barely adequate. Consequently, the legendary characters rarely come to life. ** from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

15 January 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Knights of the Round Table

Filming Locations:

Luttrellstown Estate, Co Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$2,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1