Kirpianuscus maybe, not the best adaptation. or not the most impressive film for a generation far by the universe of Walter Scott. but one of films who could be inspired choice for the viewer looking the art and flavor and sensitivity of old times. and, maybe, this is the basic virtue of it. to be a trip. in the universe of good novel and to remind the glamour of stars from a lost time. so, Ivanhoe.

Prismark10 MGM shot Ivanhoe in Britain and gone for that old fashioned Hollywood adventure in the same vein as Errol Flynn's Robin Hood but less successfully.Baddie Prince John is scheming for the throne of England as his brother King Richard is held for ransom.It is an amiable rip roaring adventure, Walter Scott's classic story is distilled, Robert Taylor is too stiff as the Saxon knight who dislikes the Normans. Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Fontaine provide the allure as two women of different faiths that have fallen for him.George Sanders is the hissable villain, the champion knight of King John but his love for Jewish Rebecca is sincere. Guy Rolfe is having a hoot as the despicable King John.The film was made in 1952 and there is some allusion to McCarthyism.

Rueiro The first Ivanhoe I ever saw was the remake made in 1982 with Anthony Andrews and Olivia Hussey. But it was the 1952 classic that I saw some time later, during the Easter holiday, the one that took a place in my heart forever. I saw the 1982 version again a few months ago just to compare, and although it is not only more faithful to Sir Walter Scott's original but the art direction is credibly accurate on its depiction of the world of the 12th century. Those cold and dark castle interiors with bare walls always oozing damp, and the inevitable dirt in which people lived in. Nevertheless, the cleaner, innocent and colourful 1952 original is the definitive version for me. Robert Taylor is with no doubt one of the most underrated actors of all time, but although it is true that he was not a big talent he still left us a few memorable roles in which he showed he could act: "Waterloo Bridge", "Party Girl", "The Law and Joe Wade" and so. But he never was taken seriously and remained tied up to the studio system for twenty- five years (longer than any other actor in history) and also holds the record of being the lowest-paid leading actor of his era. Surely he was aware of that, and that was the reason why he always took any role he was given, whether he liked it or not. We know now that the "medieval trilogy" was something he never liked to do. After making "Ivanhoe" and hating the uncomfortable armours and chain-nail outfits he had to wear throughout most of the film, he would have been more than glad never to repeat the experience. But the enormous commercial success of the film, partly due to the actor's popularity, led the studio to make a second and then a third film. And poor old Bob had to go along with it and suffer the torments of the "iron suspenders" many more times. Ironically, as it often happens, these three films he disliked so much making and he thought would do nothing positive for his career, discovered him to a younger generation of audiences in whose memory he would remain forever. Much has been said by critics and fans of the novel as to the fact that Taylor was too old to play the title role because he was forty, while in the novel the character is in his mid-twenties. I think he is credible in the role, and acquits himself quite well in the sword fighting scenes. And he certainly passes well as the son of Finlay Currie, who then was in his seventies. A twenty-something year-old lad would have rather looked his grandson instead. The movie has everything that a cloak-and-dagger adventure lover could ask for: sword fights by the dozen, dastardly villains in impregnable castles, maidens in distress, political intrigue, treason, an exciting and tense siege to a castle, and one of the most memorable and spectacular tournament sequences in movie history. All right, you can tell that the lances look so light that they were probably made of plastic, like most of the armours, and the castle interiors are obviously studio sets. And then there is a monumental goof that always makes me smile: when Robert Taylor gets the SOS letter from King Richard in Austria at the beginning of the film, he seeks the help of a local monk to translate the letter to him because, he says, "I read no Austrian". A second later, we see the letter in a POV shot as the monk translates it for Taylor… and it is written in English! Richard Plantagenet was of French origin, and French was the language of the court, since Saxon was only spoken by the noble natives and the peasants and English as we know it today didn't exist yet. So the letter should be written in French. And besides, there is not such a thing as Austrian language; they speak German. I can't imagine how this mistake could have been made by the screenwriter and overlooked when they shot the scene. Obviously, most of audiences would never realise the error anyway. But nevertheless, it is a big one. And finally, we have Miklos Rozsa's fantastic and memorable score, which was nominated for an Academy Award and is one of the best he ever created. It is one of the things that are inevitable linked to the film, for it is spectacular, lyrical and romantic all at the same time. A true masterpiece of film music and one of the things the movie is always best remembered for. "Ivanhoe" was also nominated for Best Colour Cinematography, which eventually went to "The Quiet Man", and, most surprisingly, for Best Film. That was going a bit over the top, and had it won it would undoubtedly be one of the oddest winners in the history of the Academy Awards.

Spikeopath Out of MGM, Ivanhoe was spared no expense and became the costliest epic produced in England at the time. Though the studio millions that were tied into English banks is more telling than any sort of love for the project one feels.It's directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast features Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer. The screenplay is by Æneas MacKenzie, Marguerite Roberts, and Noel Langley who adapts from the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. The score is by Miklós Rózsa and Freddie Young is on Technicolor cinematography duties with the exterior location work at Doune Castle, Stirling, Scotland.Though the pacing is far from perfect and there's some saggy bits in the script, Ivanhoe remains arguably one of the finest and most under appreciated of MGM's historical epics. Naturally there's some differences from Scott's novel (a given in most genre pieces of this type), but Thorpe and his team come through with the material given and deliver a rousing treat.It looks tremendous courtesy of Young's lensing, where he brilliantly brings to life Roger Furse's costumes and Alfred Junge's majestic sets. Taylor (R), Fontaine and Taylor (E) look delightful, (especially Liz who can easily take you out of the movie such is her beauty here) and their romantic triangle makes for an ever watchable romantic spectacle.The action is on the money, with the attack on Front de Boeuf castle adroitly constructed (and not skimped on time wise), a jousting competition that vividly comes to life, and a Mano-Mano fight between Taylor's Ivanhoe and Sanders' De Bois-Guilbert that is grisly and adrenalin pumping in equal measure (check out the sound work here too).It's also worth acknowledging the anti-semitic part of the story, with the MGM suits thankfully deciding to not ignore this part of Scott's literary source. The three handsome lead stars are backed up superbly by a robust Williams, while the trio of villains played by Sanders, Robert Douglas and the excellent Guy Wolfe as weasel Prince John, deliver the requisite quota of boo hiss villainy.It made big money for MGM, setting records for the studio at the time. It's not hard to see why. It's a beautiful production across the board, and while it's not without faults per se, it holds up regardless as it firmly engages and stirs the blood of the historical epic loving fan. What a year 1952 was for MGM! 8/10