The War Lord (1965)

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)

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth

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	...	Volc
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Piet
John Alderson	...	Holbracht
Allen Jaffe	...	Tybald
Michael Conrad	...	Rainault
Dal Jenkins	...	Dirck
Johnny Jensen	...	Boy Prince

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.

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Plot Keywords:

warlord | epic | 11th century | sword and shield | norman | 

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Taglines:

Towering Above All Adventures of the Flesh, the Sword and the Soul!

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 November 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Senhor da Guerra

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Court Productions, Fraser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several reviewers at the time commented that Richard Boone and James Farentino were miscast--Boone seemed more like a cowboy in a western and, even though he was supposed to be a French peasant, Farentino coudn't shake his Brooklyn accent.

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Goofs

The War Lord's hawk is a Harpy Eagle, a species recognizable by its dark eyes and crested head. However, Harpy Eagles are from South America, a continent unknown and unreachable for European people in the Middle Age. So, it's impossible for a Middle Age, European Lord to own a bird that comes from South America.

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Quotes

Draco: Did I say it was a turning world?

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Connections

Referenced in American Grindhouse (2010)

User Reviews

Definitely an under-rated flick !

I was a little kid seeing this in the theatres for the first time and I remember that before the credits ran Heston and Forsyth did a little introductory summary about the middle ages speaking directly to the audience. I can't remember exactly, but I think they also addressed the issue of the violence in the movie - which by today's standards is pretty mellow. It seems to me they talked about it as adding credibility to the film in terms of historical content. When does that happen anymore? I don't know if it's included in the DVD but it would be cool. I also think Franklin Shaffner was a wonderful director. No slop. No unnecessary scenes. And as good as Heston is, the performance that blew me away was given by Guy Stockwell. Oh my god. How was his brother Dean more visible in the industry? I don't know. And of course Richard Boone was terrific - especially in his last tender scene comforting Heston - the son he never had. I usually hesitate watching movies that I saw as a child because I don't want to lose the special feeling they gave me as a child, but this one certainly retains the romanticism and excitement found in a few other movies such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Samson and Delilah, and Demetrius and the Gladiators. Definitely an "A".