Quentin Durward - Movie Review 12

Hello all over the Modelling World !
Hi guys,

there is the last Review of Knight Movie with Robert Taylor. I love the film, because in this historic drama is so much fun and joke. I hope you enjoy.

The Adventures of Quentin Durward, known also as Quentin Durward, is a 1955 historical film released by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The screenplay was by Robert Ardrey, adapted by George Froeschel from the novel Quentin Durward by Sir Walter Scott.
The film was the third in an unofficial trilogy made by the same director and producer and starring Robert Taylor. The first two were Ivanhoe (1952) and Knights of the Round Table (1953). All three were made at MGM's British Studios at Elstree, near London. The film had the distinction of a soundtrack composed by studio music mainstay Bronislau Kaper rather than Miklos Rozsa, who was busy on other projects at the time the film was ready for scoring.
The film was the first big-budget film for the English comedienne Kay Kendall, and it featured a large contingent of distinguished British players, including Robert Morley.

Plot

In 1465, honorable but penniless Scottish knight Quentin Durward (Robert Taylor) agrees to go to France to find out if the beautiful young heiress, Isabelle, Countess of Marcroy (Kay Kendall), would be a suitable wife for his aged uncle (that is, if she is as rich as is claimed). The marriage has been arranged by Charles, Duke of Burgundy (Alec Clunes) for his ward to cement an alliance with Scotland, but she wants nothing to do with it, so she runs away and seeks the protection of Charles' great rival, Louis XI (Robert Morley), the King of France. Quentin pursues and manages to foil an attempted robbery by brigands under the command of Count William de La Marck (Duncan Lamont), though Isabelle continues on her way unaware of her protector's identity.
Nearing the court of King Louis, Quentin tries, but fails, to save the life of a gypsy. However, the dead man's brother, Hayraddin (George Cole), is grateful for his efforts. Louis, who had ordered the man's hanging as a Burgundian spy, and distrusts such honest men as Quentin, orders him to leave France. However, the Scotsman is not easily deterred. He sneaks into the heavily guarded castle and awakens the king in his bed with a dagger at his throat. Louis is impressed and enlists Quentin in his service.
Upon the unexpected arrival of Count Phillip de Creville (Marius Goring), a Burgundian ambassador seeking Isabelle, Louis orders Quentin to guard her and to keep her presence secret. During the time they spend together, she and Quentin begin to fall in love.
Having lied about Isabelle being there, Louis commands her to depart. She tells him that she will seek sanctuary with an old friend, the Bishop of Liege (Harcourt Williams). Louis concocts a plan to have De la Marck kidnap and forcibly marry Isabelle to keep her strategically important lands out of Burgundian hands. He has Hayraddin, who is a spy in his employ, take the information and a large bribe to De la Marck. Louis provides Isabelle with a detailed itinerary (the better for De la Marck to find her). He also lends her a few guards, including Quentin, so that when they are killed, it will divert any suspicion away from him. Hayraddin is also sent as a guide. However, when he discovers that Quentin is to be one of the victims, he switches sides and warns the Scotsman. The three manage to escape the trap and reach Liège, though Quentin is wounded.
When he has recovered, he finally tells Isabelle of his obligation to his uncle, which prevents him from courting her himself, and leaves. De la Marck attacks the castle, captures Isabelle, and kills the bishop when he refuses to marry them. Hearing the sounds of battle, Quentin rescues his love. He slays De la Marck in an unusual duel involving swinging from ropes normally used to ring the church bells.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Burgundy arrests Louis when he comes to continue peace negotiations, accusing him of orchestrating the murder of the bishop. However, Quentin arrives and exonerates the king, providing as proof De la Marck's severed head. Out of gratitude (and in France's best interests), Louis tricks Charles into letting Isabelle decide who she will marry. Quentin has received news that his uncle has died, so he is free to follow his heart.


So, thats all on Movie Monday. Nexttime i will go back to victorian England. We speak about the new bbc series Ripper Street.

 

 

Cheerio!

