Prince Vaillant

Henry Hathaway's 'Prince Valiant' is an epic adventure story set in the Golden Age of Chivalry... It is the story of a Viking Prince who pledges to go to Camelot and there strive with honor and diligence to become a Knight at King Arthur's Round Table...

'Prince Valiant' is about a ghost who plots treason, a black-armored knight who appears and vanishes at will... It is about a deadly Black Knight, who uses his disguise to make a pact with a Viking traitor to overthrow a great king...

'Prince Valiant' is about a desperate squire who dares to wear the armor and identity of a chivalrous Knight of the Round Table... And about a loyal squire who crowns a mighty knight with a rock, and tries to win a beautiful princess for himself...

'Prince Valiant' is about the son of an exiled king who seeks King Arthur's help against the usurper, and becomes involved in a court plot... It is about a courageous lad who faces the treachery of a mysterious black knight, who is scheming betrayal and murder...

James Mason portrays the shining knight Sir Brack who suffers the indignity of being challenged on the field of honor by a squire in the guise of a knight...

Janet Leigh plays the lovely damsel with one purpose, to answer love fully...

Robert Wagner plays the young hothead with one vow to fulfill before he can think of anything else...

Debra Paget plays the shy and charming dark-haired princess with a secret wish...

Sterling Hayden plays Sir Gawain, the perfect knight who knows that his duty is to find the Black Knight and destroy him before his treason ripens...

Victor McLaglen plays the Christian Viking hiding behind a red curtain with a long knife in his hand...

Donald Crisp plays the exiled King of Scandia who was overthrown by a Viking traitor and escapes with his wife and son across the North Sea to Britain...

Brian Aherne plays Arthur, King of the Britons, who assures Valiant that 'knighthood cannot be had for the asking...' It must be won! Barry Jones plays the father of two lovely princesses who suffers to get the best knight for one of his daughters...

Well... I just love this movie! Its good old magic moves me to some of the most cherished memories stored in my mind... It is an agreeable historical piece that has prowess, romance, and grace, and a breathtaking duel, one of the best you will ever see...

There are only few - VERY few - classic sword & sorcery adventures out there which deserve more than a glance. Yes, this one's pretty ignorant of Hal Foster's original, and I pity that. But as far as 40's/50's first class adventure romps go, this one ranks right beneath the all-time classic 'The Adventures Of Robin Hood', bravely levels with 'Ivanhoe', and easily settles above 'Knights Of The Round Table'.

This is a classic Sunday afternoon couch with a bag of chips movie.

As long as you don't expect something else, this is the movie for you.

9 out of 10 for what it is and always will be.

* Schogger13

The Sunday comic strip character gets the CinemaScope treatment in a fine film with marquee names to attract more than passing interest. Robert Wagner is just right as the young Viking prince who seeks to restore his father's throne. Circumstances bring Valiant to King Arthur's court where an English knight becomes his mentor and trains him in the art of combat. James Mason is great as a shadowy figure who figures prominently in the picture. Janet Leigh is a lovely maiden who is smitten immediately with Valiant, and Debra Paget is on hand to be romanced by an English knight. The film has action, suspense and romance, tournaments and thrilling battles before the final confrontation between Valiant and the Black Knight. Great cinematography, beautiful scenery and Franz Waxman's brooding score round out a quality film production.

Fifty years ago moviegoers found that Fox's PRINCE VALIENT was much better than expected, thanks to Henry Hathaway's fine direction and a wealth of good sense from 20th Century-Fox. Fox was still well-taken with their new CinemaScope process that just begged for action and beautiful, colorful settings. This movie excels at all, but it's mostly the rock-solid story of King Arthur and the Vikings that makes it.

Screen beauties Janet Leigh and Debra Paget almost never showed any leg in any movie, and herein (sorry) are fully covered as usual. Anyway, it's the men who dominate this story. Robert Wagner is perfect as Valient, and Sterling Hayden is at the top of his form, as is James Mason.

Truth is that in the age of comic book movies (2000-2008) Hollywood's cocaine sniffers have no clue how to craft this genre with any classic quality. The secret is to focus on (1) story, (2) character development, (3) spectacular sets and scenery, (4) challenge, redemption, faith, patriotism. The religion and honor in Prince Valient would make today's godless movie industry cringe.

These days the focus (if any) would be on animation, choppy editing, almost no dialog, and the usual/identical musical score: vim, vim, vim, vim on a violin while a chorus belts out wordless chants. Boring! Thus films like Jerry Bruckheimer's "King Arthur" -- to name just one, is no longer even a memory, let alone a classic.

Treat yourself! Rent "Prince Valient" on DVD.

Ah, for the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, when men were knights and boys wanted to be one. "Prince Valiant" is a fantasy swashbuckler film based on the long-time syndicated comic strip of the same name by Hal Foster. Robert Wagner isn't at the level of Douglas Fairbanks Jr. or Errol Flynn, nor is this film quite the actioner of those made by those actors. But, this is a fun and entertaining film from the mid-20th century when the tales of knights, pirates and adventurers were highly popular with Hollywood and audiences.

Foster's comic strip brought to life much of the lore of the legendary early British period. And, this is one of the first films about the main characters of the legend. The film has a fine cast. It's a picturesque story with great sets and costumes as imagined for the period.

The castles, coastal scenes, sword fights and tournaments of knights should still delight young audiences of the 21st century. And, the story isn't without romance with a couple of maiden beauties for whose hands in marriage most red-blooded knights would gladly vie.

This is a particularly good film for young boys well into the 21st century. The hero, Prince Valiant, is not an invincible knight who conquers all. Instead, he's a human being with faults who makes mistakes. Robert Wagner plays the part well as a young lad with dreams who stumbles and falls a couple of times in his pursuit of valor and honor. That makes a better lesson for today than the standard fantasies of super heroes that Hollywood cranks out.