Schwarze Pfeile

The film takes place after the War of the Roses ;now the York rule the country and the Lancaster ,should we believe the screenwriters ,have become rebels , their leader, John the dispenser of justice ,has his camp in the forest .Many scenes seem to have been taken by force from the numerous Robin Hood adventures; besides ,there's a younger hero (Hayward) a heir deprived of his valuable castle and lands by wicked greedy uncle MacReady ; Lady Marian is represented by the daughter (Janet Blair)of the lord ,who was slain : to make the matters worse,it's the uncle's brother (therefore the nephew's daddy) who was falsely accused of the crime. So nephew and future dad-in-law join their forces. Best moment is the Ordeal, rather violent for the time. As it is often the case,it's the baddie , cynically played by George McReady ,who walks away with the honors.

The Black Arrow is directed by Gordon Douglas and adapted to screenplay by Richard Schayer, David P. Sheppard and Thomas Sellar from the novel written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It stars Louis Hayward, George Macready and Janet Blair. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr.

A little known swashbuckler, the Black Arrow has all the requisite touches for fans of such dashing fare. Story is set just after The War of the Roses has ended and pitches the returning Sir Richard Shelton (Hayward) into a hunt for the truth behind his father's murder. Political intrigue, fights, brutal jousting and romance does follow. It doesn't give the Flynn or Power swashbucklers a run for their money, but it's good honest family entertainment with medieval literacy at the core and red-blooded machismo bulging at the seams. 6/10

This 1948 swashbuckler set in the aftermath of the War of the Roses has three things that makes this mildly enjoyable programmer: the underrated Gordon Douglas directing, the menacing scene stealer George Macready, and the dashing Louis Hayward isn't Errol Flynn, which is a good thing, as Hayward has got his own unique style; he looks the part, acts really well as the son who returns to find his father murdered, and his sword fights are executed with cat-like agility.

The story - A young British nobleman comes back from fighting in the War of the Roses to discover that his father has been murdered by an old family friend who is now an outlaw. However, he becomes suspicious about the exact circumstances of his father's death and determines to find out exactly what happened.

As the storyline suggests, there's a little intrigue, especially with the black arrows left for Hayward's character to read. It implies that his uncle, Macready, is the real culprit. The first half moves slightly ponderously, but it's still captures your attention. There are sword fights, secret passages, rebellious bandits on the side of good, and an exciting jousting sequence. Enjoyable swashbuckler, though I wish it was in technicolour. Check out the brilliant Disney 1985 version of this Robert Louis Stevenson penned adaptation.

The Black Arrow casts Louis Hayward as the son of a noble family returned from the War Of The Roses where he's fought for the Yorkist side which has just gained the crown again at Tewksbury. But there's trouble at home where his greedy uncle George MacReady has obtained the estate of Lancastrian Paul Cavanaugh by most foul means including the stabbing death of Hayward's father Russell Hicks which we see in flashback.

Hayward has to take to the forest where legends of Robin Hood abound and he gathers his own group of merry men. In Cavanaugh's daughter Janet Blair, Hayward has his own Maid Marian whom MacReady wants to marry and solidify his hold on now both Hayward's and Cavanaugh's holdings. That would make him a most powerful baron indeed.

Of some interest here is MacReady's patron the Duke of Glouscester who as we know later became Richard III. He's played here by Lowell Gilmore, most ambiguously.

As for how this works out the ending was used again in MGM's far bigger budgeted production of Ivanhoe a few years later.

Hayward who played a variety of roles and well is most identified with the costume swashbuckler. Although he could be a charming heel in many films, he's a straight Black Arrow hero in this one. Those fond of the genre will have little reason for complaint.

I regularely confound this movie in Gordon Douglas' filmography with ROGUES OF SHERWOOD FOREST, made two years later and speaking of a very close story, settings and atmosphere. Both features are obviously ROBIN HOOD films rip-offs, and excellent ones. In this medieval swashbuckler, Louis Hayward fights against...Guess who.... The main and unique villain of Columbia swashbucklers of the forties and fifties: George Mc Ready himself. Who else? Louis Haywad against George Mc Ready is like Errol Flynn vs Basil Rathbone. It was made in black and white, such a shame, but it was colorized. And guess what, for once, I appreciate a colorized film. And what a good surprise to see a Columbia Pictures swashbuckler not produced by the infamous Sam Katzman. Gordon douglas would have not survived to such a doomed situation.