Gordon aka Andreas

Knights of the Round Table - Movie Review 11

Hello Guys,

hope you are all well all over the world. So i will start with the next movie monday review. My first dream was "the red knight" with the lion....Lancelot du Lac, Son of King Ban of Benwick. I love the movie colourful and amazing.

 

Knights of the Round Table is a 1953 Cinemascope historical film made by MGM. Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman, it was the first film in Cinemascope made by that studio. The screenplay was by Talbot Jennings, Jan Lustig and Noel Langley from the book Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory.

 

The film was the second in an unofficial trilogy made by the same director and producer and starring Robert Taylor, coming between Ivanhoe (1952) and The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955). All three were made at MGM's British Studios at Elstree, near London and partly filmed on location. The cast included Robert Taylor as Sir Lancelot, Ava Gardner as Queen Guinevere, Mel Ferrer as King Arthur, Stanley Baker as Mordred, Anne Crawford as Morgan Le Fay, Felix Aylmer as Merlin.

 

The Story:

 

With the land in anarchy, warring overlords, Arthur Pendragon (Mel Ferrer) and his half-sister Morgan LeFay (Anne Crawford) meet as arranged by the sorcerer Merlin (Felix Aylmer) to discuss how to end the bloodshed. Morgan maintains that as she is the only legitimate offspring of the late king, the throne belongs to her, but Merlin puts the adversaries to a test to determine England's rightful ruler. Merlin leads them to Excalbur, a sword embedded in an anvil, and says that according to legend, whoever can remove the sword shall be England's true sovereign. Morgan's knight champion Mordred (Stanley Baker) tries in vain to extract the sword, but Arthur removes it easily. Mordred accuses Merlin of witchcraft, and a hearing is arranged with the Council of Kings at the circle of the stone. After advising Arthur that he must prove himself worthy of the throne by his deeds, Merlin instructs him to return the sword to the stone.



Lancelot and Guinevere



Meanwhile, the French knight Lancelot (Robert Taylor) and his men ride toward the circle of stone, hoping to offer their services to Arthur. On the road, Lancelot encounters a young woman named Elaine (Maureen Swanson), who quickly falls in love with him. They are waylaid by Mordred's men, and Lancelot bravely does battle with all of them. Arthur arrives and joins in the battle. Lancelot, claiming he needed no help, challenges Arthur, unaware of his identity. After a long, exhausting fight, Lancelot finally asks his opponent's name, and when he learns that it is Arthur, he breaks his sword against a tree and kneels before him. They are joined by Elaine's brother Percival (Gabriel Woolf), who asks to be Arthur's knight errant.

Later, at the circle of stone, Arthur and Mordred debate before the Council of Kings. When the crowd turns against Arthur and Lancelot, they are forced to flee, vowing to take the kingdom on the battlefield. Arthur and his men lie low throughout the cruel winter, then launch their attack against Mordred's men in the spring. Despite being greatly outnumbered, Arthur's men win and he is crowned the King of England. In the interest of peace, Arthur immediately pardons all his former enemies, but when Lancelot objects to Mordred's pardon, the two men angrily part ways.

Following the battle, Lancelot discovers that the lovely Guinevere (Ava Gardner) has been kidnapped and rescues her, unaware that she is Arthur's fiancee. Following Arthur and Guinevere's wedding, the king's joy is complete when Lancelot arrives at Camelot and pledges his allegiance anew. Arthur swears to join the select group of knights at the Round Table and England enjoys a period of peace and prosperity. One day, Percival brings Elaine to court and asks Guinevere to make her a lady-in-waiting.

Meanwhile, Morgan and Mordred continue to harbor ill feelings against Arthur, and note with interest the growing warmth between Lancelot and Guinevere. Merlin privately warns Guinevere that Mordred will attempt to show her suspicion and love of Lancelot. Because of this, Guinevere tells Lancelot she knows of his secret love for her and urges him to marry Elaine. Lancelot proposes to Elaine and asks Arthur to let him go to fight the Picts on the Scottish borders.

One night, Lancelot and Elaine are visited by Percival, who relates how a heavenly vision instructed him to go on a quest for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper.

