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The War Lord (1965)

Approved | | Drama , History | 17 November 1965 (USA)
The War Lord Poster
In 11th century Normandy, a Norman duke sends one of his knights to build a defensive fortress in order to guard the borders against Frisian raiders.

Director:

Franklin J. Schaffner (as Franklin Schaffner)

Writers:

John Collier (screenplay), Millard Kaufman (screenplay) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlton Heston ... Chrysagon
Richard Boone ... Bors
Rosemary Forsyth ... Bronwyn
Maurice Evans ... Priest
Guy Stockwell ... Draco
Niall MacGinnis ... Odins
James Farentino ... Marc
Henry Wilcoxon ... Frisian Prince
Sammy Ross Sammy Ross ... Volc
Woodrow Parfrey ... Piet
John Alderson John Alderson ... Holbracht
Allen Jaffe ... Tybald
Michael Conrad ... Rainault
Dal Jenkins Dal Jenkins ... Dirck
Johnny Jensen Johnny Jensen ... Boy Prince
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

A knight in the service of a duke goes to a coastal villiage where an earlier attempt to build a defensive castle has failed. He begins to rebuild the duke's authority in the face of the barbarians at the border and is making progress until he falls in love with one of the local women. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

warlord | epic | 11th century | sword and shield | norman | See All (54) »

Taglines:

He Battled Two Empires For The Love Of One Woman. See more »

Genres:

Drama | History

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1965 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

O Senhor da Guerra See more »

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Court Productions,Fraser Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The original theater release prints had 'Richard Boone' reciting a poem over the procession before the end credits began. This scene was removed from the prints and replaced with an almost identical scene with no recitation. See more »

Goofs

When Draco returns with reinforcements, he deploys a catapult to take down the siege tower, but it would not be transported on the march like modern artillery. It would be packed as a kit with preformed metal parts, nails, ropes, etc. and then built on site with locally harvested lumber, which means it would not be ready for action right away. See more »

Quotes

Priest: Will help come soon from Ghent?
Chrysagon: Help? Aye, if the Duke wills, it'll come, soon or late.
Priest: But... but will it be in time?
Bors: Hah! Lookee, Priest. If they rise early, move fast, and find us alive... then it will be in time.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Bowling for Columbine (2002) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
This is the role Charlton Heston was born to play.
19 August 2004 | by lloyd7202003 – See all my reviews

If you're under 20 years of age this flick is going to look a little strange to you. There are no super-women wielding swords in battle, very little profanity, and the only sex is in PG form. Made in 1965, The Warlord is an accusing yet romantic look at medieval Europe. It's no Disney movie, but you could still take the whole family to see it.

The cast is first rate. Forget El Cid. This is the role Charlton Heston was born to play. You can pretty much say that about all the great actors in this story, most of whom are gone now. Richard Boone, Guy Stockwell, Maurice Evans, Michael Conrad,...but thank heaven we have them all assembled here in this exciting yarn about the middle ages. There's plenty of action, romance, and even a little comic relief. Men will enjoy the kick-butt sword fights, (Heston kicks one guy in the groin actually,--crude but effective). Ladies should enjoy the romance if they can remember that this is happening in the year 1060, long before the women's movement. The hero Chrysagon fights two empires for the love of one woman, says the promo. Even in 1965 that was enough for most women. The peasant girl Bronwyn, played by Rosemary Forsyth, has scores of men killing each other over her, although quite unintentionally.

Other good ingredients: a rousing and romantic musical score, and some well-done outdoor photography of Chrysagon's tower fortress and the battle scenes.

All in all, this is a great movie to watch on some Saturday afternoon. It will take you away from your problems for a while to a time and place long ago. And since medieval Europe really stank, it will make today's world look pretty good to you again.
55 of 62 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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