Robert Taylor is Sir Lancelot of the Lake, a knight of the round table, who falls in love with Ava Gardner as Guinevere, wife of Mel Ferrer as King Arthur. Love conquers all.Mel Ferrer has been disparaged for his performance but, granted that he's not Olivier or Sean Connery, he's still not bad. So his voice is weak. So what? The operatic hero is always a tenor. Ava Gardner has little to do and only a little more to say in her whispery, sexy voice.But the movie is about Robert Taylor as Lancelot, the chivalrous knight and babe magnet. Taylor had an interesting career, making his mark as Camille's lover with his empyrian good looks. In the 30s he was so handsome that questions arose about his masculinity. And, after all, he was born Spangler Arlington Borough. He put the queries and eyebrows to rest by appearing shirtless and hairy chested in a prominent movie magazine.Then -- as it must to all men -- age came to Robert Taylor. His voice remained the same, continuing to operate within its narrow envelope, but his looks coarsened. Yet MGM kept him soldiering on in roles like this. He never disappointed because he never changed and he never got in the way of the scenery. As for the chemistry between Taylor and Gardner, both occupational surnames, it can best be described as "two people." Actually, the movie is about Robert Taylor but just barely. Running a close second is location shooting, photography, and wardrobe. You have never seen more color on the screen. The horses themselves are gaudily robed. And there is an abundance of action, ranging from duels to the death to pillow fights.I don't know how closely it sticks to Arthurian legend. I gather there were several versions of all the legends. I once tried reading Thomas Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur" but it was awfully dull and inexpressive, like reading the log of a ship at sea.Good luck and God speed.

Pompous and Pretentious, this Early Cinemascope, Technicolor Travesty is So Dull it Disgraces All Involved in the Production. It is Assembly Line Movie Making and Even the Round Table Looks Plastic. Speaking of Plastic, the Acting is Stiff and Artificial, Clunky and Embarrassing.Yes, the Movie Looks Good with its Vibrant Colors and Lengthy Width, but it is Filled with Placed Participants Going Through the Motions. The Dialog Sounds Like it was Cribbed from Shakespeare and Delivered to the Set so that Pampered Stars can Sound Like Authoritarians.King Arthur and Guinevere (Ava Gardner) Look Spaced Out, Like They got some Magic Mushrooms by Mistake and Wonder What it is All About. Robert Taylor as Lancelot isn't Much Either. The Supporting Characters Fair a Tad Better but it is a Daunting Task to Make this Thing Seem Suspenseful or Exciting.Worth a Watch, Barely, if Only to See how Not to Bring the Myth and the Legend of King Arthur to the Screen. Even the Holy Grail Makes an Appearance and so Does God in a Speaking Part. Doesn't Help.

In fifth century England, chivalrous Sir Robert Taylor (Lancelot) falls in love with beautiful Ava Gardner (Guinevere), the beautiful wife of his beloved King Mel Ferrer (Arthur). Try as they might, Mr. Taylor and Ms. Gardner are unable to resist the urge to lock lips, which gives enemy Mr. Ferrer's enemies, led by Stanley Baker (as Modred) and Anne Crawford (as Morgan Le Fay), their ammunition. This version of Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur" never lets you forget it is a SPECTACLE.Director Richard Thorpe has the players take full advantage of the fact that this is a "CinemaScope" production, and, in COLOR. Everything is obvious. The two top-billed "stars" (actually, Taylor is the star, and Gardner has little to do) make it look even more showy. Taylor goes through the motions. Gardner walks beautifully, stands beautifully, and sits beautifully. Others in the cast are more natural - in fact, Gabriel Woolf (Percival) and Maureen Swanson (Elaine) might have made a much more convincing Lancelot and Guinevere. The ingredients are here, but they're misused.**** Knights of the Round Table (12/22/53) Richard Thorpe ~ Robert Taylor, Mel Ferrer, Gabriel Woolf, Ava Gardner

In her memoirs,Ava Gardner wrote something like that: I had to make "knights ..." a historical farce (!) where I met again Robert Taylor with whom I had already made "the bribe" ;what Mrs Gardner did not write ,it's that she was ,without a doubt the most beautiful Guinevere in history.I sincerely believe that this film is largely underrated:is it because it was dwarfed by Boorman's "Excalibur" about thirty years ago?I'm not sure that Nicholas Clay and Cherrie Lunghi,who were /are very competent thespians ,had the aura ,the panache and the glamor Taylor and Gardner displayed in Thorpe's version."Knights.." is thoroughly enjoyable with a lovely finale and much knightly honor,a good supporting cast (Ferrer,Baker..) and a nice cinematography...Miss Gardner alone is worth the price of admission.