The Saracen Blade

With a producer such as Sam Katzman, you could not expect a masterpiece, but technicians and actors did their best to gives us something acceptable, bearable. Lousy and cheap production design can't enhance the quality of this period adventure flick, about which it is not necessary to find any historical accuracy. What could you expect more with such a producer? Sam Katzman was the most inspired in crime dramas, gangster films, certainly not this kind of sword and sandal, that even a small kid would despise. The Universal or Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios gave us ten millions times better stuff. Shame on Katzman, to spoil such historical, period action yarns.

Enjoyable epic adventure with B-casting for a B-movie, the novelty were on two character, Pietro played by Ricardo Montalban, usually on leading roles on low budge production like this, and the marvelous and young blonde Carolyn Jones, based on the book, this picture has an irretrievable fail on so short running time, just 76 minutes too compressed to tell in fullness so complex story, some scenes weren't linked together, barely ended one chapter and starts a new one totally logged off in another place, also as the future will ascertain Montalban wasn't a proper hero, look it on Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, just unforgettable, he had an improved performance as anti hero, we cannot blame the director William Castle, possibly he wasn't enough money to did a better job, still an enjoyable movie more suitable to Sunday matinee!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2010 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 7

Pietro is an orphan who is raised by a family friend in 15th century Italy. When the friend is killed by the same nasty baron who murdered Pietro's father as he led the peasants in revolt against the baron's tyranny, Pietro vows vengeance against the entire family. This will prove difficult, since he's been in love with the daughter of the nasty baron since he was a child and wants to marry her.

Ricardo Montalban cuts a dashing figure as the hero in this colourful and florid costumer, which moves briskly and contains enough drama, conflict, romance - it lacks a bit of action, which is a shame as Montalban swashes really well. The focus is on manipulation and maneuvering among the characters from the warring families, and it succeeds in sustaining an interest. But a longer running time was needed to make it more rounded and epic. I. E. More battle scenes.

"Pietro" (Ricardo Montalban) has vowed revenge on the dastardly "Count Siniscola" (Michael Ansara) after he imprisoned then killed his father many years ago. The fly in his ointment is, though, that he has a crush on "Iolanthe" (Betta St. John) whom he has known since his youth, and whom he learns is to be betrothed to the son of the evil Count. To avoid this fate worse that death they elope - but are captured. She begs for his freedom and it is given, in a most perilous way. Luckily, he encounters the King (Whitfield Connor) in the woods and they concoct a cunning - if somewhat over complicated plan that could serve both men well. There is an hell of a lot packed into this film; plenty to make Machiavelli proud, and Montalban is actually not bad in the lead. The rest, though, don't really work at all. St. John and the manipulative "Elaine" (Carolyn Jones) look the part OK, but neither have the dialogue or the presence to elevate this beyond a Crusader's version of a sword and sandals escapade where the sets wobble. It's colourful, and decently paced - just way too messy - it needed more of a budget.

Ricardo Montalban was the perfect choice for the role of Pietro. Passionate and handsome, he can show anger and righteous zeal one minute and his tender feelings for Iolanthe, his true love, the next, despite the formidable odds against them. He needed all the anger he could muster, since his own father was beheaded by his true love's father, the cruel overlord of the region where Pietro was born, in medieval Italy. He spends most of the film trying to wreak vengeance on Iolanthe's family while trying to rescue her from their evil clutches.

Frank Yerby's novel of the same name is one of my favorites, and if you find it it's worth the read. Much more detailed than the film.

William Castle seems an odd choice for directing this kind of film, but this was one of the last normal films he did before he embarked on his famous horror film streak. Don't miss Combat!'s Rick Jason in the role of one of Iolanthe's evil brothers.