Mordred calls a meeting of Arthur's enemies in Scotland and urges them to make peace so that Lancelot will be forced to return to Camelot, where he will eventually be exposed as Guinevere's lover. Word of peace reaches Arthur at Camelot at the same time that Lancelot's infant son Galahad, whose mother died in childbirth, is brought to court with instructions that he be sent to Lancelot's father. Sensing a plot, Merlin argues against bringing Lancelot back to Camelot, but Morgan poisons him, and the knight returns amid great fanfare.

Late one night, jealous after seeing Lancelot kiss another woman, Guinevere goes to his rooms, unaware that is being spied on by Morgan and Mordred. Lancelot angrily denounces Guinevere's folly in coming to him, and Mordred's men soon arrive to arrest them for high treason. Lancelot fights them off and flees with Guinevere.

Lancelot and Guinevere are tried in absentia at the Round Table and declared guilty. Lancelot suddenly walks in and surrenders, and when he confesses his chaste love for Guinevere, Arthur revokes their death sentence. Over Mordred's protest, Arthur orders that Guinevere be confined and banishes Lancelot from England.

Outraged at this show of mercy, Mordred succeeds in turning the other knights against Arthur, and civil war returns to the land. Arthur meets with Mordred and agrees to his terms for ending the war, which include disbanding the Round Table. When one of Arthur's men draws his sword to kill a snake, however, the battle cry is sounded.

Arthur is mortally wounded, and Lancelot returns from exile to be at his side. With his dying breath, Arthur commands Lancelot to destroy Mordred and give Guinevere his love and forgiveness. Pausing only to hurl Excalibur into a lake, Lancelot calls on Guinevere at the convent and conveys Arthur's message, then kills Mordred after a fierce battle.

Lancelot then meets Percival at the Round Table and weeps, blaming himself for the noble fellowship's demise. After Percival receives another holy vision of the Grail, he hears a divine voice telling him that Lancelot's son Galahad will be a worthy knight, and that Lancelot is forgiven and will now know peace.

 

I have the text from wikipedia. But i can´t do it better then this. I hope you enjoy. Have good week.

Greetings, Gordon

Ivanhoe - Movie Review 10

Hello my friends,

on this movie monday, i want to start talking about the old knight movies, and beginn with "Ivanhoe" from Walter Scott. The movie with Robert and Elizabeth Taylor is amazing. He is the middle of three movies from early middle age till the late middle age of the earth history from the year 1952.

The film was the first in what turned out to be an unofficial trilogy made by the same director and producer and starring Robert Taylor. The others were Knights of the Round Table (1953) and The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955). All three were made at MGM's British Studios at Elstree, near London.

The Story

Richard the Lionheard (Norman Wooland), King of England, vanishes while returning from the Crusades. One of his knights, the Saxon Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor), searches tirelessly for him, finally finding him being held for ransom by Leopold of Austria for the enormous sum of 150,000 marks of silver. Richard’s treacherous brother, Prince John (Guy Rolfe), knows about it, but enjoys ruling in his absence.

Ivanhoe returns to England, to the house of his estranged father, Cedric (Finlay Currie), to be reunited with his love and Cedric’s ward, the Lady Rowena (Joan Fontaine), and to beg his father’s help in raising the ransom. Cedric refuses to help a Norman king and orders his son to leave. Wamba (Emlyn Williams), Cedric’s court jester, begs to go with Ivanhoe and is made his squire.

Two separate parties of travellers arrive and are granted Cedric’s hospitality: a Jew, Isaac of York (Felix Aylmer), and Norman knights Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and Sir Hugh de Bracy (Robert Douglas), and their entourage. That night, two of the Normans try to rob Isaac, but are foiled by Ivanhoe. Not feeling safe, Isaac decides to return to his home in Sheffield; Ivanhoe offers to escort him there.

