Camelot (1967)

Director:

Joshua Logan

Writers:

Alan Jay Lerner (play)
Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 October 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

The Most Beautiful Love Story Ever!

Plot:

The story of the marriage of England's King Arthur to Guinevere is played out amid the pagentry of Camelot...

Plot Keywords:

Knight | Camelot | King Arthur | Marriage | Adultery

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Richard Harris	...	King Arthur
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Guenevere
Franco Nero	...	Lancelot Du Lac
David Hemmings	...	Mordred
Lionel Jeffries	...	King Pellinore
Laurence Naismith	...	Merlyn
Pierre Olaf	...	Dap
Estelle Winwood	...	Lady Clarinda
Gary Marshal	...	Sir Lionel
Anthony Rogers	...	Sir Dinadan
Peter Bromilow	...	Sir Sagramore
Sue Casey	...	Lady Sybil
Gary Marsh	...	Tom of Warwick
Nicolas Beauvy	...	King Arthur as a Boy

Runtime:

179 min | Canada:175 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Australia:G | Canada:G

Filming Locations:

Alcázar de Segovia, Segovia, Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Trivia:

Franco Nero was cast because he had the right look to play Lancelot.

Goofs:

Continuity: The size of the flame changes heights between shots after Guenevere lights a matchstick while laying down in bed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
A Knight: The rules of battle are not for Lancelot Du Lac, Your Majesty! Let us attack now while they sleep!
King Arthur: [firmly] We will attack when I give the command - at dawn.
[the knight leaves, and Arthur begins to talk to himself]
King Arthur: Oh, Merlyn, Merlyn, why is Ginny in that castle, behind walls I cannot enter? How did I blunder into this agonizing absurdity? Where did I stumble? How did I go wrong? Should I not have loved her?
[sighs]
King Arthur: Then I should not have been born! Oh, Merlyn, I haven't got much time. Within an inch of sunlight, the arrows begin to fly. If I am to die in battle, please, please do not let me die bewildered!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Spaghetti West (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

If Ever I Would Leave You

Music good, dramatics better.

It seems that this film version is dreadful compared to the play, but I never saw the play, so perhaps that was a good thing. I liked the movie, and perhaps I wouldn't have had I seen the play. Well, yeah, Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero aren't the world's greatest singers, and in their hands the songs aren't especially memorable, but they're still pretty good songs. What really made the movie good was the power of the dramatic scenes, however. Harris is in top form in these, and Redgrave is quite good, too. Nero isn't nearly as good, but, oh, well. It appears that the play went more for comedy, but the film is helped by playing up the drama, because it's so well-done. You really do feel for these people as they're torn apart by their love for each other. Watching Harris realizing that his wife and best friend love each other, and watching Redgrave cry at the thought of never seeing them again is pretty affecting. Redgrave also makes it clear that even though she saves the passion for Lancelot, she still loves Arthur, which is nice to know. The dramatics the best part of the film. So perhaps the film wasn't as good as the play, but it's still not too bad in its own right.