Review of The Viking Queen (1967) by L J — 17 Nov 2007

The Druids were right!!

This film is actually a lot better than it sounds. Don Chaffey, director of One Million Years BC, made this historical drama for Hammer, which is loosely based on the reign of Queen Boadicea. It's no masterpiece, but it looks great (filmed on location in Ireland) and has strong performances from Don Murray, the great Andrew Keir and ever-dependable Patrick Troughton (who must've been about to succeed William Hartnell in the role of Doctor Who, around the time of this film's release).

Unfortunately, this is one of those Hammer films where the female lead is given to a non-actress (this time Finnish model Carita Jarvinen) whose ability to look good onscreen outweighs her acting ability (and the fact that her voice has been completely re-dubbed doesn't help, either).

Also featuring a young Nicola Pagett and Donald Houston as Maelgan the Druid Priest (in a very ...'theatrical' performance!).

In spite of any shortcomings, this is a damn good effort. Trust me.