The Scarlet Blade

This Hammer swashbuckler is one of the few films to be set during the English Civil War. Unfortunately, its treatment of the conflict is fairly simplistic ; the Roundheads are the baddies, intent on killing the king, and the Cavaliers are the romantic good guys, led by Jack Hedley, looking slightly too old to play the Robin Hood like hero.

The film suffers from the fact that the "villains" (Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed) are much more charismatic than the "heroes" (Hedley and an insipid June Laverick). The downbeat ending is also a surprise. Nevertheless, like most Hammer films, it is well-mounted and richly-photographed by Jack Asher. Watch out for the sequence in which the outlaws, disguised as bushes (!), creep ever-closer to the Roundhead guards. It looks like a scene from Monty Python!

This was a good action/adventure film, with a historical background of 17thc England, in the last days of the reign of Charles I. Colonel Judd, (Lionel Jeffries) a former loyalist, has joined the Roundheads, and he and his men are responsible for the imprisonment of the king, much to the chagrin of his daughter, Claire (June Thorburn), a staunch Loyalist. She joins a group planning to free the king, whose leader (Edward Beverly, played by Jack Hedley) is known by the logo "The Crimson Blade". The group includes Edward's brother, Philip and sister, Constance (Clifford Elkin and Suzan Farmer) seeking vengeance for the murder of their father by Colonel Judd's officers.

There's romance in the story too, as well as a rivalry, when Claire and Edward fall in love, and face the anger of Captain Tom Sylvester (Oliver Reed), who wants Claire, and pledges to support her cause, despite being her father's right-hand man, to try and win her over. But his loyalty, like his love, is self-serving.

It's a movie that'll hold your interest, quick paced, not long and drawn out. I recommend checking it out.

Hammer studios are most fondly remembered for their horror output, but they occasionally dipped their beak into other genres. The Scarlet Blade (US title: The Crimson Blade) is an example of their non-horror releases. Made in 1963 and directed by Hammer veteran John Gilling, this English Civil War swashbuckler cracks along at a brisk pace and, at a mere 83 minutes, never taxes the patience. It also features an early appearance from the brooding Oliver Reed, here perfectly cast as a tough but charming villain. Reed would go on to die 36 years later during one of his countless drinking binges, and his death marked a sad but inevitable loss to the acting profession. It's always pleasant to look back at his early works and remind ourselves what a fine actor he was, especially before years of alcohol abuse took its toll on his features and figure. In fact, roguish Reed's villain is much more interesting in this film than the "good guys" portrayed by June Thorburn and Jack Hedley…. that, coupled with the fact that the other main villain played by Lionel Jeffries is also far more charismatic than the dreary heroes, is probably the film's principal drawback!

Cromwellian soldiers Colonel Judd (Lionel Jeffries) and Captain Sylvester (Oliver Reed) capture King Charles of England (Robert Rietty). Colonel Judd has a beautiful young daughter named Claire (June Thorburn). Little does the Colonel suspect that his daughter is actually a Royalist supporter, totally opposed to her father's political sympathies. While Claire is seemingly intended for an eventual marriage to the handsome but ruthless Captain Sylvester, the reality of the matter is that she is very much in love with Cavalier adventurer Edward Beverly (Jack Hedley). Edward and Claire realise that they must gather the sparse Royalist supporters together in their struggle to rescue the king.

The Scarlet Blade is pleasing enough whilst on, but soon forgotten afterwards. It paints a typically romanticised view of history, portraying the Cavaliers as whiter-than-white heroes with justice on their side, and the Roundheads as tyrannical baddies with few - if any - likable qualities. The film ends on a rather sour note, much more downbeat than expected, and the decision to do this should be applauded. Happy and convenient endings can sometimes be a bit too conventional, so it's nice to come across a film from time to time which reminds us that things don't always work themselves out perfectly. On a less positive note, the performances are generally wooden and unconvincing (only Jeffries and Reed escape this criticism). Much of the dialogue is unconvincing too, but this is more to do with the film's innocent, old-fashioned charm than anything and provides some unintended pleasures. I'm not going to stand here and claim that The Scarlet Blade is a lost classic, nor am I going to slate it as a lesser-quality time waster. This film is brisk, lively and perfectly forgettable, a period adventure flick that fills a little time harmlessly enough if you're in the mood. If you're lucky enough to find it, give it a go.

Set during the English Civil War director John Gilling delivers standard historical fare for Hammer Films as we see the Roundheads kidnap King Charles I, led by unscrupulous Lionel Jeffries and side kick Oliver Reed, only to be scuppered by his own daughter, beautifully played by June Thorburn.

These 3 actors are the best thing about the piece, the Scarlet Blade himself played by Jack Hedley is a rather bland swashbuckling hero who comes to save the day but has none of the charisma of a Robin Hood.

Like most Hammer productions it is handsomely photographed with nice sets and costumes to evoke the period whilst making the most of the English countryside but a lot of it is obviously done in a studio on a very low budget which limits it's scope. The pacing is slow and methodical and it requires patience to sit through but for Hammer purists it's well worth a visit to 1648.

Set during the civil war with the Roundheads portrayed as the baddies and the Royalists the dashing heroes. Some of the scenes are quite well shot and it's in Technicolor as well which is a plus.

Unfortunately, the heroes aren't very interesting and are overshadowed by the much better Oliver Reed and Lionel Jeffries, the heroes aren't even that likeable and June Thorburn's character is just downright nasty and annoying, she doesn't deserve anyone. Reed's character is by far the most well done and complex, he does a fine acting job too. Additionally, for an action film there's a notable lack of action and the fighting that is in is not very well choreographed or entertaining.

3/10: Worth a watch for Oliver Reed but as a swashbuckler is terrible