When they reach Isaac’s home, Ivanhoe secures his help raising the ransom in return for better treatment for the Jews once Richard returns. Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor), Isaac’s daughter, visits Ivanhoe secretly in the night to reward him for rescuing her father; she gives him jewels to purchase arms and a horse for an important upcoming joust. She falls in love with him, despite the great social gulf between them,in that Jews are not allowed to marry Gentiles.

Nearly everyone of note is at the tournament, including Prince John. Norman knights loyal to him defeat all comers. Just when it seems that they are victorious, a mysterious new Saxon knight appears, arrayed all in black, with white trim, his face hidden behind his visor. He does not give his name, but challenges all five Norman champions. He easily defeats the first three, Malvoisin, Ralph, and Front de Boeuf (Francis de Wolff), one after the other, and also wins the fourth bout against de Bracy, but is seriously wounded in the shoulder. He is soon identified by many as Ivanhoe. When Ivanhoe salutes Rebecca after his first victory, Bois-Guilbert is immediately smitten by her beauty. In the last joust against Bois-Guilbert, the weakened Ivanhoe falls from his horse. He is carried off, to be tended to by Rebecca.

Fearing Prince John’s wrath, the Saxons depart; Ivanhoe is taken to the woods under the protection of Robin Hood (Harold Warrender). The rest make for the city of York, but are captured and taken to the castle of Front de Boeuf. When Ivanhoe hears the news, he gives himself up, in exchange for his father’s freedom. However, the Normans go back on their word and keep them both. Robin Hood’s men then storm the castle, freeing most of the captives. In the fighting, de Boeuf drives Wamba to his death in a burning part of the castle and is slain in turn by Ivanhoe. Bois-Guilbert alone escapes, by using Rebecca as a shield, while de Bracy is defeated and captured by Ivanhoe after attempting to do the same with Rowena.

Meanwhile, the enormous ransom is finally collected, but the Jews face a cruel choice: free either Richard or Rebecca, for Prince John has set the price of her life at 100,000 marks, the Jews’ contribution. Isaac chooses Richard. Ivanhoe entrusts the ransom delivery to Cedric, but promises Isaac that he will rescue Rebecca.

John has her condemned to be burned at the stake as a witch, but Ivanhoe appears and challenges the verdict, invoking the right to “wager of battle,” which cannot be denied. Prince John chooses the conflicted Bois-Guilbert as his champion. The Norman makes a last desperate plea to Rebecca: in return for her love, he is willing to forfeit the duel, though he would be forever disgraced as a knight. She refuses, saying “We are all in God’s hands, sir knight.”

In the battle to the death, presided over by Malvoisin, Ivanhoe fights with an axe and Bois-Guilbert a mace and chain. For most of the battle, Bois-Guilbert has the upper edge, but in the end Ivanhoe prevails, mortally wounding Bois-Guilbert. As he lies dying, Bois-Guilbert reaffirms to Rebecca that he is the one who loves her, not Ivanhoe. Rebecca accepts that Ivanhoe’s heart has always belonged to Rowena, and Richard and his knights (with Cedric as an escort) return to reclaim his throne from his usurping brother.


I think a good movie for this time in the year. Nextweek we talk about the other two Knights of the Round Table and Quentin Durward.

Regards,
Gordon

Young Winston - Movie Review 9

Simon Ward

Hello my dear Friends ! And once again, a movie that I think is very good. Young Winston. The life of Winston Churchill in the pre WWII era.
Once again, Simon Ward, you will often encounter him in my movie reviews.

The very humorous manner of presentation is fun and gives a glimpse of the late Victorian era. The clichés and class differences.

Young Winston is a 1972 British film based on the early years of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The film was based on the book My Early Life: A Roving Commission by Winston Churchill. The first part of the film covers Churchill's unhappy schooldays, up to the death of his father. The second half covers his service as a cavalry officer in India and the Sudan, during which he takes part in the cavalry charge at Omdurman, his experiences as a war correspondent in the Second Boer War, during which he is captured and escapes, and his election to Parliament at the age of 26.

