The Scarlet Blade

Last updated

The Scarlet Blade
The Scarlet Blade FilmPoster.jpeg
Poster with the US title
Directed by John Gilling
Screenplay byJohn Gilling
Produced by Anthony Nelson Keys
Starring Lionel Jeffries
Oliver Reed
Jack Hedley
June Thorburn
Cinematography Jack Asher
Edited byJohn Dunsford
Music byGary Hughes
Production
companies
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • 28 July 1963 (1963-07-28)
  • UK (UK)
  • 22 March 1964 (1964-03-22)
  • US (US)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Scarlet Blade (released in the United States as The Crimson Blade, but with the dialogue unchanged) is a 1963 British adventure film written and directed by John Gilling and starring Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed, Jack Hedley and June Thorburn. [1]

Contents

It is a period drama set during the English Civil War, [2] a genre not usually approached by Hammer films of that time. [3]

Plot

When King Charles I is captured by Roundhead forces led by the tyrant Colonel Judd and his right-hand man Captain Sylvester, it is up to a band of locals loyal to the King led by a Robin Hood–type character named the Scarlet Blade to try to rescue him. They are helped by Judd's daughter Claire who secretly helps them in defiance of her father.

Cast

Reception

The film is said to have "at most only a casual acquaintance with recorded history". [5]

The Radio Times noted that Oliver Reed was "on form as a renegade swordsman with an eye for the ladies" but gave the overall film two stars out of five. [6]

A very mixed review focusing on the cast, stated, "The main problem is Hadley, who is as far as possible from the Errol Flynn type you would expect to find. Over his career, he was much more of a world-weary supporting actor type – Hadley may be best known as the burned-out detective at the center of Lucio Fulci’s notorious giallo film, The New York Ripper . (...) [7] Considerably more interesting are the bad guys. Let’s start with Col. Judd, and Jeffries is a revelation as a ruthless bad guy. It comes as quite a shock considering the actor is best known for playing the lovable grandfather in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (even though he was younger than his supposed son, Dick Van Dyke!)."

Accolades

The film won the BAFTA for Best cinematography. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Palladium</span> West End theatre in London

The London Palladium is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many with televised performances. Between 1955 and 1969 Sunday Night at the London Palladium was staged at the venue, produced for the ITV network. The show included a performance by the Beatles on 13 October 1963; one newspaper's headlines in the following days coined the term "Beatlemania" to describe the hysterical interest in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Reed</span> British actor (1938–1999)

Robert Oliver Reed was an English actor, known for his upper-middle class, macho image and his heavy-drinking, "hellraiser" lifestyle. His screen career spanned over 40 years, between 1955 and 1999. At the peak of his career, in 1971, British exhibitors voted Reed fifth-most-popular star at the box office.

<i>First Men in the Moon</i> (1964 film) 1964 British film by Nathan H. Juran, Ray Harryhausen

First Men in the Moon is a 1964 British science fiction film, produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Nathan Juran, and starring Edward Judd, Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries. The film, distributed by Columbia Pictures, is an adaptation by screenwriter Nigel Kneale of H. G. Wells' 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel Jeffries</span> English actor, screenwriter and film director (1926–2010)

Lionel Charles Jeffries was an English actor, director, and screenwriter. He appeared primarily in films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role in The Spy with a Cold Nose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Kudisch</span> American stage actor (born 1966)

Marc Kudisch is an American stage actor, who is best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gilling</span> English film director and screenwriter (1912–1984)

John Gilling was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed The Shadow of the Cat (1961), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Reptile (1966) and The Mummy's Shroud (1967). Elsewhere he directed Cross of the Devil (1975), among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzan Farmer</span> British actress (1942–2017)

Suzan Maxine Farmer was an English film and television actress. She was regularly cast in movies produced by Hammer Films.

