Review of Ivanhoe (1952) by Adrian B — 09 Jan 2012

Some sort of uninspired bore for which Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor), a knight looking for a missing king, gets mixed up with enemies, women (Joan Fontaine and Elizabeth Taylor), and an event that shows him knocking (and severely injuring, if not killing) opponents of courses with a long paddle.

Climaxes with a chaotic battle scene that sparks some laughter, because people are seriously faking it when they are getting killed by arrows or swords. I am sure Richard Thorpe wanted to do a movie along the lines Michael Curtiz' "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and it was liked back then because it beat "Singin' in the Rain" for a nominee for Best Picture.

Pretty embarrassing by today's standards. Weak dialogue and acting, wasting talents of both Taylor's, Fontaine, and Sanders, and the beautiful set pieces. A real shame!