Knights of the Round Table (1953)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Thomas Malory (based on "Le Morte D'Arthur")
Talbot Jennings (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 January 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Plot:

King Arthur establishes the greatest reign England has ever seen, and along for the ride are his indispensable Knights of the Round Table...

Plot Keywords:

Infidelity | Lancelot | King | Betrayal | Arthurian Legend

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

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

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:6 (f) | Finland:K-12 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #16742) | Sweden:Btl | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Dartmoor, Devon, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British Studios

Trivia:

The first film in CinemaScope which was not produced by 20th Century-Fox.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A truck is visible in the background of a large battle scene.

Movie Connections:

Version of Lancelot and Guinevere (1963)

Entertaining Kinight's Story

This approach to King Arthur's legend is pure adventure and color. It has good battle scenes, interesting sword duels, a good cast, acceptable settings and wide open outdoor shootings, elaborated costumes and armors (if you don't look for historical accuracy, since those full metal armors appeared about five centuries later), intrigue, romance and the classical final duel hero-villain; but some flaws too.

I think the picture is too long; in fact its start and ending have rhythm and are entertaining but it sort of bumps in the middle part and becomes kind of slow (a 10/15 minutes cut would have probably made it better). Lancelot's horse "Berick" is too smart even for a legend and somehow he saves the day at the end which is not very believable.

The cast is alright. Robert Taylor (Sir Lancelot) renders an acceptable performance as the loyal knight pretty much as he had done recently in "Ivanhoe" (1952). Mel Ferrer, if not brilliant, gives some dignity to his role as king Arthur. Ava Gardner shows her undeniable beauty as Queen Gwinevere who falls in love with the wrong man. Stanley Baker (Sir Mordred) plays a credible and treacherous villain. Felix Aylmer is there too as Merlin.

You could even say that "Knights of the Round Table" has aged rather well, but perhaps it has because later and even recent films on the same subject didn't come out well such us "First Knight" and "King Arthur" among others.