<i>The Curse of the Werewolf</i> 1961 British film by Terence Fisher

The Curse of the Werewolf is a 1961 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Clifford Evans, Oliver Reed and Yvonne Romain. It was based on the novel The Werewolf of Paris by Guy Endore. It was produced by Anthony Hinds for Hammer Film Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Hippodrome</span>

The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child Catcher</span> Fictional character from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

The Child Catcher is a fictional character in the 1968 film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and in the later stage musical adaptation. The Child Catcher is employed by the Baron and Baroness Bomburst to snatch and imprison children on the streets of Vulgaria.

<i>The Devil-Ship Pirates</i> 1964 British film by Don Sharp

The Devil-Ship Pirates is a 1964 British pirate adventure film directed by Don Sharp.

Kenneth Graham Hughes was an English film director and screenwriter. He worked on over 30 feature films between 1952 and 1981, including the 1968 musical fantasy film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the Ian Fleming novel of the same name. His other notable works included The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960), Of Human Bondage (1964), Casino Royale (1967), and Cromwell (1970). He was an Emmy Award winner and a three-time BAFTA Award nominee.

<i>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</i> 1968 British-American musical-fantasy film by Ken Hughes

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 children's musical adventure film directed by Ken Hughes and produced by Albert R. Broccoli. It stars Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Gert Fröbe, Anna Quayle, Benny Hill, James Robertson Justice, Robert Helpmann, Heather Ripley and Adrian Hall. The film is based on the 1964 children's novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming, with a screenplay co-written by Hughes and Roald Dahl.

<i>The Lady and the Highwayman</i> 1989 British TV series or programme

The Lady and the Highwayman is a 1989 United Kingdom romantic adventure television film based on Barbara Cartland's 1952 romance novel Cupid Rides Pillion. The working title of the film was Dangerous Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Ripper</span> British actor (1913– 2000)

Michael George Ripper was an English character actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Wattis</span> English actor (1912–1975)

Richard Cameron Wattis was an English actor, co-starring in many popular British comedies of the 1950s and 1960s.

<i>Chitty Chitty Bang Bang</i> (musical) Stage musical

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a musical with music and lyrics written by Richard and Robert Sherman and a book by Jeremy Sams. It is based on the 1968 film of the same name with screenplay by Roald Dahl, Ken Hughes, and Richard Maibaum. The 1968 film was based in turn on the book of the same name by Ian Fleming. The musical's world premiere was staged the London Palladium on April 16, 2002, directed by Adrian Noble before the show opened on Broadway in 2005.

<i>The Railway Children</i> (1970 film) 1970 film by Lionel Jeffries

The Railway Children is a 1970 British family drama film based on the 1906 novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. The film was directed by Lionel Jeffries and stars Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter, Sally Thomsett, Gary Warren and Bernard Cribbins in leading roles. The film was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom on 21 December 1970.

Caroline Sheen is a Welsh actress who has played leading roles on stage in the West End alongside TV and film appearances. She won a Helen Hayes award for playing the role of Mary Poppins on the National Tour of America.

John Frederickas Burkensaw was an English writer of novels and short stories.

References

  1. ↑ "The Scarlet Blade (1963) | BFI". 9 March 2016. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Kinsey, Wayne (2002). Hammer Films: The Bray Studio Years. Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN   978-1-903111-44-4.
  3. ↑ Fryer, Ian (7 November 2017). The British Horror Film: From the Silent to the Multiplex. Fonthill Media.
  4. ↑ Croall, Jonathan (8 June 2023). From Silent Film Idol to Superman: The Life and Career of John Stuart. McFarland. ISBN   978-1-4766-8954-8.
  5. ↑ Engelen, Leen; Winkel, Roel Vande (2007). Perspectives on European Film and History. Academia Press. ISBN   978-90-382-1082-7.
  6. ↑ "The Scarlet Blade (1963)". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  7. ↑ McLennan, Jim (9 August 2020). "The Scarlet Blade (1963)". Film Blitz. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "The Scarlet Blade (1963) - DVD review". www.reviewgraveyard.com. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.