Schwarze Pfeile

This fine film is a dramatic, tense and action-packed story set at the close of the War of the Roses when a young man returns home to find that his father has been murdered and his estate confiscated. Louis Hayward is the dashing hero of the proceedings and Janet Blair supplies the romance in this film of treachery and palace intrigue. Hayward's search for the truth about his father's death places him and Blair in grave danger as sinister forces remain in the shadows, watching and waiting for the right time to move on him. George Macready is excellent in his role as the suave but evil landowner who also covets Blair for his marriage bed. Edgar Buchanan supports the headliners as an aide-de-camp of the outlaw band that hides out in the forest, reminiscent of the familiar Robin Hood legend. The movie has a classic good vs. evil theme and is accompanied by a fine score by Paul Sawtell.

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 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.

Starkly made in classic black and white, this medieval adventure is set and in England at the end of the War of the Roses. The main character must cope with the death of his father, apparently at the hand of a once trusted neighbor. Naturally, a love interest is provided for him in the person of the daughter of his father's killer. The `Black Arrow' is the mysterious missive that keeps flying in, to suggest that things are not what they seem, and to motivate young Shelton to search for truth. Some good sword play, chase sequences, and a classic joust scene for the grand finale. A good film for a late afternoon unwind.

THE BLACK ARROW, based on a historical novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is an American-made swashbuckler that's set in England and tells a tale that's very reminiscent of the Robin Hood story. Set in the aftermath of the Wars of the Roses, it sees a soldier return home to find his father murdered, apparently by a rival, although he soon discovers that the murderers lay close at hand and that foul play was involved.

This is a light and breezy affair, with a fast pacing and plenty of action to recommend it. The swordfights are conducted in the classic manner with the opponents adopting fencing stances and a general old-fashioned feel to them. Louis Hayward, the erstwhile hero, is a guy I didn't find particularly charismatic, but the supporting cast of dastardlies and outlaw heroes is a well-chosen one.

Of course, never for a second does this film convince you that it's set in England, and the American accents of some of the cast members don't help much. Nonetheless it's an entertaining piece, with all of the jailbreaks, skullduggery, rescues and escapes you could hope for in an adventure movie. The ferocious jousting climax is a real highlight and surprisingly barbaric for its time.