Knights of the Round Table (1953)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

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:

Lancelot | Knight | Camelot | England | King

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:

USA

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:

Stanley Baker was cast at very short notice after the actor had to be replaced.

Goofs:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grandma's Boy (2006)

A stirring tale of knights, chivalry, and the days of the Round Table in the time of King Arthur is brought to the screen with full pomp and pageantry.

The legend of King Arthur has been told, and retold, by movie makers several times. This may have been one of the first tellings, using Technicolor coupled with Cinemascope and drawing heavily upon the pageantry of the days of chivalry and knighthood in England. The story is simple, relating the coming of the throne of his country by Arthur Pendragon, and his attempts to establish justice and peace in the war-torn, divided land he called England. His efforts are to no avail, as there is simply too much greed and distrust among the small kingdoms of the country to allow the rule of one person, but this film has some fun in the citing of the Arthurian legend.

The cast members for 1953 read like a star-studded list from MGM. Mel Ferrer portrays King Arthur, with the lovely Ava Gardner as his queen, Guinevere. Stanley Baker plays the villain in the piece, Mordred, a knight sworn to capture the throne for himself, even if it destroys the unity of England. Playing the role of the greatest knight member of the Round Table, Lancelot, was Robert Taylor, who seemed to relish the sense of justice, decency, and moral standards as no one else of the time seemed willing to do.

"Knights of the Round Table" is meant to be viewed as an enjoyable touch with the past and the days gone by. Worth a view or two.