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.

This film was obviously cobbled together to continue the success of Ivanhoe the previous year. The script has that factitious quality indicative of several hands having worked on it; it is largely a series of loosely linked scenes between the action sequences, with some unintentionally funny effects. Robert Taylor attempting some medieval dancing is one of the awkward moments here. The leads look as if they have been summoned to a costume party, and not entirely comfortable being surrounded by all those capable English actors — Ava Gardner in particular seems unusually bemused.M-G-M had a production unit in England, so the scenery is authentically lovely in Cinemascope (the first Cinemascope feature not made by Twentieth Century-Fox), with the master Freddie Young as DOP.The brief cycle of "when knighthood was in flower" films was parodied in The Court Jester with Danny Kaye a couple of years after this film was released, and it is even funnier, albeit deliberately.

In this story about King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and the Lady Guenevere, the acting is superb and the English countryside is beautiful. Mel Ferrer shows forth great dramatic ability as the calm-yet-firm King Arthur, Robert Taylor (in one of finest roles, I feel) is the consummate actor as the arrogant Sir Lancelot, and Ava Gardner as the very beautiful Lady Guenevere would make anyone want to fight over and for her. Stanley Baker truly wants anyone want to kill the mean and heartless Mordred. And too, Miklos Rozsa provided a very fitting and well-done music score. You never tire from watching the movie, thanks to the romance, sword-fighting, and even the aesthetics of it; it is exciting from beginning to end. The movie is unique in another sense: it is the first Cinemascope movie of MGM. Because of the acting, excitement, intrigue, and aesthetics, this movie is a favorite of mine.

This movie is a camp classic: so appallingly written and acted that one is transfixed with ridiculousness. I'm sure it was great fun to parade around in these ludicrous clothes and say these lines. Complete with cartoon sets -- check out the Styrofoam Stonehenge! Even the horses are funny. People think Monty Python was satire, but it was really straight documentary. The speaking parts artfully combine John Wayne swagger with cod-Shakespearean silliness. "That, Sir Knight, shall be mah playsher." Ava Gardner is radiant but talentless, and Robert Taylor, well, he's just talentless. I give it a six for entertainment value, but believe me, this is a terrible, terrible movie.