Another work of classic literature comes to the screen in Richard Thorpe’s 1952 version of Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, an abridged yet faithful rendition of the gallant tale of knights, fair damsels, and a kingdom torn apart by civil war.
The Production: 4/5
Another work of classic literature comes to the screen in Richard Thorpe’s 1952 version of Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe, an abridged yet faithful rendition of the gallant tale of knights, fair damsels, and a kingdom torn apart by civil war. Though Robert Taylor’s Americanized rendition of the title character sometimes seems oddly situated among the very British cast and environs that surround him, there’s no denying that the film is adventure-filled with some spurts of romance and lots of action set pieces.
With his adored King Richard (Norman Wooland) imprisoned in Austria with an outrageous ransom required for his release while his evil brother John (Guy Rolfe) sits on the throne selling his loyalty to the Normans, loyal Saxon knight Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) sets out to find someone who can pay the ransom. Ivanhoe’s estranged father Cedric (Finlay Currie) won’t aid him, but the Jewish leader Isaac (Felix Aylmer) will raise the necessary funds hoping the Jews will be given a fairer shake in an England under Richard’s rule. In the meantime, Ivanhoe and his Saxon compatriots including Robin of Loxley (Harold Warrender) and his loyal band must fight the dastardly Normans at every turn, led by the treacherous De Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders) and his right-hand man Sir Hugh De Bracy (Robert Douglas). To gain an upper hand, De Bois-Guilbert isn’t above kidnapping two fair damsels with special ties to Ivanhoe: his betrothed-from-childhood Lady Rowena (Joan Fontaine) and Issac’s comely daughter Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor) who on more than one occasion has come to Ivanhoe’s rescue.
The adaptation of Sir Walter Scott’s hefty novel by Noel Langley and Aeneas MacKenzie eliminates many characters and subplots but retains the gist of the story. And the screenwriters and director Richard Thorpe treat us to the kind of old-fashioned chivalric epic we had become accustomed to after 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood with lots of gallantry and gorgeous Technicolor. Thus, we have jousting tournaments with some adept horsemanship, a lengthy sequence where the Norman castle is stormed by the Saxons with thousands of arrows fired and many boulders launched in counterpoint and then the resultant swordplay (not always staged adroitly by journeyman director Thorpe for us to get the most out of the lives saved and lost: the lovable character played by Emlyn Williams isn’t given his due during this extended sequence), and the climactic close-quarter faceoff between Ivanhoe and De Bois-Guilbert. King Richard’s triumphant procession also adds something of an anticlimax to the proceedings as handled by Thorpe; possibly a more urgent ride-to-glory might have added even greater suspense to the too-close-to-call battle to the death between our hero and villain.
In his favor, Robert Taylor’s Ivanhoe isn’t made a Superman nor is he the expert swordsman that either Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power was in the many swashbucklers each man made: he’s sometimes bested in combat and occasionally requires assistance or luck to supersede some of his challenges. Cinematographer Freddie Young has photographed both Joan Fontaine and (especially) Elizabeth Taylor to great advantage, and each lady plays her role with earnest devotion and conviction despite the overly familiar love quadrangle (De Bois-Guilbert loves Rebecca who loves Ivanhoe who loves Rowena) that sits at the heart of the tale. As always, George Sanders makes for an oily, calculating villain, and Guy Rolfe as the weasel-like King John matches him sneer for sneer. Both Finlay Currie and Felix Aylmer make for stalwart family patriarchs while Emlyn Williams delightfully steals all of his scenes as jester-turned-squire Wamba. Also acquitting themselves admirably are Robert Douglas as Sir Hugh De Bracy, Francis DeWolff as the evil Front De Boeuf, and Harold Warrender and Sebastian Cabot as Robin and Little John, though those aren’t the names they’re given in this story.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The film’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.37:1 is admirably retained in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Polished up to perfection and cleaned of all age-related anomalies, the Oscar-nominated Technicolor camerawork of Freddie Young is seen to excellent advantage here with skin tones possessing an especially pleasing appearance. The movie has been divided into 27 chapters.
Audio: 5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono sound mix is aces all around. The dialogue has been smoothly recorded and has been mixed with Miklos Rozsa’s magnificent Oscar-nominated background score and the rousing sound effects to produce a full, rich sound palette. There are no problems at all with age-related distractions like hiss, crackle, pops, or flutter.
Special Features: 2/5
Two Mouseketeers (7:24, HD): 1951 Oscar-winning animated short with Tom and Jerry.
Theatrical Trailer (4:04, HD)
Overall: 4/5
Nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award, Richard Thorpe’s Ivanhoe is an adventure-packed romantic entertainment of the old school with top stars, expensive production design, and an engaging narrative. The Warner Archive Blu-ray release offers the film unquestionably in its best-ever home video incarnation and comes with a firm recommendation for lovers of classic Hollywood.
Ivanhoe
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Matt has been reviewing films and television professionally since 1974 and has been a member of Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2007, his reviews now numbering close to three thousand. During those years, he has also been a junior and senior high school English teacher earning numerous entries into Who’s Who Among America’s Educators and spent many years treading the community theater boards as an actor in everything from Agatha Christie mysteries to Stephen Sondheim musicals.
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