MGM presents in CINEMASCOPE and COLOR...Sir Walter Scott's The Adventures of Quentin Durward
1955-09-09
N/A
103 min
During the 15th century reign of France's King Louis XI, a young Scottish man is sent by his English Lord to woo a French lady on his behalf. The plan goes awry when the young man falls in love with her. Based on the classic novel by Sir Walter Scott.
This is probably my favourite Sir Walter Scott story. In this rendition, Robert Taylor is the valiant "Quentin Durward" sent by his impoverished Scottish uncle to assess the suitability of the fabulously wealthy Kay Kendall "Isabelle" as a potential wife. Along the way he becomes involved in the political intrigues of Louis XI (Robert Morley) and his cousin, the Duke of Burgundy (Alec Clunes) as they vie for control of France. It is a great adventure story, lots of twists and turns and plenty of action; even some humour from Morley and an excellent George Cole as "Hayraddin" and the acrobatic campanology at the end is great. Maybe the acting lacks any depth but the photography captures the splendour of the French court perfectly, and all-in-all it is a fun film to watch.
