Knights of the Round Table (film)

Infobox Film | name = Knights of the Round Table


caption = Cinema poster showing Robert Taylor and Ava Gardner | director = Richard Thorpe
producer = Pandro S. Berman
writer = Sir Thomas Malory (book)
Talbot Jennings
Noel Langley
Jan Lustig | |starring =Robert Taylor
Ava Gardner
Mel Ferrer
Stanley Baker
Anne Crawford
Felix Aylmer
music = Miklós Rózsa
cinematography = Stephen Dade
Freddie Young
Made in = Cinemascope
editing = Frank Clarke
distributor = MGM
released = 15 January 1954
runtime = 115 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0045966

"Knights of the Round Table" is a 1954 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. The cast included Robert Taylor as Sir Lancelot, Ava Gardner as Queen Guinevere, Mel Ferrer as King Arthur, Stanley Baker as Modred, Anne Crawford as Morgan Le Fay, Felix Aylmer as Merlin and uncredited appearances by Laurence Harvey and Dana Wynter.

Plot

King Arthur establishes the greatest reign England has ever seen through peace and prosperity, and along for the ride are his indispensable Knights of the Round Table, particularly Sir Lancelot. Then, Arthur finds himself a bride, the beautiful Guenivere. While she loves Arthur, she also loves Lancelot and though Lancelot repeatedly fights it, he loves her, too. Treachery is brewing as the evil Morgan le Fay and her knight Sir Modred work to trap them. So begins the decline and eventual fall of Arthur and Camelot. At the end, Arthur, and therefore England, fall in battle against Mordred and his men. Lancelot and Mordred then enter an epic fight, resulting in Mordred's death. Lancelot goes back to the hall of the round table where Parcifal sees the Holy Grail.

Awards and nominations

"Knights of the Round Table" was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color, Sound recording. It was also nominated for the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival.

External links

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