Camelot Reviews

Lovely to look at, pleasant to listen to, and interesting to ponder, yet often clumsy, Jack Warner's last project for Warner Bros. stumbles in its retelling of T.H. White's story. Richard Harris, taking over the role Richard Burton played so marvelously on stage, is King Arthur, and Vanessa Redgrave his Guenevere. Determined to promote chivalry, Arthur establishes the Knights of the Round Table and treats Lancelot (Franco Nero), a brave Frenchman who comes to England to join the order, as a son, only to have the knight take up with Arthur's wife, who is sent to the stake for her transgressions. From there, the film loses steam, sabotaged by Joshua Logan's too-obvious direction and receiving little help from a score by Lerner and Loewe that remains one of their minor efforts. Popular during the Kennedy presidency, for which it became a symbol, the stage musical mirrored the optimistic period ushered in by the glamorous first family. Like it, the film version seems better in memory than it actually is; however, its production values and undeniable sincerity make it a worthwhile watch anyway. CAMELOT won Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Music Score, and Best Costume Design, and received nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Sound.