La rose noire

Two young Saxons, bitter over the Norman predations in their homeland, travel to far Cathay to win their fortunes. Their dangerous journey becomes infinitely more complicated when they provide unwilling refuge for an enticing girl known as THE BLACK ROSE.

Filmed expansively in England & North Africa, 20th Century Fox gave this film excellent production values, with great masses of surging extras & plenty of swashbuckling flurry. The plot is outlandish, based on the novel by Thomas B. Costain, but this doesn't detract from the enjoyment of watching the action or hearing the (often) intelligent dialogue. While not as cerebrally fulfilling as the previous year's PRINCE OF FOXES, the film is still able to hold its own for pure entertainment.

At 36, Tyrone Power may be unconvincing as an Oxford undergraduate, yet he still fills his hero's role with dash & passion. The Technicolor camera isn't always kind to his aging good looks, and he's up against a powerful congregation of talented co-stars, yet Power never fails to offer anything less than a satisfying performance.

Jack Hawkins is every bit Power's equal in screen charisma, making his role as the longbowman sidekick absolutely vital to the story. A lesser actor would have been swamped by Power's star prerogative, but Hawkins holds his own admirably. Entrancing French actress Cécile Aubry is very fetching as the girl the heroes reluctantly rescue. With her big eyes & intense manner, she provides the film with its most tender moments.

Appearing as the formidable Mongol general Bayan, the inimitable Orson Welles fills a rather modest role with his megawatt personality. Body swaggering, voice booming, he effortlessly filches every scene he's in, entertaining the viewers & obviously amusing Power & Hawkins as well. While not as significant as either Cesar Borgia or Harry Lime - his two great roles of that immediate period - Welles still wrings every bit of cinematic pleasure out of Bayan, as if he were saying, `There! Look what I can do with even a small part!' The film's biggest drawback is his abrupt departure from the story line.

The rest of the cast is peppered with fine British actors - James Robertson Justice, craggy Finlay Currie, Michael Rennie, Herbert Lom, & Laurence Harvey. Mary Clare as a Norman countess & Madame Phang as the Chinese Empress both give tiny, vivid portrayals. Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Torin Thatcher as a rebellious Saxon. Young Robert Blake plays a Moslem servant boy. And that's Peter Sellers dubbing the voice for the oily Lu Chung.

Now for an historical reality check: by the time of the film's action, roughly 200 years after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the difficulties between the Normans & the Saxons had long since dissipated. The Norman government did much to modernize & civilize England; this trend continued under King Edward I, whose reign commenced in 1272 and who appears briefly in the film.

Regardless of what the plot states, the Mongols had long before captured Cathay (China). Genghis Khan had largely completed this task and ruled a huge empire stretching from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean by the time of his death in 1227. Tyrone Power's cinematic journey seems to owe much to that of the historical Marco Polo from Venice, who arrived at Shando, the capital of Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan, in 1275.

I saw this movie when I was twelve and identified with the young girl. I may have been young, impressionable, but involved with her character. I fell in love with Tyrone Power.I also felt Orson Welles was very handsome and knowledgeable. I thrilled to the thought of being in her place. I watched avidly the scenery as the film progressed for I was unable to travel as my family was not well off. I often dreamed of visiting foreign countries.I loved their beautiful costumes.I knew very little of the world and soaked up every moment.The Black Rose had many particulars of movies of today, romance,action,thrills,suspense,scenery,and a surprise ending. I believe any young girl of twelve to fourteen would love it today.I hope to see it again soon on Turner Classic Movies.

This is one of those movies that makes you feel like a 12-year-old sneaking into the local movie palace on a Saturday afternoon.

If you like exotic locales, rousing action, a lot of humor and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, you'll probably enjoy this film as much as I do.

Orson Welles ("Bayan of the Thousand Eyes") is the real star, though Jack Hawkins, as usual, is terrific. This movie is a delight, and it stands the test of time. Best of all, it leaves you with a contented smile on your face.

I rate it a solid 8.5 out of 10.

This is a feature film about which viewers cannot even begin to agree. Some believe it to be a major production with award-winning costumes, good actors, a vivacious leading lady, a clever story-line and colorful thirteenth-century adventures. Others deny all these judgments and assertions. The only thing that all its fans agree upon is that the movie was unusual, worth-making and worth discussing. The novel by Thomas B. Costain is clever and perhaps not-entirely-historical. It is a fictionalized biography and a recreation of an era that sets two Saxons against their Norman overlords at a time when this may have been an old-fashioned attitude; but this gives Walter of Gurnie an excuse to leave his homeland and his studies, with a companion, Tristram Griffin, master of the English longbow, to take service with Bayan of the Hundred Eyes, General to the Great Khan of China.. The other elements in the plot line are thus Bayan's inscrutable personality--he and Walter play chess and debate; Griffin's prowess with a weapon that astonishes the Easterners who see him employ it; and the two men's love for a disguised girl who is forced to flee and joins their caravan, she who is the titular "Black Rose" of the piece. The screenplay by adventure writer Talbot Jennings (developed from Costain's logical but slightly creaky novel) is perhaps a very good one; it is my assertion that with a bit more money and a better leading lady, the film might be more famous and even more appreciated. It deserves an updated remake, in my view. The director of the piece was veteran Henry Hathaway; he makes the events seem both realistic and important, never stooping to trickery to try to inject excitement at the points where none is indicated by the script. Richard Addinsell composed the music for the film, and William C. Andrews provided the art direction. The costume designs by Michael Whittaker I find to be quite serviceable and good for the period, but not extremely exciting. The cinematography by Jack Cardiff is as beautiful as it always is; the film looks as good as budgetary constraints permit in either B/W or color, which is quite a feat. it is played as an adventure; I believe it could be refashioned as a dramatic work; but what we have here is an engaging and rewarding script and production. Tyrone Power is a bit too-old for a student, but he is attractive and vivid in the lead. Jack Hawkins steals the film due to his charisma, energy and award-level interpretation of Tristram. Orson Welles is interesting and enigmatic as the general. As the Black Rose, Cecile Aubrey is adequate, often charming and able to get the basics of her very youthful part across but not much more. Michael Rennie, Finlay Currie. Herbert Lom, Mary Clare, Henry Oscar as Roger Bacon and Laurence Harvey are also featured. I like the film, and have good memories of reading the novel and seeing it years ago. It holds up well, due to its solid construction; but I yearn to remake it as a drama worthy of the very-interesting story-line even moreso. Watch for the great archery contest--surely the visual highlight of this adventure production.

One of those rare adventure films where the villain is nearly as admirable a character as the hero. Perhaps only Orson Wells could pull that off. In fact, the dynamic formula of Welles' villainy played against the shadowed virtues of Tyrone Power are here-in reminiscent of that same combination in another rarely seen gem, Prince of Foxes. A good film library should contain them both. I don't think either of them are actually available commercially. Life can be so cruel.