The Black Shield of Falworth Reviews

Loosely based on a novel by Howard Pyle, this swashbuckler will be a disappointment to anyone who listens to dialog. Curtis still hadn't rid himself of his New York accent and is ludicrous as Myles, son of a disgraced knight and suitor of the fair Lady Anne (Leigh, Curtis' then-wife and mother of their daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis). Farrar leads the conspiracy against King Henry IV (Keith). Myles enlists the aid of Lady Anne's father, the Earl of Mackworth (Marshall), and the king's son, Prince Hal (O'Herlihy). The villains are thwarted and Myles is restored to knighthood. Nice supporting bits turned in by Rush as Myles' sister and Hill as his best friend. Screenwriter Brodney (THE GLENN MILLER STORY; THE BRASS BOTTLE; FRANCIS) was out of his element here and the picture would have been better served if Brodney had been allowed to show some of his well-known penchant for badinage. Still, it might have been massacred by Curtis, who, to his credit, eventually turned into a pretty fair light comedian. Lots of swordplay, wall climbing, and romance.