Ivanhoe

Before me kneels a nation divided - rise as one man, and that one, for England!

Out of MGM, Ivanhoe was spared no expense and became the costliest epic produced in England at the time - though the studio millions that were tied into English banks is more telling than any sort of love for the project one feels...

It's directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The cast features Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Emlyn Williams, Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer. The screenplay is by Æneas MacKenzie, Marguerite Roberts, and Noel Langley who adapts from the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. The score is by Miklós Rózsa and Freddie Young is on Technicolor cinematography duties with the exterio...

This is a super action-adventure tale about a chivalrous knight battling Norman injustice as he strives to find and restore King Richard I to the English throne. Robert Taylor leads what can safely be described as an all-star cast with Elizabeth Taylor; Joan Fontaine and George Sanders delivering gentle and solid performances. Sir Felix Aylmer stands out too as "Isaac", the Jewish banker who attempts to help "Sir Ivanhoe" raise the huge sum to ransom the King and Finlay Currie is suitably theatrical as "Sir Cedric". The writing is a bit wooden at times but the action scenes, and there are plenty, are all good fun to watch.