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MovieMail's Review
With action, romance, courtly intrigue, and starring a magnificent cast of Holywood greats - including Janet Leigh as a comely maiden - Barney Kelley finds Prince Valiant irresistible.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. In 1954, as in 2010, the big blockbuster was adapted from a comic strip (in Prince Valiant's case, Hal Foster's popular newspaper serial) and used the promise of new technology – Cinemascope and 'the wonder of stereophonic sound' – as a key selling point, just like today's 3-D boom (although, as the marvellous original trailer stresses, you see this film 'without special glasses'). And be in no doubt – Prince Valiant is crammed with sufficient sword fighting, jousts and sundry spectacles to satisfy today's thrill seekers as much as it did their grandparents.
It's set in Arthurian times; our titular hero is the son of the Viking King Aguar, who's been kicked off his throne by a usurper and booted into exile, hiding from his enemies. When Aguar discovers that the usurper is close to finding out where he and his family are, he dispatches his son Valiant (Robert Wagner, sporting one of the more plausible candidates for the title 'worst wig in movie history') to Camelot and the court of King Arthur.
Valiant not only becomes squire to goodly Sir Gawain (Sterling Hayden) but also starts a-wooing comely maiden Janet Leigh. But there is mischief afoot – a mysterious Black Knight is plotting to betray Valiant and his father, then elbow King Arthur aside and seize England for himself.
It scarcely needs to be said that in the capable hands of seasoned showman Henry Hathaway it is a most glorious display of pageantry, sparing no expense to get the audience stirred up: the trailer actually promises the proverbial 'cast of thousands' and, just for once, it's possible to believe that's more than just marketing hype.
It's such good rough and tumble fun that one can easily forgive its deficiencies (anyone who takes longer than about thirty seconds to guess the identity of the supposedly mysterious Black Knight has no business watching movies). Prince Valiant is quintessential Hollywood adventure; indeed, chances are that it's a lot more entertaining and worthwhile than most of the blockbusters clogging your nearest multiplex.
Classic Saturday matinee adventure in which young Prince Valiant travels to Camelot to become a squire for Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur's legendary knights, unaware that the traitor that sold his father King Aguar to the pagan rival King Sligon is already seated at the Round Table.
Features thrilling action, romance, courtly intrigue, a rousing score from Franz Waxman, and a magnificent cast of Hollywood greats including James Mason, Janet Leigh, Robert Wagner, Debra Paget, Sterling Hayden and Victor McLaglen.
Coming up as fresh as paint in this splendid Blu-ray transfer, this lively romp (based on Hal Foster's classic comic strip) features Robert Wagner (the least interesti... more >
Coming up as fresh as paint in this splendid Blu-ray transfer, this lively romp (based on Hal Foster's classic comic strip) features Robert Wagner (the least interesting element in the film) as youthful Prince Valiant, travelling to Camelot to become a squire for Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur's knights - not knowing that he will find people at court who seek his death. The varied pleasures here come from Hathaway's lively direction of the action, a fabulous supporting cast (notably a villainous James Mason) and, best of all, Franz Waxman's dramatic and colourful orchestral score, one of the finest to come out of Hollywood. < less
