Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Ceticultsot Beautiful, moving film.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

cruhl32 I saw most of Alan Ladd's 1950's movies in a theatre (or drive-in) as a kid and most of his 1940's movies were being shown on TV by that time. I thought he was the handsomest man I had ever seen in my life. Just caught this one on TCM -- didn't plan to watch, but couldn't stop because it was so very awful in so many ways as many other reviewers have explained. I agree, Ladd looks rough in this one (boozing)? He didn't look as bad in many of the other movies made around this time.He was totally miscast here -- like John Wayne as Ghengis Khan in The Conqueror --- and I thought he knew it and looked embarrassed to be there. It was so obvious that all the action was stuntmen, especially when his mentor was teaching him swordsmanship. The other actor had his faceplate up exposing his face (I assume because he could handle a sword) while the stuntman playing Ladd's part had his faceplate down.I was surprised at the end to realize it had been made in England. It looked very "Hollywoodized" -- really over the top costumes and historically inaccurate. I guess I thought the Brits usually do a much better job at being historically accurate.Nonetheless, I would have loved this movie when it first came out in 1954 and I was 7 years old. I has no gore -- I only remember seeing blood when the heroine slashed the bare arm of her attacker -- very tame by today's standards. A fun family movie if you have young children.

kevin olzak 1954's "The Black Knight" marked the coming out for Peter Cushing's screen career, his top villain Sir Palamides outshining Alan Ladd's miscast hero John, serving King Mark of Cornwall (Patrick Troughton) as they perform their pagan misdeeds disguised as Vikings in trying to overthrow King Arthur (Anthony Bushell) and Christianity. In just his second feature, Harry Andrews appears all too briefly as the Earl of Yeonil, but Andre Morell shines as Sir Ontzlake, who teaches John the skills he needs to win, but to wait until they can confirm the treachery of the sly Palamides (actors Bryan Forbes and Dennis O'Keefe are credited with 'additional dialogue'). Wearing earrings, hair carefully curled, bearing a faintly Arabian accent that makes each line a cherished treasure, the bearded Cushing is a menacing, awesome sight, his blue eyes accentuated by his dark skin, certainly a match for his idol Basil Rathbone in either "The Adventures of Robin Hood" or "The Mark of Zorro." For an actor who loved Westerns and derring do, this would remain a cherished role that Christopher Lee would get to play far more often. This was only the first of six times that Cushing would be paired with Andre Morell, most memorably as Holmes and Watson in 1958's "The Hound of the Baskervilles." Like Cushing a future Dr. Who, Patrick Troughton was so prolific on television that he rarely strayed from horror on screen, working again opposite his evil cohort in both "The Gorgon" and "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell." Though best remembered as an actor (appearing with Boris Karloff in both "Five Star Final" and "The Ghoul"), Anthony Bushell later directed Christopher Lee in 1960's "The Terror of the Tongs" (previously appearing with Lee in 1957's "Bitter Victory").

scribe1270 I 1st saw this movie when I was a kid when it came on TV. I also saw it's contemporary "The Black Shield of Falworth" around the same time, and enjoyed them both. Both take some liberties with history I'm sure but they do something more important than being completely historically accurate. They entertain the viewer. It's the classic tale of the underdog who has to fight against the odds in order to have a chance of achieving what he wants set against the backdrop of the middle ages. The colors and pageantry of the film and it's musical score add to the excitement of watching to see if the hero will triumph or not. Some will claim that Alan Ladd was too short or too old for the part or some such, and I grant he's not a big action hero type like Errol Flynn for example but I think those facts add to rather than take away from his portrayal of the hero. His character of John the Blacksmith is the "everyman" who may not be the likely winner but is willing to fight for what he wants against a world that doesn't say yes easily.

wes-connors Yikes! This movie begins with a Knight riding by on a horse, singing a little ditty about Knightly daring douze. Though this film was made around the same time as "Shane", Alan Ladd looks quite different; he appears to be ill in many scenes. Since Mr. Ladd's stuntman is very energetic, he might have been a better choice to play the lead role of "John" in this film. Peter Cushing has a very deep tan, which made me wonder if, perhaps, the actors thought they were being filmed in "Black and White"? Oh well, I guess Mr. Cushing would have recognized that color cameras are different. Still, the movie has a very inexpensive look. I was so distracted by the costumes, I lost track of the plot. There is some fire, and they try to burn a man in a cage, but Mr. Ladd interferes with the burning. He also saves the woman This movie has no trouble earning a most "awful" rating. * The Black Knight (8/26/54) Tay Garnett ~ Alan Ladd, Patricia Medina, Peter Cushing