Ivanhoe (1952)

In the interest of narrowing my many choices, I usually avoid movies with IMDb overall ratings less than 7, barring unusual circumstances like a vacation. Adaptations from classic literature are an exception. This version seemed like the best way to get the gist of the story in less than 2 hours, tho I read up on key divergences. Besides, it did well at the box office and garnered some Academy Award nominations.

In 1194, Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) has discovered that the missing King Richard (aptly named Norman Wooland) is being held for ransom. Rather than taking the prison by storm, Ivanhoe runs around seeking money from people who prefer him to regent Prince John (Guy Rolfe). During this endeavor, he re-encounters his crush, Rowena (Joan Fontaine), and two John-aligned nemeses from the Crusades, Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and de Bracy (Robert Douglas). In surprisingly large roles, both financially and plotwise, are a pair of Jews: patriarch Isaac (Felix Aylmer) and his daughter, Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor, no relation to Robert), the latter earning the jealous eye of Rowena and the lustful eye of Bois-Guilbert.

As you may have guessed, Robin Hood (Harold Warrender) figures into the story -- in a supporting role yet again -- albeit identified only as "Loxley." I'm not surprised the studio wanted to cast Errol Flynn, this time as Ivanhoe instead, but at 43, I guess his The Adventures of Robin Hood days were over. Then again, R. Taylor was 40, whereas the literary Ivanhoe was supposed to be under 30.

Like in TAoRH, there is a lot of talk of enmity between Saxons and Normans. On that basis, Ivanhoe's dad (Finlay Currie) even disowns him for supporting Richard. But John is apparently more of a tyrant to Saxons. And while the persecuted Jewish community hasn't seen much difference between them, they hope that aiding in Richard's release will inspire him to treat them better.

The film maintains a rather good pace to keep up our interest. Naturally, it has a little more focus on action scenes than the tome/book trilogy. I'm afraid Flynn would not have settled for what passes for swordplay herein, particularly with the lame bendy props. Fortunately, the heroes and villains use a variety of weapons and strategies, often to better visual effect. When's the last time you saw a protagonist choose an ax when he could have taken a sword?

E. Taylor thought herself miscast, favoring a repeat of the pairing of R. Taylor and Deborah Kerr that she saw in Quo Vadis. Me, I was satisfied. I think E. Taylor looked a little more Jewish anyway, and there's no need to defend multiple characters finding her stunning. I just half-wished that Rebecca could have won Ivanhoe, partly for less predictability and partly for a rare type of cinematic victory. But that would have messed with the source material a little too much, and realistically, Rowena could expect a more secure relationship with him anyway.

I won't claim that watching this film is a sufficient substitute for reading Sir Walter Scott's masterpiece. It simplifies and deviates a fair deal, to the point that it hardly feels like a book adaptation. As epics go, it's nothing special. But you should get the fun you came for.