m35541

Did anyone catch this on C5 over the weekend. It's amazingly bad, even for this type of film.

Pint sized Alan Ladd (many camera shots taken from over somebody else's shoulder made him out to be taller than the person he was talking to) gives an appallling bad performances as a humble blacksmith who saves King Arthur's realm from evil saracens disguised as vikings who appear to be in league with druids (!). For most of his performance he has a bared chest and is sporting a huge medallion.

The film looked as if it had been shot around stock footage for another movie (filmed in Spain (?) since the battle scenes certainly weren't taking place anywhere near England) and was full of continuity errors, mismatched shots, and a large number of clear views of the face of Mr Ladd's stunt double. Peter Cushing was the baddie blacked up as a saracen. A bizarre druid sacrifice ritual sequence two thirds of the way through seemed to come out of nowhere - Patricia Medina was replaced as a sacrificial victim by a stunt man with a blonde wig for several shots.

Haven't laughed so much unintentionally in a long time.

julian_craster

Of interest for collectors of WARWICK films. .....

There is another one, FIRE DOWN BELOW (1957)
Fire Down Below (1957) - Full cast and crew

on BBC2 next Saturday lunchtime, with producer Albert R. Broccoli in a rare acting role [as a drug smuggler - was he an Equity member ? ........] and the wonderful Anthony Newley as 'Miguel' !

earlb

If I remember correctly, there is a tracking shot with men on horseback and in the distance you can see a London Transport bus going along a lane.

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

wideboy

I enjoyed the capsule review of this in the Sunday Times TV listings:

A banished young swordmaker seeks vengeance. A bit blunt.