Churchill was played by Simon Ward, who was relatively unknown at the time but was supported by a distinguished cast including Robert Shaw (as Lord Randolph Churchill), John Mills (as Lord Kitchener), Anthony Hopkins (as David Lloyd George) and Anne Bancroft as Churchill's mother Jennie. Other actors included Patrick Magee, Robert Hardy, Ian Holm, Edward Woodward and Jack Hawkins.



Antony Hopkins

Robert Shaw

The film was written and produced by Carl Foreman and directed by Richard Attenborough. It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction (Donald M. Ashton, Geoffrey Drake, John Graysmark, William Hutchinson, Peter James) and Best Costume Design.^[3]



Have an nice Week. Enjoy.

Gordon

 

North West Police - Movie Review 8

Hi guys...it is Movie Monday !

The last of the three Movies about the "Canadians" i want to review is North West Mounted Police, an 1940 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll.

 The STORY:

Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers (Gary Cooper) is sent to Canada during the 1880s in pursuit of outlaw Jacques Corbeau (George Bancroft), arriving in the midst of the Riel Rebellion. Dusty meets nurse April Logan (Madeleine Carroll) and quickly falls in love with her. However, she is already involved with Canadian Mountie Sergeant Jim Britt (Preston Foster). Dusty and April have become involved with one another, which becomes evident to Jim, to whom April wishes to remain loyal.
Meanwhile, April's brother, Ronnie Logan (Robert Preston), who also is a Mountie, is in love with Corbeau's daughter, Louvette (Paulette Goddard). Louvette loves Ronnie intensely and is determined to protect Ronnie in the coming fight at all costs, using Ronnie's feelings for her father's benefit at times.
Corbeau is eventually tracked down to his hideout. When the showdown between Dusty, the Mounties, and the supporters of Corbeau finally arrives, Louvette tricks Ronnie, and ties him to a chair to keep him safe, after he had given her information vital to the Mounties' planned attack on the outlaws. Ronnie is unable to warn his fellow Mounties and Rivers that they are riding into a trap. The lawmen are ambushed and think Ronnie is a deserter. Dusty Rivers helps to turn the tide of the battle and Sergeant Jim arrests Corbeau. Rivers tracks down Ronnie at Louvette's hideout and convinces him to turn himself in, however, he is killed in a case of mistaken identity.
Afterwards, Dusty Rivers is set to return to Texas, but first gives April and Jim his blessing.


That was canada in british times. Nextweek i will show you "Young Winston".
 In memoriam of Simon Ward.


Greetings,
Gordon



The Canadians - Movie Review 7

Hi guys,

there he his....the Movie Monday. The next movie I review is "Here come the Canadians" from 1961.
It shows us the hard life of the mounted Police in Canada in the time, when the US deals all with the Cavalry. I am very impressed about the courage and bravery of this little troop in this big country ...

The Story:

After the Battle of Little Big Horn, 6000 Indians of the Sioux tribe flee under their chief Four Horns to Canada, where they are, however, sought after crossing the border quickly Inspector William Gannon, who is one of the North West Mounted, in their camp. His offer: The Indians are allowed to stay in Canada if they submit to the laws of the country in which they agree. When the rancher Frank Boone from Montana and three of his employees on a quest for stolen horses on one of the related Indian villages encounter, they massacred the inhabitants as horse thieves and kidnap a white squaw who does not speak with them.

The Mounties feared an uprising of the Indians and take Boone and his men into custody; they claim they have wanted to save only the woman;

The Indians want the four Americans; Gannon insisting on compliance with the law. On the way to court, he learns of the woman that she had been kidnapped as a child by Indians. Her half-blood child had been killed in the attack. The Americans managed to escape, again with the woman hostage. As in the pursuit by the Mounties a gunfight breaks out, they will be shot, which saves Gannon life. On the top of the cliffs, the bandits hit the Sioux that trigger a stampede, and so driving Boone and his men over the cliffs to their deaths. No signal was given on the part of the Sioux, which thus wahrten the law. The Mounties return to their headquarters.

I hope you enjoy. Have an nice monday.
Gordon



Nexttime we see: North West Mounted Police....

North West Mounted Police